Abstract: The radiation detector includes a housing formed of a liquid crystal poly or polyphenylene sulfide treated with a gas plasma and reinforced with carbon fibers. Further, the detector includes components, such as the eye lens, window and charging switch, formed of injection molded phenoxy resin. With these improvements, the radiation detector can withstand colder temperatures, greater thermal and mechanical shock and higher humidity.

Abstract: Two wide dynamic range detection circuits are disclosed, which are capable of detecting low-level desired signals in the presence of nearby strong interfering signals. Each circuit includes an attenuator scheme for attenuating the interfering signal while passing the desired signal. The first attenuator scheme uses a YIG filter in combination with an automatic gate arrangement. The second attenuator scheme uses a two-channel arrangement. The first channel uses a chirp-Z processor to derive a pulse-type transform signal in response to the strong interference signal. The second channel includes a YIG filter followed by a programmable notch filter which is controlled by the interference-signal pulse from the first channel. Following the programmable notch filter in the second channel is a chirp-Z processor followed by a gate arrangement wherein the gates are switched "OFF" under control of the interference-signal pulse from the first channel.

Abstract: A piezoelectric resonator for use with microwave monolithic integrated ciit (MMIC) devices which are fabricated on (100) GaAs (gallium arsenide) material is provided. This resonator has a central resonator flat portion composed of (100) GaAs material and has a distributed reflector on each side of the flat portion with each reflector having an alternating series of layers, including a first layer having doped regions and an uppermost layer composed of the (100) GaAs material.

Abstract: A solid state electronic device using single electrons to convey informat. A cluster of pure carbon atoms, commonly known as a fullerene, is used to trap a single electron tunneling through an insulating material located between conductive layers of the device.

Abstract: An electrochemical cell includes a metallic anode electrode and a metallic athode electrode substantially immersed in an electrolyte. As charge or current is passed through the cell from the anode electrode to the cathode electrode, the anode electrode is consumed and the cathode electrode plated, causing the resistance therebetween to change. The change in resistance provides a measure f or both the total charge passed through the cell over an interval of time, and for the total time charge flowed through the cell over an interval of time between resistance measurements.

Abstract: A tetrahedral junction waveguide switch having a first length of hollow rangular waveguide and a second length of hollow rectangular waveguide adjacent each other with a ferrite rod longitudinally disposed therebetween. A magnetic field is created by a superconducting switching coil placed around the junction of the two lengths of waveguide. The normally magnetically biased ferrite rod permits electromagnetic wave energy to be transmitted through the first and second lengths of waveguide. An open circuit control means selectively and controllably interrupts the current flowing around the superconducting switching coil causing the longitudinal magnetic field to be removed from the normally magnetically biased ferrite rod. The waveguide switch is thereby placed in a cut off, nontransmission, or reflective mode preventing transmission of electromagnetic wave energy.

Abstract: A semiconductor device conductive line width non-destructive measuring sym comprises an electron beam source of sufficient energy to penetrate the passivation coating over conductive line traces and means for scanning the electron beam across the surface. An x-ray monitor to monitor x-rays produced in the conductive traces by the scanning electron beam produces an accurate measurement of the line width and spacing of the conductive traces.

Abstract: A crystal resonator including at least three, typically four linear electe segments, formed on one of the major faces of piezoelectric resonator blank and providing at least two gaps which are selectively excited by RF voltages of predetermined magnitude and phase for generating a resultant lateral-field oriented at an arbitrary angle .PSI. with respect to the coordinate axes of the crystal plate for varying the lateral-field piezoelectric coupling k which is a parameter indicative of the degree to which an electrical energy is converted to mechanical energy in the resonator. By adjusting the magnitude and phases of the excitation voltages, applied to the electrode segments, the lateral-field direction becomes steerable so as to alter the electrical characteristics of the resonator including the lateral-field excitation antiresonance frequency.

Abstract: An opto-electronic semiconductor device including a variable strained layered quantum well structure having at least two superimposed heavy- and light-hole triangular bottom valance band quantum wells with mutually opposite slopes. Upon the application of a bias potential across a thickness dimension of the quantum wells, an electric field is generated therethrough which produces an interchange of the confined energy levels of heavy-holes and light-holes in the quantum wells which causes a change in the transmission characteristics of light passing through the device as a result of the heavy- and light-hole energy bands having different light absorption anisotropy.

Abstract: A tapered waveguide for transmitting optical signals from a signal source to an optical fiber is fabricated by irradiating a layer of prepolymer resin on a substrate with a converging beam of ultraviolet light, whereby the irradiated resin polymerizes into a clear, hard polymer and the resin that has not been irradiated remains in its resinous state. The unpolymerized resin is removed with an organic solvent. The variation in width of the waveguide is achieved by varying the distance between the source of the converging beam of ultraviolet light, thereby varying the diameter of the spot that is being irradiated, while simultaneously moving the source of ultraviolet light parallel to the axis of the waveguide. Variation in thickness of the waveguide is achieved by sloping the substrate.

Abstract: An optic modulator having a transparent piezoelectric substrate, an active multiple quantum well (MQW) epilayer with bottom electrical contacts bonded to the substrate, wherein the substrate is cut such that its thermal expansion coefficient is matched or roughly matched to that of the MQW epilayer in the direction parallel to the long axes of the bottom contacts and so that the piezoelectrically-active direction of the substrate is normal to the long axes of the bottom contacts. In order to control the bias of the MQW epilayer a transparent contact is disposed over the MQW epilayer. In operation, the piezoelectric substrate, when activated, will displace an anisotropic strain on the MQW epilayer which will break the rotational symmetry in the plane of the MQW. This will result in anisotropic mixing of the heavy and light holes in the MQW epilayer and thus, will result in an anisotropic excitonic absorption of light normal to the MQW epilayer.

Abstract: The present invention is a superconducting opto-electronic phase shifter which is achieved by illuminating a superconducting microstrip line, which is fabricated on a dielectric substrate, with an optical beam of a predetermined intensity and shape. Because the superconducting microstrip will exhibit a local surface resistance when and where illuminated, the microstrip line will be artificially narrowed thereby producing a phase shift. This occurs because as the width of a superconducting microstrip line narrows the velocity of the carder signal increases. Therefore, if the illumination of the superconducting microstrip line causes a local surface resistance, then the surface impedance of the microstrip line is increased causing the effective width of the microstrip line to decrease. Hence, the artificial decrease in the width of the microstrip will cause the phase of the carrier signal to shift.

Abstract: A tunable radiation detector comprises a superlattice structure having a rality of quantum well units each separated by a first potential barrier and each having at least two doped quantum wells separated by a second potential barrier. The wells each have a lower energy level and a higher energy level. The first potential barriers substantially impede electrons at the lower levels from tunneling therethrough. The second potential barriers permit electrons at the lower levels to tunnel therethrough and prevent energy-level coupling between adjacent ones of the doped quantum wells. A biasing circuit is connected across the semiconductor superlattice structure. A photocurrent sensor is provided for measuring the amount of radiation absorbed by the semiconductor superlattice structure. The superlattice structure is made a part of a hot-electron transistor for providing amplification.

Abstract: The present invention is a spatial light modulator which uses an uniaxially trained multiple quantum well (MQW) structure with an anisotropic absorption to rotate the polarization of light normal to the MQW structure. The anisotropy which produces this rotation is the result of a thermally induced in-plane anisotropic strain. The MQW light modulator based on this process has a high contrast ratio of 7000:1 and increased speed as compared to other similar modulators.

Abstract: The present invention is a superconducting flux flow mixer which has two control lines. Preferably, the mixer comprises a grounded superconducting signal line wherein portions of the superconducting signal line are etched away to form superconducting weak links within the superconducting signal line, a local oscillator and RF control line disposed on either side of the superconducting weak links, and a substrate upon which the control lines and superconducting signal line are disposed. When cooled to a temperature close to the critical temperature of the superconducting weak links, the resistance of the weak links can be manipulated by a magnetic field created by current flowing through the local oscillator and RF control lines. By using two control lines, better control of frequency is attained while at the same time providing better stability and a decrease in size of prior art mixers.

Abstract: A phonon modulator which includes a semiconductor body having at least first and second polar semiconductor quantum wells formed therein separated by a polar semiconductor barrier. The conduction band energies of the wells and barrier are selected such that the lowest energy electronic states in the two wells are separated by an energy which is greater than the energies of optical phonons in the well and barrier materials. Respective voltages are applied to the wells which are less than the optical phonon emission threshold in the well and barrier materials to generate respective currents therein. Increasing the voltage to the first well to a level in excess of such optical phonon emission threshold causes optical phonons to be emitted from the first well to create a standing interface mode from the first well through the barrier to the second well, thereby providing a scattering mechanism for electrons in the second well and reducing the current thereof.

Abstract: A discharge level monitor for a battery. The current flowing from the monred battery is passed through a sensing resistor. The voltage across the resistor is amplified and integrated over time and the result of the integration is stored in a capacitor. The capacitor is discharged by a switch controlled by a logic circuit, whenever a threshold voltage is achieved. The cycle is repeated each time one coulomb capacity is removed from the battery. A counting circuit counts the number of charge/discharge cycles of the capacitor to produce a count which is representative of the amount of energy dissipated and therefore indirectly of the amount of energy remaining in the battery system.

Abstract: A microstrip circuit having a plurality of coplanar microstrips mounted on a common dielectric substrate. A planar circulator is coupled to a junction of the microstrips. The circulator includes a ferrite disc which lies in the plane of the substrate. The circulator also includes a biasing permanent magnet in the form of a planar, toroidal-shaped magnet having magnetic sections that are embedded in the dielectric substrate. The magnetic sections from a split cylinder that encircles the ferrite material while permitting the microstrips to pass therethrough.

Abstract: The invention is a high power microwave hardened mine wherein a detonation harge and its appropriate detonation circuitry are disposed within a housing that is impervious to high power microwave energy. A power source and a sensor that provides the detonation signal are connected to the detonation circuitry via two sets of input and output piezoelectric transducers which convert an electrical signal to an acoustic one, the input, and then convert the acoustic signal back to an electrical signal, the output. By providing for d.c. to r.f. and r.f. to d.c. converters, the power source can be placed externally to the metal package and therefore, the battery can be easily and safely replaced.

Abstract: A device for radiating pulses of radio frequency energy in response to pulses of laser light in which a metal layer is ohmically bonded to one side of a substrate of semiconductor material and an antenna is ohmically bonded to the other side of the substrate, there being at least one aperture in the metal layer for permitting laser light to reach the disk.