Abstract: A substrate having trenches containing carbon nanotubes has elements to provide a power converter. One set of trenches is configured to form an inductor and another set is configured to form a capacitor. Trenches in the substrate are also configured to receive semiconductor material and carbon nanotubes to form a power field effect transistor. All the elements are coupled together using carbon nanotubes placed in connection trenches of the substrate.

Abstract: A photovoltaic (PV) system has a plurality of PV panels that convert solar energy into electrical energy. Each PV panel is coupled to a respective switching power converter. A parameter (e.g., voltage or current) of a combined current signal from each of the switching power converters is sensed, and a controller controls the duty cycle of each switching power converter in order to maximize the sensed parameter. In this regard, the controller adjusts the duty cycles of the power switching converters in groups while the duty cycles of other power switching converters are held constant in order to set the duty cycles for maximum power transfer, thereby accounting for variations in the power output by each PV panel.

Abstract: A magnetic logic cell includes a first electrode portion, a magnetic portion arranged on the first electrode, the magnetic portion including an anti-ferromagnetic material or a ferrimagnetic material, a dielectric portion arranged on the magnetic portion, and a second electrode portion arranged on the dielectric portion.

Abstract: A magnetic logic cell includes a first electrode portion, a magnetic portion arranged on the first electrode, the magnetic portion including an anti-ferromagnetic material or a ferrimagnetic material, a dielectric portion arranged on the magnetic portion, and a second electrode portion arranged on the dielectric portion.

Abstract: Apparatuses and methods directed to multi-stage permanent magnet and implementations of a permanent magnet on-chip power inductor. Various circuit models, design considerations and simulation results are described. The multi-stage permanent magnet includes layers with uniform or non-uniform magnets used to control the flux distribution. The permanent magnet on-chip power converter for DC-DC switching power converters that may include a top ferrite layer, a spiral winding layer, a permanent magnet layer, a bottom ferrite layer, and a substrate layer. The permanent magnet layer may comprise a multi-stage structure wherein each stage has a decreasing area as compared to an immediate lower stage. A method of manufacturing a Permanent On-Chip Power Inductor (PMOI) is also disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a class of organometallic catalysts for both hydrogenation and water oxidation. The synthesis and the use of these catalysts for hydrogenation, hydrogen production and water oxidation reactions is also disclosed.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of activating a compound for a chemical reaction comprising functionalizing a compound with a redox auxiliary group and oxidizing the redox auxiliary group that is bonded to the compound, thereby activating the compound, wherein the activated compound undergoes a chemical reaction to form a product and the oxidation of the redox auxiliary group is reversible. Methods of making and using these materials are also disclosed.

Abstract: Fabrication of oxide nanowire heterostructures with controlled morphology, interface and phase purity are desired for high-efficiency and low-cost photocatalysis. Disclosed herein is the formation of oxide nanowire heterostructures by sputtering and subsequent air annealing to result in oxide nanowires. This approach allows for fabrication of standing nanowire heterostructures with tunable compositions and morphologies.

Abstract: Tungsten carbide drill bits for removing material from alloys and other hard materials are disclosed. A conventional drill bit is modified by removing material from the forward portion of the bit to increase the radius of the cutting edge. The drill bit is then coated with a nanostructured diamond film using a chemical vapor deposition process.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for generating terahertz radiation are disclosed herein. In addition, methods for forming orientation-patterned nonlinear semiconductor crystals are disclosed herein. For example, according to an example implementation, a method for generating terahertz radiation may include: providing an optical pulse having a wavelength less than approximately 1.0 ?m; and illuminating an orientation-patterned nonlinear semiconductor crystal with the optical pulse.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods for producing carbon, metal and/or metal oxide porous materials that have precisely controlled structures on the nanometer and micrometer scales. The methods involve the single or repeated infiltration of porous templates with metal salts at controlled temperatures, the controlled drying and decomposition of the metal salts under reducing conditions, and optionally the removal of the template. The carbon porous materials are involve the infiltration of a carbon precursor into a porous template, followed by polymerization and pyrolysis. These porous materials have utility in separations, catalysis, among others.

Abstract: The present disclosure pertains to metal or dielectric nanostructures of the subwavelength scale within the grating lines of optical diffraction gratings. The nanostructures have surface plasmon resonances or non-plasmon optical resonances. A linear photodetector array is used to capture the resonance spectra from one of the diffraction orders. The combined nanostructure super-grating and photodetector array eliminates the use of external optical spectrometers for measuring surface plasmon or optical resonance frequency shift caused by the presence of chemical and biological agents. The nanostructure super-gratings can be used for building integrated surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectrometers. The nanostructures within the diffraction grating lines enhance Raman scattering signal light while the diffraction grating pattern of the nanostructures diffracts Raman scattering light to different directions of propagation according to their wavelengths.

Abstract: A permanent magnet is fabricated such that it has a magnetically hard core surrounded by a thin magnetically soft shell. The magnetically hard core provides a relatively high intrinsic coercivity (Hci), and the magnetically soft shell provides a relatively high magnetic flux density (B). Due to magnetic exchange coupling between the core and shell, a relatively high maximum energy product (BH)max is achievable over a wide temperature range, including temperatures above 150° C. Further, such effects can be achieved without using rare-earth metals or precious metals helping to keep the manufacturing costs of the magnet low. To allow sufficient exchange magnetic coupling between the core and shell, the width of the shell is less than about 40 nanometers, and the overall dimensions are controlled such that the width of the shell is less than two times the Bloch domain wall thickness of the core.

Abstract: Compositions containing biomass, an ionic liquid, and an amide are described herein. Methods of their preparation and use in extracting and processing biomass are also described herein. Further described herein are films and fibers prepared from the compositions. Methods of recovering the ionic liquids used to process the biomass are also provided.

Abstract: An antenna is fabricated using an M-type hexaferrite, such as a tin (Sn) and zinc (Zn) substituted M-type strontium hexaferrite (Sn/Zn-substituted SrM: SrFe12?2xZnxSnxO19), thereby enabling antenna miniaturization, broad bandwidth, and high gain. In one embodiment, an antenna system has a substrate and a chip antenna formed on the substrate. The system also has a conductive radiator contacting the chip antenna, and the chip antenna comprises an M-type strontium hexaferrite for which Fe cations are substituted with tin (Sn) and zinc (Zn) to achieve soft magnetic properties for the antenna. Thus, the coercivity and permeability are lower and higher, respectively, than those of pure SrM. Such fabricated hexaferrite chip antennas have broadband characteristics and show good radiation performance at various frequencies, including in the GHz frequency range.

Abstract: Systems and methods for performing vector control of grid-connected power electronic converters using a neural network are described herein. Optionally, the grid-connected power electronic converters can be used in renewable and electric power system applications. In order to improve performance and stability under disturbance conditions, integrals of error signals can be introduced as inputs to the neural network. Alternatively or additionally, grid disturbance voltage can be introduced to an output of a trained neural network.

Abstract: A system for eye movement and pupil size change matching for user authentication includes an ocular sensor that is configured to sense eyes of a user and collect data indicative of the user's eye movement and pupil size changes. When a user's eyes are detected, the logic analyzes data collected by the ocular sensor in order to determine whether the sensed data match data extracted from a template defined by the eye movement and pupil size changes of an authorized user. If so, the user is authenticated and is permitted to access at least one restricted resource. As an example, the user may be permitted to access an application or sensitive data stored on a computer system or to access a restricted area, such as a room of a building.

Abstract: A battery pack having a plurality of battery pack modules, wherein each battery pack module includes a battery cell and a power converter. The power converters of the plurality of battery pack modules are connected in series to form a string of N battery pack modules such that the voltage across the N battery pack modules defines the output voltage of the battery pack. A controller regulates the output voltage of each battery cell or module power converter and the output voltage of the battery pack by independently controlling each battery cell module in accordance with variables such as state-of-charge (SOC), state-of-health (SOH) and temperature, capacity, and temperature of each individual battery cell module. The power converter may be used to measure impedance of the battery pack by adding a sinusoidal perturbation signal to a reference voltage of the cell battery pack module.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for determining whether and/or when a patient is taking his or her medication and, when appropriate, providing reminders and/or alerts to the patient to improve adherence to a medication regimen. In some embodiments, a medication container is provided that includes a capacitance sensor for sensing the contents of the medication container (e.g., pill count or quantity of liquid medication). The capacitance sensor may include interleaved or interdigitated electrodes oriented vertically, horizontally, or angularly (e.g., diagonally) relative to an axis of the medication container. Reminders and/or alerts to the patient may be triggered based at least in part on the contents of the medication container, when a cap of the container was last opened and/or closed, the location of the medication container, and/or the container's surroundings.

Abstract: A power converter having components enclosed by legs of a first inductor is described. The first inductor is fabricated on the top surface of a substrate along the perimeter of the substrate. A second inductor is fabricated on the bottom surface of the substrate and mirrors the first inductor. Electromagnetic cancellation is provided when the current flow in the second inductor is opposite of the current flow in the first inductor.