Abstract: Apparatus, including a detector array, analog-to-digital converter, a microprocessor including a memory, and display for determining the total energy, divergence and position of an applied laser beam from a single laser pulse. The detector array is coupled to the microprocessor and computer memory by way of the analog-to-digital converter. The microprocessor controls the detector array scanning and computes the values for the desired characteristics. The display provides for a numerical, alpha-numerical or printed record of the calculated values. A method of determining the total energy, relative position and divergence is also provided.

Abstract: A source of driving signals is coupled to a thermal transducer wire to provide a completed circuit. The source may include a DC bias supply and an audio amplifier. The bias supply heats the wire to a predetermined temperature, and the amplifier heats and cools the wire above and below the predetermined temperature. The wire expands and contracts in response to the audio signals, thus providing for acoustic reproduction thereof. The wire may be coupled to a diaphragm, such as a conventional speaker cone, to accomplish the acoustic reproduction. A lever arrangement coupled between the wire and the diaphragm may be employed to obtain increased diaphragm motion. A lever arrangement employing two wires in a push-pull configuration is also provided for obtaining increased motion. Additionally, a true RMS meter and a relay are provided which incorporate the heated wire thermal motion arrangement.

Abstract: Apparatus is provided comprising a laser source, collimating optics for collimating light provided by the laser source, focusing optics for focusing the collimated light provided by the collimating optics, and a detector array disposed at the focal plane of the focusing optics. Two surface acoustic wave transducers are disposed adjacent to one another and adjacent to an optical path between the collimating and focusing optics. The surface acoustic wave transducers are individually connected to antennas which are oriented substantially parallel to one another. The surface acoustic wave transducers launch surface acoustic waves which interact with the laser light and cause the light to be deflected in proportion to the amplitude and frequency of signals applied to the surface acoustic wave transducers by the antennas. The beams deflected by the two surface acoustic waves result in an interference pattern created at the detector array.

Abstract: Millimeter wave transmission lines are disclosed for propagating electromagnetic waves of a wavelength ranging from about 10 mm to about 0.4 mm. The transmission lines comprise a fiber of co-crystallized thallium bromo-iodide consisting of from about 40 mole percent to about 46 mole percent thallium bromide and from about 60 mole percent to about 54 mole percent thallium iodide. The fiber may be cladded with a dielectric material having a dielectric constant less than that of the fiber. A number of alternate fiber and cladding cross-sectional configurations are disclosed including circular, square, rectangular, and elliptical.

Abstract: Optical devices are disclosed which rely upon Stark-induced resonant, tunable, and saturable birefringence and dichroism to provide both digital and linear amplitude optical modulators, optical shutters, tunable optical filters, and optical cutoff limiters. A Stark cell is disposed along a light beam path between two crossed polarizers with its electric field direction at 45.degree. to the polarizer pass directions. The Stark cell contains a medium exhibiting a dichroic absorption resonance at a predetermined frequency as well as birefringence at frequencies slightly above and slightly below the frequency of the absorption resonance. By applying an appropriate control voltage between the Stark cell electrodes, an electric field is generated within the Stark cell to tune the absorption resonance to overlap the frequency of an input laser beam and thereby vary the transmission through the device from maximum near resonance to zero at frequencies far away from resonance.

Abstract: An arrangement to provide feedback to amplifier systems incorporating an inductive laod. A low value error-sensing resistor is incorporated in conjunction with one or more transistors to provide a feedback correction signal to an amplifier which corrects for distortion caused by both the amplifier and the inductive load. A first embodiment providing a single-ended amplifier system incorporates an error-sensing resistor in series with a transistor, an inductive load and a bias resistor. A negative feedback error signal is provided to the amplifier from a point between the error-sensing resistor and the bias resistor. A second embodiment additionally includes a transformer to isolate the load. The third embodiment provides push-pull amplifier configurations. The third embodiment incorporates two complementary transistors to drive an inductive load. A pick-off arrangement including two capacitors and an error-sensing resistor provides negative feedback to the amplifier.

Abstract: A displacement transducer suitable for monitoring the angular rotation of an internal combustion engine is provided. The transducer comprises a rotary disc having a castellated periphery and mounted for rotation with the engine. First and second coils are mounted such that upon operation of the engine the castellations of the disc interrupt the inductive coupling therebetween. The first coil is fed with an oscillatory electrical signal which induces in the second coil an output signal of a first peak amplitude during the interruptions produced by the castellations and of a second peak amplitude during periods between the interruptions. Thresholding circuitry responsive to the output signal produces a control signal which is indicative of the commencement and cessation of the interruptions. In accordance with one disclosed embodiment, the threshold circuitry includes a pair of inverters sharing the same thermal environment.

Abstract: The herein disclosed electronically scanned antennas comprise a plurality of frequency scanned antenna sections each of which have a plurality of radiating elements and a plurality of phase shifters individually coupled to the antenna sections. Spatial steering of the beam over a predetermined angular subtense is provided in response to a change in frequency of the applied electromagnetic energy. The phase shifters are programmed to adjust the relative phase of the energy processed by each of the antenna sections so as to provide an energy beam having a coherent phase front. A first embodiment incorporates a plurality of serpentine feedlines disposed in a linear arrangement along with a plurality of phase shifters coupled thereto, which cause the plurality of feedlines to have the electrical characteristics of a single continuous feedline. A second embodiment incorporates the plurality of phase shifters as adapted to a thinned array antenna configuration.

Abstract: Apparatus is provided comprising a plurality of master latches whose outputs are selectively connected to a single-slave latch. The outputs of the slave latch may be discretionarily connected to particular master latch inputs depending upon the specific circuit arrangement desired. Both the master latches and the slave latch may incorporate implicit input gating which implement particular logic functions.

Abstract: A switching arrangement including a current switch for providing a low impedance electrical path therethrough in response to the application of triggering signals thereto, and for providing a high impedance electrical path in the absence of the triggering signals, is connected in an electrical path between a load and an AC voltage source. A control circuit is provided for applying triggering signals to the current switch when enabling power is applied thereto. A normally open switch provides enabling power derived from the AC voltage source to the control circuit when the normally open switch is closed. A normally closed switch provides enabling power derived from current which flows through the current switch to the control circuit when the normally closed switch is closed. Upon momentary closure of the normally open switch, the switching arrangement is turned on.

Abstract: Apparatus is provided comprising two antennas generally oriented in non-parallel directions such that their effective apertures are different relative to received radiation, each antenna being individually connected to two integrated optica spectrum analyzers. Switching means is provided which alternately switches signals provided by the two antennas between the two integrated optic spectrum analyzers. A microcomputer is connected to the outputs of the two integrated optic spectrum analyzers for comparing the relative intensities of signals received therefrom and provide a signal indicative of the direction of arrival of radiation received by the two antennas.

Abstract: Apparatus is provided comprising non-magnetic male and female coupling sections having reciprocally mating interrupted screw portions. The male section has a permanent magnet disposed in a first cylindrical chamber in the mating end thereof. The female section has a movable magnetic plunger captively disposed in a second cylindrical chamber in the mating end thereof which is free to enter the first chamber when the male and female sections are properly aligned and the interrupted screw portions are locked. Magnetic attraction holds the plunger in the first chamber. The male and female sections are thus precluded from further rotation relative to one another. A strong external magnet is used to withdraw the plunger from the first chamber thus allowing rotation and demating of the male and female sections.

Abstract: Apparatus is provided comprising a laser source, a collimating lens, a focussing lens and a detector array disposed along an optical path. A surface acoustic wave transducer is disposed between the collimating and focussing lenses and is adapted to modulate laser light provided by the laser source as a function of the amplitude and frequency of energy applied to the transducer. In accordance with the invention, a 90.degree. Bragg diffraction grating disposed between the collimating lens and the transducer, is adapted for transmitting light of a predetermined frequency and predetermined polarization along the optical path. A specific embodiment incorporates the components on an integrated circuit chip.

Abstract: An arrangement to provide feedback to amplifier systems incorporating an electrical load. A current transformer in conjunction with a resistor is incorporated to provide a feedback correction signal to an amplifier which corrects for distortion caused by both the amplifier and the inductive load. A first embodiment provides a single-ended amplifier driving a load and incorporates the current transformer between the output of the amplifier and the load. The secondary winding of the transformer is in series with the input to the amplifier, and a resistor is connected across the secondary winding. The transformer determines the frequency bandwidth of the entire amplifier system, and the resistor value determines the gain of the amplifier. Such a configuration provides negative feedback to the amplifier which is directly proportional to changes in current in the load due to distortions caused by the amplifier or load.

Abstract: A cutting tool for cutting soft ductile materials such as came (a lead or lead alloy extrusion used for leaded glass) without distortion. A thin steel blade is rapidly accelerated by impulse to cut the same. The blade is accelerated either by an electrical solenoid, a hammer, or other suitable means.

Abstract: Apparatus for encoding a laser beam with information indicative of position in the beam. A linearly polarized laser beam passes through a birefringent wedge which encodes a continuously varying polarization across one dimension thereof. The polarization-encoded laser beam is applied to an electro-optic modulator which induces a second harmonic component of an applied modulation signal to appear in the beam due to optical biasing by the polarization encoding. On beam center, only the fundamental appears, while going away from beam center the second harmonic appears, having a varying magnitude and phase. A polarizer transmits a linearly polarized component of the encoded beam. To encode a second dimension of the beam orthogonal to the first, a second wedge and modulator are provided. To provide discrimination between the two, the second modulator operates at a different fundamental modulation frequency.

Abstract: A laser which self-corrects for distortions introduced into the laser beam wavefronts by aberrations and time-varying phenomena internal to the laser. The improved laser includes a partially transmissive first reflecting element, an aperture stop, a lasing medium and a nonlinear phase conjugate reflecting device as the second reflecting element. During laser operation, aberrated wavefronts impinging upon the second reflecting element are reflected as the phase conjugate waveform thereof. The aperture stop restricts laser operation to the fundamental mode which allows only corrected, unaberrated waves to pass through the aperture stop and to subsequently exit the laser. Four embodiments are described utilizing stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS), four-wave mixing, three-wave mixing and photon echo devices as the second reflecting element.

Abstract: A ball bearing having a metal inner and outer ring, each ring having at least one land, and the bearing having metal balls disposed between the rings to form load bearing metal-to-metal interfaces. A ball bearing retainer disposed between the rings of the bearing, the retainer comprising rigid members supporting a soft, flexible, highly porous annular body having ball pockets for receiving the bearing balls, and having at least one projection on at least one circumferential surface thereof. The ball pockets are sized to have an interference fit with the balls, and the projection is made to be in contact with at least one land of the inner or outer ring. The annular body is made of a porous foamlike material capable of absorbing up to eighty percent by volume of a liquid lubricant, such as oil, and being capable of supplying a suitably large fraction of the stored lubricant to the bearing.

Abstract: A cutting tool for cutting soft ductile materials such as came (a lead or lead alloy extrusion used for leaded glass) without distortion. A thin steel blade is rapidly accelerated by impulse to cut the came. The blade is accelerated either by an electrical solenoid, a hammer, or other suitable means.

Abstract: Apparatus for coding a laser beam to provide guidance signals, or the like. In the transmitter, the laser beam traverses two modulators to provide two-dimensional encoding. In the receiver, the detected signals are amplified, frequency-discriminated, and mixed to form guidance signals. The modulator is a modified Stark cell wherein four split longitudinal planar electrodes allow for beam encloding as a function of two frequencies by the process of molecular absorption. Bias and modulating signals applied to the electrodes interact with the molecular absorbing gas and with the beam to encode position information as a function of the specific frequencies. The amplitude of the first encoding frequency varies from a maximum at one edge of the beam, decreasing to a minimum at the opposite edge, and vice versa for the second encoding frequency. The amplitudes of both are equal on beam center.