Abstract: In some variations, an interferometric frequency-reference apparatus comprises: an atom source configured to supply neutral atoms to be ionized; an ionizer configured to excite the neutral atoms to form ionized atoms; an ion collimator configured to form a collimated beam of the ionized atoms; probe lasers; and a Doppler laser configured to determine a ground-state population of the ionized atoms, wherein the atom source, the ionizer, and the ion collimator are disposed within a vacuum chamber. Other variations provide a method of creating a stable frequency reference, comprising: forming ionized atoms from an atomic vapor; forming a collimated beam of ionized atoms; illuminating ionized atoms with first and second probe lasers; adjusting the frequencies of the first probe and second probe lasers using Ramsey spectroscopy to an S?D transition of ionized atoms; and determining a ground-state population of the ionized atoms with another laser.

Abstract: An imaging sensor package includes: an imaging sensor; and an architected substrate coupled to a bottom surface of the imaging sensor. The architected substrate has local stiffness variations along an in-plane direction of the architected substrate, and the imaging sensor and the architected substrate are curved.

Abstract: Some variations provide a permanent-magnet structure comprising: a region having a plurality of magnetic domains and a region-average magnetic axis, wherein each of the magnetic domains has a domain magnetic axis that is substantially aligned with the region-average magnetic axis, and wherein the plurality of magnetic domains is characterized by an average magnetic domain size. Within the region, there is a plurality of metal-containing grains characterized by an average grain size, and each of the magnetic domains has a domain easy axis that is dictated by a crystallographic texture of the metal-containing grains. The region has a region-average easy axis based on the average value of the domain easy axis within that region. The region-average magnetic axis and the region-average easy axis form a region-average alignment angle that has a standard deviation less than 30° within the plurality of magnetic domains. Many permanent-magnet structures are disclosed herein.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a shelf-stable, two-part formula for making an antimicrobial biphasic polymer. Some variations provide a two-part formula for fabricating a biphasic polymer, wherein the two-part formula consists essentially of (A) a first liquid volume, wherein the first liquid volume comprises: a structural phase containing a solid structural polymer; a transport phase containing a solid transport polymer; a chain extender; a curing catalyst; a first solvent; and (B) a second liquid volume that is volumetrically isolated from the first liquid volume, wherein the second liquid volume comprises: a crosslinker that is capable of crosslinking the solid structural polymer with the solid transport polymer; and a second solvent. An antimicrobial agent (e.g., quaternary ammoniums salts) may be contained in the first liquid volume or in the second liquid volume. Methods of making and using the antimicrobial biphasic polymer are described.

Abstract: A neuron circuit, comprising first and second NDR devices biased each with opposite polarities, said first and second NDR devices being coupled to first and second grounded capacitors.

Abstract: An atomic clock stabilized or disciplined by tooth selected from a phononic comb of frequency teeth. A method of stabilizing an atomic clock having a reference oscillator, the method comprising selecting a particular tooth from a phononic comb of frequency teeth and applying a correction signal to said reference oscillator, the correction signal being based the selected tooth of said phononic comb. The disclosed technology is not limited to stabilizing reference oscillators associated with atomic clocks and thus may be utilized to stabilize reference oscillators whether or not they are interfaces with an atomic clock.

Abstract: Described is a Neuromorphic Adaptive Core (NeurACore) cognitive signal processor (CSP) for wide instantaneous bandwidth denoising of noisy signals. The NeurACore CSP includes a NeurACore block, a globally learning layer, and a neural combiner. The NeurACore block is operable for receiving as an input a mixture of in-phase and quadrature (I/Q) signals and mapping the I/Q signals onto a neural network to determine complex-valued output weights of neural states of the neural network. The global learning layer is operable for adapting the complex-valued output weights to predict a most likely next value of the input I/Q signal. Further, the neural combiner is operable for combining a set of delayed neural state vectors with the weights of the global learning layer to compute an output signal, the output signal being separate in-phase and quadrature signals.

Abstract: Described is a system for evaluating and correcting perception errors in object detection and recognition. The system receives perception data from an environment proximate a mobile platform. Perception probes are generated from the perception data which describe perception characteristics of object detections in the perception data. For each perception probe, probabilistic distributions for true positive and false positive values are determined, resulting in true positive and false negative perception probes. Statistical characteristics of true positive perception probes and false positive perception probes are then determined. Based on the statistical characteristics, true positive perception probes are clustered. An axiom is generated to determine statistical constraints for perception validity for each perception probe cluster. The axiom is evaluated to classify the perception probes as valid or erroneous. Optimal perception parameters are generated by solving an optimization problem based on the axiom.

Abstract: An infrared detector and a method for manufacturing it are disclosed. The infrared detector contains an absorber layer responsive to infrared light, a barrier layer disposed on the absorber layer, a plurality of contact structures disposed on the barrier layer; and an oxide layer disposed above the barrier layer and between the plurality of the contact structures, wherein the oxide layer reduces the dark current in the infrared detector. The method disclosed teaches how to manufacture the infrared detector.

Abstract: Some variations provide an atom vapor-density control system, the system comprising: a first electrode; a second electrode that is electrically isolated from the first electrode; an ion-conducting layer interposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein the ion-conducting layer is in ionic communication with the second electrode; at least one atom reservoir in contact with the second electrode or with an additional electrode, wherein the atom reservoir is electrochemically configured to controllably supply or receive atoms; a heater in thermal communication with a heated region comprising the first electrode; and one or more thermal isolation structures configured to minimize heat loss out of the heated region into a cold region. Several exemplary system configurations are presented in the drawings. The disclosed atom vapor-density control systems are capable of controlling the vapor pressure of metal atoms (such as alkali atoms) at low electrical power input.

Abstract: Some variations provide an interspersed assembly of nanoparticles, the assembly comprising a first phase containing first nanoparticles and a second phase containing second nanoparticles, wherein the second phase is interspersed with the first phase, and wherein the first nanoparticles are compositionally different than the second nanoparticles. The interspersed assembly may be a semi-ordered assembly comprising discrete first-phase particles surrounded by a continuous second phase. Other variations provide a core-shell assembly of nanoparticles, the assembly comprising a first phase containing first nanoparticles and a second phase containing compositionally distinct second nanoparticles, wherein the second phase forms a shell surrounding a core of the first phase. The disclosed assemblies may have a volume from 1 ?m3 to 1 mm3, a packing fraction from 20% to 100%, and an average relative surface roughness less than 5%, for example.

Abstract: A method of forming a curved semiconductor includes: forming a device layer on a semiconductor substrate; forming a metal layer on the device layer; removing the semiconductor substrate from the device layer; and curving the device layer and the metal layer.

Abstract: An isolation system and method are disclosed. The isolation system includes a beam that includes a first end and a second end. The isolation system may include at least one clamping block comprising first elastomeric material, and the first end may be coupled with the first elastomeric material by the at least one clamping block. An end condition of the buckling beam may be varied based on compression stiffening of the first elastomeric material.

Abstract: A Coriolis vibratory gyroscope having a resonator with at least a first and a second n=2 vibratory modes of same resonance frequency in a resonator plane; first and second sensing circuits for generating first and second sense signals in response to a motion of the resonator along a major axis of the first and second vibratory modes; a first drive circuit for driving the resonator in the first vibratory mode with a first drive signal; a second drive circuit for simultaneously driving the resonator in the second vibratory mode with a second drive signal; wherein said first signal has a first frequency equal to a resonant frequency of said resonator in said first vibratory mode, and said second signal has the same frequency as the first signal, modulated in amplitude with a second frequency.

Abstract: Some variations provide a leading-edge heat pipe comprising: (a) an envelope fabricated from a shell material, wherein the envelope includes at least one edge with a radius of curvature of less than 3 mm, and wherein the envelope includes, or is in thermal communication with, at least one heat-rejection surface; (b) a porous wick fabricated from a ceramic or metallic wick material, wherein the porous wick is configured within a first portion of the interior cavity, wherein at least a portion of the porous wick is adjacent to the inner surface, and wherein the porous wick has a bimodal pore distribution comprising an average capillary-pore size from 0.2 microns to 200 microns and an average high-flow pore size from 100 microns to 2 millimeters (the average high-flow pore size is greater than the average capillary-pore size); and (c) a phase-change heat-transfer material contained within the porous wick.

Abstract: A CVG having first and second degenerate resonator modes with each a damping rate; drive circuits for causing the resonator to oscillate in the first and second modes in response to first and second drive signals; first and second sense circuits for generating first and second sense signals in response to the resonator oscillating in the first and second modes; a signal processing circuit having control loops for generating the first and second drive signals based on the first and second sense signals; and first and second damping feedback circuits for generating first and second damping feedback signals proportional to the first and second damping rates; an adding the damping feedback signals to the first and second drive signals.

Abstract: One or more embodiments of the present disclosure are directed toward improved methods of fabricating a semiconductor device utilizing multi-level electron beam lithography (e-beam lithography), an alignment marker for multi-level e-beam lithography, and a semiconductor device including the alignment marker. A method of fabricating a semiconductor device may include: forming an alignment marker in a substrate, the alignment marker including tantalum; determining, utilizing a backscatter electron detector of an electron beam lithography tool, a location of an edge of the alignment marker based on an atomic number contrast between the alignment marker and the substrate; and forming, utilizing the electron beam lithography tool, at least one transistor in the substrate based on the location of the edge of the alignment marker.

Abstract: A method for issuing control signals in response to sentiment. In some embodiments, the method includes: assigning, to each of a plurality of comments, a respective topic vector of length k; determining whether a largest element of the topic vector of a first comment of the plurality of comments exceeds a weight threshold; in response to the determining that the largest element exceeds the weight threshold, classifying the first comment into a first topic, of k topics, the first topic corresponding to the position, in the topic vector, of the largest element of the topic vector; calculating a first sentiment score; calculating an average sentiment score, based in part on the first sentiment score; determining whether the average sentiment score meets a criterion; and in response to the determining that the criterion is met, generating a control signal, the control signal including a message related to the first topic.

Abstract: A method of providing a spatial light modulator comprising: providing a substrate; providing a first phase change material cell on the substrate, the first phase change material cell comprising: a first electrical heater on the substrate; a first optical reflector layer on the electrical heater; and a first phase change material layer on the optical reflector layer; and providing at least a second phase change material cell on the substrate, the second phase change material cell comprising: a second electrical heater on the substrate; a second optical reflector layer on the second electrical heater; a second phase change material layer on the second optical reflector layer; and providing a light absorber layer between the first phase change material cell and the second phase change material cell.

Abstract: A method of repairing a sandwich structure includes: removing a damaged portion of a core and a damaged portion of a first facesheet to form an open volume; filling the open volume with an ultraviolet-curable photomonomer; partially curing the ultraviolet-curable photomonomer to form a plurality of photopolymer waveguides by utilizing ultraviolet light; and arranging a replacement facesheet on the damaged portion of the first facesheet and over the photopolymer waveguides.