Abstract: A flexible fluid conduit joint includes two or more flexible sections that preferentially bend about respective preferential bend axes of the sections. The sections each include a flexible bellows coupled at longitudinal ends to a pair of annular collars, and a pair of blade flexures or plates that are also attached to the annular collars. The blade flexures or plates prevent longitudinal expansion of the bellows, and inhibit bending of the flexible sections about an axis that is perpendicular to the plane or planes that the flexures define. Flexing of each section is thus preferentially channeled into a preferentially bending axis within or parallel to the plane or planes defined by the flexures. The sections have different orientations for their blade flexures or plates, allowing the flexible joint to act as a two-axis pivot that does not expand under fluid pressure.

Abstract: An apparatus for clamping a module within a structure, e.g. a cold-wall structure, is presented. The apparatus includes a plurality of aligned, movable members defining a plane and having at least one beveled surface in contact with a beveled surface of an adjacent member. Guide wires align the movable members. A guide pin is used to guide the insertion of the apparatus into the structure. A screw mechanism, mounted at one end of the apparatus, engages with a hole in the structure. Rotation of the screw mechanism forces an end of the apparatus into contact with the structure. Continued rotation of the screw mechanism generates a compressive force which induces the movable members to move out of the defined plane in opposite directions relative to adjacent members. Members contact a wall of the structure and the module, thereby clamping the module against the structure.

Abstract: A coude gimbal structure includes a two-axis gimbal system having an outer gimbal pivotable about a first rotational axis, and an inner gimbal supported on the outer gimbal and pivotable about a second rotational axis which intersects the first rotational axis at an intersection point. A folded afocal three-mirror anastigmat has a positive-optical-power primary mirror, a negative-optical-power secondary mirror, and a positive-optical-power tertiary mirror, and a first flat fold mirror, and a second flat fold mirror. A beam path incident upon the primary mirror is reflected from the primary mirror to the secondary mirror. The tertiary mirror lies on the second rotational axis, the first flat fold mirror redirects the beam path reflected from the secondary mirror to the tertiary mirror, and the second flat fold mirror lies at the intersection point and redirects the beam path reflected from the tertiary mirror along the first rotational axis.

Abstract: A method of forming a conductor on a substrate including steps of depositing tantalum on a glass layer of the substrate; oxidizing the tantalum; and depositing a noble metal on the oxidized tantalum to form the conductor. The method can be used to form a ferroelectric capacitor or other thin film ferroelectric device. The device can include a substrate comprising a glass layer; and an electrode connected to the glass layer. The electrode comprising can include a noble metal connected to the glass layer by an adhesion layer comprising Ta2O5.

Abstract: A common-aperture optical system includes a reflective telescope having a common boresight, an entrance pupil, an exit pupil, and a beam path extending from the entrance pupil to and beyond the exit pupil. A beam splitter intersects the beam path so that the beam path is incident upon the beam splitter. A light sensor is positioned to receive an input light beam traveling along the beam path after the beam path intersects the beam splitter and passes the exit pupil of the reflective telescope. A light source produces an output light beam incident upon the beam splitter and positioned to inject the output light beam into an inverse of the beam path and toward the entrance pupil of the reflective telescope. A diverger corrects at least one of the input light beam and the output light beam.

Abstract: InSb infrared photodiodes and sensor arrays with improved passivation layers and methods for making same are disclosed. In the method, a passivation layer of AlInSb is deposited on an n-type InSb substrate using molecular beam epitaxy before photodiode detector regions are formed in the n-type substrate. Then, a suitable P+ dopant is implanted directly through the AlInSb passivation layer to form photodiode detector regions. Next, the AlInSb passivation layer is selectively removed, exposing first regions of the InSb substrate, and gate contacts are formed in the first regions of the InSb substrate. Then, additional portions of the AlInSb passivation layer are selectively removed above the photodiode detectors exposing second regions. Next, metal contacts are formed in the second regions, and bump contacts are formed atop the metal contacts. Then, an antireflection coating is applied to a side of the substrate opposite from the side having the metal and bump contacts.

Abstract: The present invention describes a new QR enclosing voting scheme that allows the extraction of base signatures of objects using a shortest path QR algorithm, providing a probability distribution measuring the occurrence of each random projection base of the object under consideration. The method is very effective in extracting the overall base signatures of a given class of objects. The novelty of this approach is that it is not tailored to the nature of the objects, thus generally applicable, and unmanned. Random projections (RP) have been a powerful tool to reduce the dimensionality of an object while preserving class separation. The inventive voting scheme, after RP, further reduces the dimensionality to no more than the number of the training objects.

Abstract: A laser rod is provided having a tailored gain profile such that the quality of the output beam is enhanced. The laser rod has a concentration of dopant ions having a first valence that is relatively high at the center of the rod and decreases to the surface of the rod. The laser rod further has a concentration of interstitial ions and dopant ions having a second valence that is lower than the first valence, the concentration being relatively high at the surface of the rod and decreasing to the center of the rod. Methods are provided for creating a layer of inactive laser species in the near surface region of a laser rod using interstitial dopant ions and for reducing the near surface absorption of incident photons intended to induce lasing in a laser rod using a layer of inactive laser ions.

Abstract: A standoff bioagent-detection apparatus and method use a direct ultraviolet source to detect bioagents. In some embodiments, a standoff bioagent-detection apparatus and method use laser-induced fluorescence to determine the presence of a biological agent having an aromatic-protein shell, such as Tryptophan. In some embodiments, multi-wavelength differential laser-induced fluorescence helps reduce false alarm caused by naturally occurring interferants. In some embodiments, a full range of ultraviolet wavelengths is initially simultaneously generated to fluoresce Tryptophan to determine if an ambient level is excessive. When the ambient level is excessive, individual ultraviolet wavelengths may be generated in differential pairs and the detected fluorescence levels may be correlated with atmospheric absorption levels for Tryptophan to determine if a bioagent is highly likely to be present.

Abstract: A series of time delay integration TDI stages each integrate a photocurrent from a separate detector such as detectors in an array. In a first stage 20, a first integrator is initialized with a fixed bias 30, and integrates a signal from a first detector 22 during a first time interval. Next, a reset switch 26n causes that integrated first detector signal to bias a second integrator 24n. During a second integration interval, the second integrator integrates a signal from a second detector 22n. Multiple stages may be arranged in series so that an integrated signal from a previous stage biases an integrator in the current stage. At a final stage, an Nth integrator outputs the resulting signal Vfinal. Any bias used to initialize the first integrator is removed from Vfinal to achieve a total integrated signal from the detectors. A bi-directional switch 38 at each stage enables a forward or backward scan of the detectors.

Abstract: A moving radar generates a search mode synthetic aperture image of a patch having a principal scatterer. The boundaries of the patch are from R0 to R1 slant range and ?0 to ?1 azimuth angle. A computer motion compensates digital samples to obtain a motion compensated digital array. The motion compensated digital array is converted to a frequency array in the frequency domain Kx, Ky The frequency array has a rectangular aperture extending ?Kx and ?Ky. Available samples from the frequency array are computed using a Range Migration Algorithm including a Stolt interpolation. Usable samples are identified from the available samples using one or more criteria. Usable samples are removed from available samples to obtain incomplete samples. Features related to the patch having a principal scatterer are extracted from the usable samples. The features are used to extrapolate extrapolated samples from the usable samples.

Abstract: A phased array antenna adapted to be mounted in a helmet. In the illustrative embodiment, the antenna comprises a substrate and an array of radiating elements disposed on said substrate, each of the elements including a-resonant cavity and a mechanism for feeding the cavity with an electromagnetic signal., The cavity is formed in a multi-layer structure between a ground plane and a layer of metallization. A radiating slot or slots are provided in the layer of metallization. A first layer of dielectric material is disposed within the cavity. The feed mechanism is a microstrip feed disposed in the first layer of dielectric material parallel to a plane of a portion of the substrate over which an associated element is disposed. A layer of foam is disposed between the layer of dielectric material and the ground plane. Second and third parallel layers of dielectric material are included in each element. The second layer is disposed adjacent to the ground plane.

Abstract: A conformal end-fire antenna with a high impedance ground surface structure and an array of radiating elements formed thereon. The ground surface structure includes an array of metal protrusions on a electrically conductive sheet, the metal protrusions arranged in a two-dimensional lattice. The ground surface structure acts as a magnetic surface at an RF frequency band of interest, functioning as an electrical short at DC, and as a mirror which reflects an RF field in the frequency band with virtually no phase reversal.

Abstract: An antenna array includes a folded thin flexible circuit board with a thin dielectric layer and a conductor layer pattern formed on a first surface of the dielectric layer. The circuit board may be folded in a plurality of folds to form a pleated structure. An array of radiator structures is formed on the first surface, A conductor trace pattern is formed on the folded circuit board. A plurality of active RF circuit devices is attached to the folded circuit board in signal communication with the conductor trace pattern.

Abstract: An imaging optical system includes a subtelescope array, with at least two subtelescopes, each having a single entrance pupil and an exit light beam. Each subtelescope has an optical pointing axis, and the pointing axes for the subtelescopes are parallel. An imager forms an image from the exit light beams at an image surface, where there is a sensor such as a focal plane array. Preferably, a phase shifter array includes a phase shifter for each of the subtelescopes. The phase shifter array receives the exit light beam of each of the subtelescopes and has a capability to adjust the phase of at least one of the exit light beams. The imager receives the phase-shifted exit light beams.

Abstract: The present invention concerns, in part, a method for fabricating a silicon PIN detector component wherein three handle wafers are bonded to the wafer at varying points in the fabrication process. The utilization of three handle wafers during fabrication significantly ease handling concerns associated with what would otherwise be a relatively thin and fragile wafer, providing a stable and strong base for supporting those portions of the wafer that will constitute the PIN detector component. In a variant of the present invention, the third handle wafer comprises an optical element transparent in the wavelength of interest.

Abstract: A phased-array light telescope includes at least two non-obscured light subtelescopes. Each of the light subtelescopes is aimed along a common boresight. The phased-array light telescope further includes a non-obscured combining imager that receives and combines the output beams of the light subtelescopes.

Abstract: A data encoder. The novel encoder includes a first circuit for generating a fundamental sequence coded data stream from an incoming input data stream, a second circuit for generating a k-split data stream from the incoming data stream, and a third circuit for combining the fundamental sequence coded data stream and k-split data stream to form a final encoded output. The first circuit includes a circuit for converting the incoming input data stream into a novel intermediate format comprising a set bit word and a zero word count, and a zero-word expander for converting the intermediate format to the fundamental sequence coded data stream. The first circuit may also include a register adapted to store the intermediate format to provide rate buffering.

Abstract: The present invention uses an intra-cavity modulation approach to modulate a laser transmitter at bandwidths greater than a few gigahertz (GHz) in a non-ambiguous waveform by chirping the laser and simultaneously mode locking. Accordingly, the inventive system includes a source of a beam of electromagnetic energy; a mechanism for mode locking the beam; and an arrangement for chirping the beam. In the illustrative embodiment, the source is a laser. The mode locking mechanism may be an active element or a passive element. The beam is chirped with a translation mirror. The translation mirror may be driven with a piezo-electric drive coupled. In the best mode, the carrier is chirped with an electro-optical crystal disposed in the cavity of the laser. The laser is chirped to the free-spectral range limit, which is typically a few hundred megahertz, by scanning the optical length of the laser resonator.

Abstract: Disclosed is a High Dynamic Range Dual Mode (HDR-DM) input circuit unit cell (10) for use with an infrared (IR) radiation detector (D1). The readout circuit unit cell includes a plurality of transistors (M1, M2, M3 and M4), switches (S1, S2 and S3), and capacitances (Cfb, Cbl and CSH) that are controllably coupled together to form, in a first mode of operation below an illumination level threshold, a CTIA input circuit (12), and to form, in a second mode of operation above the illumination level threshold, a lower gain SFD input circuit (14).