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.

Abstract: Described is a system for analyzing time series data. A sequence of symbols is generated from a set of time series input data related to a moving vehicle using automatic segmentation. A grammar is extracted from the sequence of symbols, and the grammar is a subset of a probabilistic context-free grammar (PCFG). Using the grammar, time series input data can be analyzed, and a prediction of the vehicle's movement can be made. Vehicle operations for an autonomous vehicle are determined using the prediction.

Abstract: A self-sanitizing surface structure configured to selectively refract light, a method of fabricating a self-sanitizing surface configured to selectively refract light, and a method of decontaminating a surface using selectively refracted light. A waveguide including a support layer below a propagating layer is positioned over a substrate as a self-sanitizing layer. In the absence of a contaminant or residue on the waveguide, UV light injected into the propagating layer is constrained within the propagating layer due to total internal reflection. When a residue is present on the self-sanitizing surface structure, light may be selectively refracted at or near the interface with the residue along the side of the waveguide to destroy the residue. The self-sanitizing surface structure may be configured to refract a suitable amount of UV light in response to a particular type of residue or application.

Abstract: A process enables growing thick stoichiometric crystalline and preferably IR-transparent optical PCMO material on Si and other substrates. Sputter deposition is carried out in oxygen-free inert gas (e.g., Ar) environment, which helps to prevent decomposition of the PCMO material over the substrate. In the disclosed process, there is no need to add a seed layer prior to PCMO deposition. Moreover, no post-deposition annealing is needed in a high-temperature and high-pressure oxygen furnace, but an anneal provides certain additional benefits in terms of improved transparency at IR wavelengths. Over a long deposition time for a thick PCMO film on the high temperature (?450° C.) substrates, the PCMO deposition is made repeated cycles of deposition of the PCMO material at the high temperature, each deposition cycle being followed by cooling the PCMO-deposited substrate to a substantially lower temperature (<50° C.).

Abstract: Described is a system for automatically identifying chemical properties of a molecule. A chemical representation of a molecular structure is converted into atomic features and an adjacency matrix. The atomic features and the adjacency matrix are processed with a neural network, resulting in neural activations corresponding to each atom in the molecular structure. The system determines a probability for each atom quantifying its relevance for a given chemical characteristic. The probabilities are displayed as a graphical representation on the molecular structure, and groups of atoms are identified for the given chemical characteristic from the graphical representation. The identified groups of atoms for the given chemical characteristic are stored in a database, and a new molecule having the given chemical characteristic is designed based on the stored identified groups of atoms.

Abstract: Some variations provide a pre-ceramic matrix composite comprising: a precursor pre-ceramic matrix; reinforcing elements disposed within the precursor pre-ceramic matrix; and a compressible material disposed on the surface of the reinforcing elements and interposed between the reinforcing elements and the precursor pre-ceramic matrix. Other variations provide a ceramic matrix composite comprising: a ceramic matrix; reinforcing elements disposed within the ceramic matrix; and a compressed material disposed on the surface of the reinforcing elements and interposed between the reinforcing elements and the matrix. The coating of compressible material prevents cracking during processing because the coating absorbs stresses associated with volumetric shrinkage of the ceramic matrix during densification, thereby reducing the stresses at the interface between the reinforcing elements and the ceramic matrix. Methods of fabricating ceramic matrix composites using the principles of the invention are disclosed.

Abstract: Some variations provide a system for producing a functionalized powder, comprising: an agitated pressure vessel; first particles and second particles contained within the agitated pressure vessel; a fluid contained within the agitated pressure vessel; an exhaust line for releasing the fluid from the agitated pressure vessel; and a means for recovering a functionalized powder containing the second particles disposed onto surfaces of the first particles. A preferred fluid is carbon dioxide in liquefied or supercritical form. The carbon dioxide may be initially loaded into the pressure vessel as solid carbon dioxide. The pressure vessel may be batch or continuous and is operated under reaction conditions to functionalize the first particles with the second particles, thereby producing a functionalized powder, such as nanofunctionalized metal particles in which nanoparticles act as grain refiners for a component ultimately produced from the nanofunctionalized metal particles.

Abstract: A photonic module and a method of making same, the module having one or more optoelectronic chips, such as a laser diode typically having six sides, with each optoelectronic chip having two opposing sides (a first side and a second side) abutting and electrically connected to metal regions (preferably electro-formed), the two metal regions are physically distinct and electrically separate from each other, the two electro-formed metal regions serving, in use, as heat spreaders for conducting heat away from the optoelectronic chip.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a gate with a mini field plate includes forming a dielectric passivation layer over an epitaxy layer on a substrate, coating the dielectric passivation layer with a first resist layer, etching the first resist layer and the dielectric passivation layer to form a first opening in the dielectric passivation layer, removing the first resist layer; and forming a tri-layer gate having a gate foot in the first opening, the gate foot having a first width, a gate neck extending from the gate foot and extending for a length over the dielectric passivation layer on both sides of the first opening, the gate neck having a second width wider than the first width of the gate foot, and a gate head extending from the gate neck, the gate head having a third width wider than the second width of the gate neck.

Abstract: A ceramic article. In some embodiments, the ceramic article includes a ceramic body composed of a ceramic material; and a first conductive trace, the first conductive trace having a first portion entirely within the ceramic material, the first portion having a length of 0.5 mm and transverse dimensions less than 500 microns, the ceramic material including a plurality of ceramic particles in a ceramic matrix.

Abstract: A method for creating at least one cavity in a semiconductor substrate including the steps of: (a) partially ablating the semiconductor substrate from the top side with a laser to form a trench in the semiconductor substrate surrounding a cross section of the semiconductor material having the desired shape, (b) machining the backside of the semiconductor substrate partially ablated in step (a) to reduce the semiconductor substrate to a final thickness that is equal to or less than the laser ablation depth to form a plug of semiconductor material unattached to a remainder of the semiconductor substrate; and (c) removing the plug of semiconductor material from the semiconductor substrate to form the at least one cavity with cross section of desired shape extending through the semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: A simultaneous dual-band image sensor having a plurality of pixels includes a substrate, a common ground on the substrate, wherein each pixel includes a Band 1 absorber layer on the common ground layer, a barrier layer on the Band 1 absorber layer, a Band 2 absorber layer on the barrier layer, a ring opening in the pixel formed by a removed portion of the Band 2 absorber layer, a removed portion of the barrier layer and a removed portion of the Band 1 absorber layer, wherein the ring opening does not extend through the Band 1 absorber layer, a first contact on a portion of the Band 2 absorber layer inside the ring, and a second contact on a portion of the Band 2 absorber layer outside the ring. The Band 1 absorber layer and the Band 2 absorber layer are n-type, or the Band 1 absorber layer and the Band 2 absorber layer are p-type.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for for sensing a change in an acceleration gradient ?a(t) between two gravity fields a1(t) and a2(t) respectively sensed by the first and second proof masses, the first and second proof masses either being coupled only to a first resonator or being individually coupled to first and second resonators, the first resonator generating, in use, a signal at a frequency fD which is applied said second resonator, the second resonator being driven, in use, into a non-linear state corresponding to a modal resonant frequency f? wherein it generates a comb of frequencies each tooth of which is separated from each other by a frequency ? which is frequency-wise proportional a frequency difference between fD and f? and also proportional to the change in said acceleration gradient ?a(t), circuitry for selecting an nth tooth in said comb of frequencies where the frequency of the nth tooth is equal to fD+n?, circuitry for detecting a change in the frequency of the nth tooth and for generating a signal t

Abstract: Described is a system for onboard, real-time, activity detection and classification. During operation, the system detects one or more objects in a scene using a mobile platform and tracks each of the objects as the objects move in the scene to generate tracks for each object. The tracks are transformed using a fuzzy-logic based mapping to semantics that define group activities of the one or more objects in the scene. Finally, a state machine is used to determine whether the defined group activities are normal or abnormal phases of a predetermined group operation.

Abstract: This invention provides methods for fabricating a hard or soft magnet with tailorable magnetic and crystallographic orientations. Methods are disclosed to individually tailor three-dimensional voxels for selected crystallographic orientations and, independently, selected magnetic orientations with location specificity throughout a magnet.

Abstract: Some variations provide an atomic vapor-cell system comprising: a vapor-cell region configured with vapor-cell walls for containing an atomic vapor; and a coating disposed on at least some interior surfaces of the walls, wherein the coating comprises magnesium oxide, a rare earth metal oxide, or a combination thereof. The atomic vapor-cell system may be configured to allow at least one optical path through the vapor-cell region. In some embodiments, the coating comprises or consists essentially of magnesium oxide and/or a rare earth metal oxide. When the coating contains a rare earth metal oxide, it may be a lanthanoid oxide, such as lanthanum oxide. The atomic vapor-cell system preferably further comprises a device to adjust vapor pressure of the atomic vapor within the vapor-cell region. Preferably, the device is a solid-state electrochemical device configured to convey the atomic vapor into or out of the vapor-cell region.

Abstract: An electronic assembly including: a wafer defining at least one cavity; a chip disposed in the cavity; and a metal heat spreader disposed in the cavity, the chip being embedded in the metal heat spreader; wherein the metal heat spreader has at least one elongate microstructure separated from a remainder of the metal heat spreader by at least one channel; wherein the metal heat spreader occupies an area within the cavity that is not occupied by the chip; and wherein the at least one elongate microstructure is configured and arranged in the cavity so as to improve thermal management of the chip by reducing stress across the chip as compared with a configuration and arrangement in which a heat spreader made of the metal and occupying the area within the cavity is a solid without channels. Also, a method for forming the electronic assembly.

Abstract: The disclosed technology provides improved thermoset vitrimers. It has been discovered that by incorporating adaptable dynamic groups along the polymer backbone, along with permanent, non-dynamic crosslinking points, an improved thermoset vitrimer is generated. In some variations, a thermoset vitrimer comprises: a linear polymer backbone containing associative dynamic covalently bonded species; a crosslinked network containing non-dynamic branch points; and non-dynamic species between non-dynamic branch points and terminal ends of the linear polymer backbone.

Abstract: An electronically scanned antenna comprising a travelling wave guiding structure having a bottom conductor and a top conductor developing each along a first direction, the top conductor comprising a plurality of first conductive patches arranged periodically along said first direction and connected in series by tuning circuits; the electronically scanned antenna further comprising a plurality of amplifiers arranged for compensating resistive and radiation losses along the length of the travelling wave guiding structure.