Abstract: A method is provided for forming a multi-cell photovoltaic circuit on an insulating substrate, comprising the steps of: forming a photovoltaic junction between p-type and n-type layers in a silicon wafer; bonding the silicon wafer to an insulating substrate after forming the photovoltaic junction; patterning the silicon wafer to produce isolated photovoltaic cells; and electrically interconnecting the photovoltaic cells.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for determining in real time, the radio refractive index structure of the atmosphere. The method may be characterized as comprising the steps of: transmitting a radio frequency signal over a predetermined path; receiving the radio frequency signal; detecting the strength of the radio frequency signal; determining a radio propagation factor from the strength of the radio frequency signal; determining a base height function of the atmosphere; and employing the radio propagation factor in the base height function to determine a trapping layer base height of the atmosphere which represents the radio refractive index structure of the atmosphere.

Abstract: The present invention is a system for providing an output corresponding to he speed of a remote vehicle, comprising: a speed transducer mounted on the vehicle for providing a first output corresponding to the speed of the vehicle; a first data processor operably coupled to receive the first output from the speed transducer means for providing an ASCII coded output; a second data processor operably coupled to receive the ASCII coded output from the first data processor for providing an output transducer control output; and an output transducer operably coupled to receive the control output from the second data processor for providing an output having an amplitude proportional to the speed of the vehicle.

Abstract: A control system for a remotely controlled vehicle comprises a supervisory control system which receives supervisory speed and turn rate commands from a human operator which are provided to a servo-controlled vehicle; an obstruction detection system having multiple sensors mounted to the vehicle detect any obstructions in the path of the vehicle; and a collision avoidance control system coupled to the supervisory control system, the obstruction detection system, and to the vehicle. The collision avoidance control system disables the supervisory speed and turn rate commands when the obstruction detection system detects an obstruction. The collision avoidance control system also generates and provides obstacle avoidance speed and turn rate commands to the vehicle to direct the vehicle to avoid obstruction in the path of the vehicle, and enables the supervisory speed and turn rate commands after the obstruction is avoided so that control of the vehicle is returned to the human operator.

Abstract: A method for fabricating complementary enhancement and depletion mode field ffect transistors on a single substrate comprises the steps of: a) patterning a structure of a layer of silicon formed on an insulating substrate to form first, second, third, and fourth silicon islands; b) doping the second island with a p-type dopant; c) doping the third island with a p-type dopant; d) doping the fourth island with an n-type dopant; e) forming a first electrically insulating gate layer on the third and fourth islands; f) forming a second electrically insulating gate on the first and second islands; g) forming an electrically conductive gate over the first and second electrically insulating gate layers; h) doping the second island with an n-type dopant; i) doping the fourth island with an n-type dopant; j) doping the first and third islands with a p-type dopant; and k) doping the first and third islands with a p-type dopant to transform the first island into a p-type enhancement mode field effect transistor, the seco

Abstract: A structure for modulating electrostatic potential in the vicinity of a surface of a structure comprises: a substrate; a first electrically conductive layer having an exposed surface and made of a first electrically conducive material formed on the subrate, the first electrically conductive material disposed to being transformed into an electrically insulting material; an electrically insulating layer formed on the surface of the first layer from the first electrically conducive material; and a second layer of a second electrically conductive material formed on the substrate and contiguous with the insulating layer so that a voltage potential between said first and second layers provides an electrostatic interaction with the substrate.

Abstract: The invention provides a fiber optic microcable having a uniform cross seonal dimension which may be manufactured in continuous lengths that exceed 10 kilometers. The microcable is comprised of an optical fiber core, a buffer surrounding the core, and a protective sheath surrounding the buffer consisting of an electromagnetic radiation cured resin impregnated with fibers suspended in the resin to enhance the resistance of the microcable to physical damage. The microcable is fabricated by soaking the fibers in an electromagnetic radiation curable resin, placing the wetted fibers around the core and buffer to form a matrix, and then irradiating the matrix with electromagnetic radiation to cure the resin.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for identifying an unknown liquid by determining the speed of sound in the liquid. A pulse generator provides an excitation pulse to a first acoustic transducer which transmits an acoustic pulse in the liquid. The acoustic pulse is received by a second acoustic transducer at a distance from the first transducer measured by a displacement transducer. A gated clock is enabled by the excitation pulse and disabled when the acoustic pulse received by the second acoustic transducer reaches a predetermined threshold. The clock measures the time it takes the acoustic pulse to travel the distance between transducers. The temperature of the liquid is determined by indirect means and is provided as an input to a digital computer which computes the speed of the acoustic pulse by dividing the distance between the transducers, provided by the displacement transducer, by the elapsed time measured by the clock.

Abstract: A light energized high voltage direct current power supply comprises a li source including solid-state laser diodes powered by electrical current at a voltage level, V.sub.1, for generating light; a photocell array positioned to receive the light and fabricated with silicon-on-sapphire for providing electrical power having an output voltage V.sub.2, where V.sub.2 >V.sub.1, where the photocell array includes serially connected photovoltaic cells; and a voltage regulator operably coupled to the light source and the photocell array for controlling the output of the power supply to a predetermined voltage level.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a self-aligned, gate diffused junction field eff transistor is provided which includes the steps of forming an n-type layer on an indium phosphide, semi-insulating substrate; forming spaced apart source/drain metal contacts on the n-type layer; forming a metal gate on the n-type layer between the spaced apart source/drain contacts, where the metal gate is insulated from the source/drain contacts and includes a metallic p-type dopant material; and forming a p-type region in the n-type layer beneath the metal gate so that the gate contact and the p-type region have coincident boundaries with respect to each other at the surface of the n-type layer. The method may also be employed to manufacture a bipolar transistor by allowing the self-aligned and diffused p-type region to extend through the n-type layer to the semi-insulating substrate.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for measuring the intragranular and ntergranular critical current of a granular superconductive material, comprising the steps of: 1) conducting a substantially rectangular electronic pulse through the material so as to conduct a current through the material such that when the intergranular critical current of the material is exceeded, any grains present in the material remain in a superconducting state when the current level is below the intragranular critical current; 2) measuring the current through the material while conducting the pulse; 3) measuring a voltage difference across the material while conducting the pulse; 4) determining the intergranular critical current through the material by discerning a non-zero voltage difference across the material and contemporaneously measuring the current; and 5) determining the intragranular critical current through the material by varying the current to discern a current level at which the electrical resistance of the materi

Abstract: A system is provided for generating a blue-green optical signal with a wavelength in the range of 450-550 nm and corresponding to a Fraunhofer line, comprising: a plurality of laser diodes, each laser diode generating a first optical signal having a first wavelength, .lambda.; a plurality of optical fiber, each optical fiber having a first end optically coupled to receive the optical signal from one of the laser diodes and a second end for emitting a second optical signal having a second wavelength, .lambda./2, where the wavelength .lambda./2 corresponds to a Fraunhofer line, the second ends forming a fiber optic bundle for emitting a composite optical signal comprised of each of the second optical signals; a servo-controlled gimbal for supporting the fiber bundle to direct the direction of the composite optical signal; and a computer operably coupled to provide direction control signals to the servo-controlled gimbal.

Abstract: A system for detecting intrusion into a secured environment using both fixed and mobile intrusion detectors includes a multiplicity of fixed intrusion detection sensors are each deployed at specific, fixed locations within the environment. The mobile sensors are mounted on one or more mobile platforms which selectively patrol throughout the environment and may be rapidly deployed to any region in the environment where a fixed intrusion detector detects a possible intrusion. A computer receives the outputs of the fixed and mobile sensors and is communicatively coupled to the mobile platforms. The computer directs the mobile platforms to travel through the environment along paths calculated by the computer, calculates a sum of weighting factors associated with the output of each sensor, and fuses the sensor outputs so that the sum is uninfluenced by the traveling of the mobile platforms. The sum is compared to a reference whereby an output is provided when the sum exceeds the reference.

Abstract: An optically powered photomultiplier tube is provided, comprising a vacuum chamber having a window for incident optical radiation which is to be detected; a photocathode to receive the optical radiation; an electron multiplier system within the chamber to amplify the electron current from the photocathode; an anode to receive the amplified electron current; a high voltage photocell array positioned within the chamber for generating high voltage electrical power that is provided to the electron multiplier system; a system for delivering optical power to the photocell array; a first electrical contact penetrating the container in a vacuum tight manner and operably coupled to the anode; and a second electrical contact penetrating the container in a vacuum tight manner and operably coupled to the photocell array.

Abstract: The present invention provides a pneumatically powered actuator having hydraulic control for both locking and controlling the velocity of an output rod without any sponginess. The invention includes a double-acting pneumatic actuator having a bore, a piston slidably engaged within the bore, and a control rod connected to the piston. The double-acting pneumatic actuator is mounted to a frame. A first double-acting hydraulic actuator having a bore, a piston slidably engaged within the bore, and a follower rod mounted to the piston is mounted to the frame such that the follower rod is fixedly connected to the control rod. The maximum translation of the piston within the bore of the first double-acting hydraulic actuator provides a volumetric displacement V.sub.1. The present invention also includes a second double-acting hydraulic actuator having a bore, a piston slidably engaged within the bore, and an output rod mounted to the piston.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for non-contact sensing electrical potentials of selected regions on the surface of a sample are provided. A typical sample is an integrated circuit, electronic device, or semiconductor material. The sample is positioned within a vacuum chamber and irradiated with an ultraviolet light beam so that the material emits electrons by the photoelectric effect. The electrons have kinetic energies which are variable according to the electrical potential of the surface of the material. Emitted electrons having kinetic energies within a predetermined range are selected by an electron energy analyzer. An electron detector receives the selected electrons and produces electrical signals corresponding to the energies of said selected electrons. In another embodiment of the invention, a modulated light beam other than the ultraviolet light probe beam irradiates the material in order to produce time varying modulation of the photoelectron energy spectrum.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus and method for generating blue laser light having a wavelength corresponding to a solar Fraunhofer line. The blue laser light is at a frequency that has both excellent transmissibility through sea water and a high signal-to-noise ratio. A first laser beam, generated using an injection-locked excimer XeCl laser, is down-converted by a first-Stokes order shift of 2.times.4155 cm.sup.-1 in a first Raman cell containing H.sub.2 gas at a pressure of about 10 atmospheres. The output of the first Raman cell is down-converted by a first Stokes shift of 3628 cm.sup.-1 in a second Raman cell containing HD at a pressure of about 10 atmospheres so that the output of the second Raman cell has a wavelength of 486.366 nm. This wavelength corresponds to the FE I solar Fraunhofer line.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for fabricating a polarization independent narrow channel wavelength division multiplexing fiber optic coupler, comprising the steps of: holding two optical fibers in an abutting longitudinal relation along a predetermined length of the fibers; injecting light energy into one of the fibers; fusing the optical fibers together along the predetermined length to form a fused length of a fiber optic coupler; elongating the fused length of the fusing optical fibers; measuring the light energy output from the ends of the first and second fibers; ceasing the fusing and elongating when the measured light energy output from the ends of the first and second fibers indicates that a predetermined number, N.sub.S, of one-half power transfer cycles have occurred in the coupler, where the N.sub.S th one-half power transfer cycle occurs within a K.pi. phase region of a polarization envelope associated with the coupler, where K is a positive integer.

Abstract: A field effect transistor comprises a diamond substrate which has a p-type ion implanted region coterminous with a surface of the diamond substrate, wherein the ion implanted region has a hole concentration in the range of 1.times.10.sup.15 to 1.times.10.sup.17 holes/cm.sup.2, and a hole mobility equal to or greater than 1 cm.sup.2 /V-sec; spaced apart source and drain electrodes formed over the p-type ion implanted region on the surface of the diamond substrate; an electrically insulating material formed over the p-type ion implanted region on the surface of the diamond substrate between the source and drain electrodes; and a gate electrode formed on the surface of the insulating material.

Abstract: A method for the simultaneous bidirectional transfer of digital data at a ry high rate between a host digital data processor and an external device includes the steps of: loading the output data into a data register of the processor; loading an address reference of an external device into an address register of the processor; forming a composite address consisting of the sum of the data register and an address register; and exporting the output data through the address lines from the processor to the external device while simultaneously reading data into the processor from the external device. The method accomplishes rapid data transfer by advantageously transferring data over what would normally be address lines between the processor and the external device. This method is suitable for applications where data is to be transferred from a processor operably coupled to only one external device.