Abstract: Mechanisms for customizing a refractive index of an optical component are disclosed. In one example, sub-wavelength openings are formed in a top layer of anti-reflective (AR) material of an optical component to tailor transmission characteristics of the AR material over a range of angles of incidence and a range of wavelengths. In another example, sub-wavelength openings are formed at different filling fractions in the surface of the optical component.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a device includes a spine, a first support coupled to a first end of the spine, a second support coupled to a second end of the spine, and a plurality of fixtures coupled to the spine. The plurality of fixtures are configured to couple an aircraft flight control apparatus to the spine.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an electronic display assembly includes a microlens layer and a pixel array layer. The microlens layer includes a plurality of cells. The pixel array layer is adjacent to the microlens layer. The pixel array layer includes a plurality of pixels. Each cell of the plurality of cells includes a transparent lenslet and one or both of: a plurality of opaque walls configured to prevent light from bleeding into adjacent cells; and a filter layer on one end of each cell of the plurality of cells. The filter layer is configured to limit light passing through the filter layer to a specific incident angle.

Abstract: A harmonic trap filter suppresses at least one harmonic signal produced by an amplifier and includes an input terminal and a ground terminal. The harmonic trap filter further includes a plurality of resonators electrically coupled one to another between the input terminal and the ground terminal in a spatial order defined by relative phase shift of alternating voltage bias signals respectively applied thereto. The resonators are tuned to resonate at a frequency at which a phase delay is imparted to the at least one harmonic signal by the resonators to effect cancelation of the at least one harmonic signal at the input terminal.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a system includes a three-dimensional (3D) printer, a feedstock, and a laser. The three-dimensional printer includes a platen including an inert metal, and an enclosure including an inert atmosphere. The feedstock is configured to be deposited onto the platen. The feedstock includes a halogenated solution and a nanoparticle having negative electron affinity. The laser is configured to induce the nanoparticle to emit solvated electrons into the halogenated solution to form, by reduction, a ceramic and a diatomic halogen.

Abstract: Flow batteries can include a first half-cell containing a first aqueous electrolyte solution, a second half-cell containing a second aqueous electrolyte solution, and a separator disposed between the first half-cell and the second half-cell. The first aqueous electrolyte solution contains a first redox-active material, and the second aqueous electrolyte solution contains a second redox-active material. At least one of the first redox-active material and the second redox-active material is a nitroxide compound or a salt thereof. Particular nitroxide compounds can include a doubly bonded oxygen contained in a ring bearing the nitroxide group, a doubly bonded oxygen appended to a ring bearing the nitroxide group, sulfate or phosphate groups appended to a ring bearing the nitroxide group, various heterocyclic rings bearing the nitroxide group, or acyclic nitroxide compounds.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and software described herein provide enhancements for spaceborne and airborne computing platforms. In one example, an airborne computing platform includes a plurality of airborne devices, with one or more of the airborne devices comprising specialized roles defined by at least one among software elements and hardware elements targeted to the specialized roles. Individual ones of the airborne devices are configured to identify tasks to be serviced using one or more of the specialized roles, determine one or more target devices to handle the tasks based at least in part on attributes of the target devices, and transfer at least task instructions for delivery to the target devices for performing the tasks.

Abstract: A system comprising a hemispherical array antenna having a plurality of antenna elements comprising a set of baseline antenna elements arranged in a first 360° circular antenna array, a set of upper antenna elements arranged in a second 360° circular antenna array and latitudinally aligned with the baseline antenna elements, and a set of lower antenna elements arranged in a third 360° circular antenna array and latitudinally aligned with the baseline antenna elements. The system includes a fleet base station including a plurality of non-shared receiver channels coupled to and dedicated to a particular antenna element. The base station is configured to provide 360° of transmission/reception from horizon to zenith using the antenna elements for command and control fleet communications to and from mobile devices and to provide secondary radar functions using the fleet communications to track the mobile devices based on received signal characteristics received at the antenna elements.

Abstract: A planar waveguide laser crystal assembly includes an optical bench and a laser crystal mount mounted on the optical bench. The laser crystal mount includes an upper housing having an interior horizontal surface and an exterior horizontal, a lower housing coupled to the upper housing and having an interior horizontal surface and an exterior horizontal surface, and a cavity defined between the interior horizontal surfaces of the upper and lower housings. A laser crystal is mounted in the cavity of the laser crystal mount. Each of the exterior horizontal surfaces of the upper and lower housings is oriented parallel to a length of the laser crystal. The laser crystal assembly further includes a heat dissipating structure thermally coupled to at least one of the exterior horizontal surfaces of the upper and lower housings to dissipate heat transferred from the laser crystal mount.

Abstract: Polymer composites containing carbon nanotubes often exhibit high glass transition temperatures, which can complicate their use in additive manufacturing processes. Extruded filaments containing carbon nanotubes and residual solvent can have desirably lowered glass transition temperatures. Extruded filaments can contain a polymer as a continuous phase, a nanomaterial such as carbon nanotubes homogeneously mixed throughout the continuous phase, and above 0% to about 15% solvent by weight.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an electronic display assembly includes a circuit board and a plurality of display facets. Each display facet is coupled to one side of the circuit board. Each display facet includes a plurality of display pixels. Each display facet includes a selectable display resolution from a plurality of display resolutions. Each display facet is individually addressable such that the plurality of display facets are configurable to provide heterogeneous display resolutions. The circuit board includes a plurality of facet locations. Each particular facet location is configured to transmit signals to a particular display facet that is electrically coupled to the particular facet location, thereby displaying light on the particular display facet at a particular selected display resolution.

Abstract: A compressor assembly for use with a Pulse Tube cryocooler is disclosed. The compressor assembly includes a central hub having a plurality of faces, and at least four compressor modules mounted on the central hub. Each of the compressor modules is mounted on a face of the plurality of faces. Each compressor module comprises a piston mounted in the central hub and configured to reciprocate along an axis of travel within the central hub. The pistons are mounted head-to-head with each other and collective reciprocation of the pistons along the respective axes minimizes vibration forces of the compressor assembly in X, Y, and Z translational axes of motion.

Abstract: A photonic integrated circuit (PIC) with embedded optical temperature sensing includes an optical interferometer containing a first arm and a second arm, and one or more optical waveguide sections configured to measure an internal temperature of the PIC. The one or more optical waveguide sections are implemented as one or more sections of the first arm and the second arm. The first arm and the second arm have a first optical path length (OPL) and a second OPL and are made of a first material and a second material, respectively.

Abstract: A printed circuit board (PCB) device including one or more insulating layers and one or more conducting layers arranged to form a layer stack; and one or more blind holes disposed along a side edge of the layer stack and parallel to a plane of the layer stack. Each of the one or more blind holes along the side edge of the layer stack is configured to receive a pin. Each pin can make an electrical connection with a corresponding blind hole.

Abstract: A magnetometer for magnetic detection includes a magneto-optical defect center material having at least one magneto-optical defect center; a radio frequency (RF) exciter system including a radio frequency (RF) excitation source; an optical excitation system including an optical excitation source; an optical detector configured to receive an optical signal based on light emitted by the magneto-optical defect center material due RF excitation and optical excitation provided to the magneto-optical defect center material via the RF excitation source and the optical excitation source, respectively; a magnetic field generator configured to generate a magnetic field detected at the magneto-optical defect center material; and a system controller.

Abstract: Conventional rechargeable batteries, such as lithium-ion batteries, are somewhat limited in their energy storage density. Sulfur-based batteries can provide improved energy storage density, but their use can be hampered by sulfur's low electrical conductivity. Energy storage devices, particularly batteries, can have a first electrode that includes a carbon nanotube aerogel, and an electroactive material containing sulfur that is incorporated in the carbon nanotube aerogel. Methods for forming an energy storage device can include incorporating an electroactive material containing sulfur in a carbon nanotube aerogel, compressing the carbon nanotube aerogel to form a compressed carbon nanotube aerogel, and disposing a first electrode containing the compressed carbon nanotube aerogel and the electroactive material in an electrolyte with a second electrode and a plurality of lithium ions, such that a separator material permeable to the lithium ions is between the first electrode and the second electrode.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a method includes, impinging a plurality of particles on a target such that electrons are emitted from the target and transporting the electrons from the target to a heat sink through a transporting medium. The target and the heat sink may be separated by a distance. The method further includes cooling the electrons using the heat sink and returning the electrons from the heat sink to the target.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes an unmanned, multirotor helicopter and a fixed-wing aircraft. The multirotor helicopter may couple to the fixed-wing aircraft to support and hold the fixed-wing aircraft. The multirotor helicopter may then elevate the fixed-wing aircraft from a launch site to a release altitude. The multirotor helicopter may also accelerate the fixed-wing aircraft to a release speed and upon reaching the release speed, release the fixed-wing aircraft. The unmanned, multirotor helicopter may then return to the launch site.

Abstract: An electric propulsion system including a stationary rotor hub assembly and a rotating system mounted to the stationary rotor hub assembly. The rotating system is rotatable about an axis. An electric motor including a stator assembly is associated with the rotor hub assembly and a rotor assembly of the electric motor is associated with the rotating system. A swashplate assembly having a dynamic component is integrated into the rotor hub assembly.

Abstract: Electrolyte solutions for flow batteries and other electrochemical systems can contain an active material that is capable of transferring one or more electrons per molecule during an oxidation-reduction cycle. Doubly bridged aromatic groups or their coordination compounds can be particularly suitable active materials. Flow batteries can include a first half-cell containing a first electrolyte solution, and a second half-cell containing a second electrolyte solution, in which at least one of the first electrolyte solution and the second electrolyte solution contains an active material having at least two aromatic groups doubly bridged by a carbonyl moiety and a bridging moiety containing a bridging atom selected from carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur, selenium and tellurium. Such bridged compounds can directly function as the active material, or coordination compounds containing the bridged compounds as at least one ligand can serve as the active material.