Abstract: An article comprising an alloy exhibiting high magnetostriction in relatively low applied magnetic fields is provided, the alloy capable of being formed in a relatively easy manner and having desirable physical properties. The Co--Fe alloy of the invention exhibits a magnetostriction of at least 100.times.10.sup.-6 in a magnetic field less than 400 Oe, advantageously in a magnetic field less than 100 Oe. The alloy is formed by plastically deforming the alloy, e.g., by cold rolling, to a reduction in cross-sectional area of at least 50%, and then heat treating the alloy to induce recrystallization. This combination of plastic deformation and recrystallization was found to provide desirable grain growth and microstructure. The resultant alloy is useful in a variety of device components, including transducers, frequency filters, signal delay lines, and optical fiber grating devices.

Abstract: Arrayed waveguide grating routers are used to form 1.times.N demultiplexers and N.times.1 multiplexers to form channel drop modules in a WDM optical network. The demultiplexer and the multiplexer are interconnected by optical waveguides in which are inserted optical switches provided by MEMs devices that can be used to reflect incident optical signals backwards for dropping channels or to both transmit and reflect incident optical signals to drop and detect channels.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for simultaneously taking measurements that are used for determining PMD vectors. This reduces the time interval over which all measurements are taken and reduces inaccuracy caused by PMD variation during the time measurement interval. The apparatus and method may be used in conjunction with any technique for calculating PMD, such as the Poincare Sphere Technique or Jones Matrix Eigenanalysis. The apparatus simultaneously produces multiple light beams. To distinguish each light beam from the others, each beam is given a distinct modulation. All the beams are then combined and passed through the optical device under test. A polarization measuring device then measures the output polarization of the combined beam and outputs one or more composite electrical signals that describe the Stokes components of the output polarization of the combined beam and that have the same modulations present in the original combined beam.

Abstract: A stereo panoramic view is provided through the use of multiple virtual optical centers. A reflective polyhedral cement, such as a pyramid, redirects the field of view of each camera in a first set of cameras to form a group of substantially co-located virtual optical centers at a first location within the pyramid. The pyramid also redirects the field of view of each camera in a second set of cameras to form a group of substantially co-located virtual optical centers at a second location within the pyramid. Panoramic images from the first and second virtual optical centers provide a stereo panoramic view when one panoramic image is provided to a user's left eye and the other panoramic image is provided to the user's right eye.

Abstract: Opto-mechanical arrangements for use in light wave paths use actuator wires of a material, such as NiTi, whose length can be shortened by flowing heating current in the wire. The arrangements include switches and attenuator assemblies.

Abstract: The invention is a method and resulting device which provides a strong bond between a silicon substrate and an oxide component mounted within a cavity in the substrate. A layer of titanium, for example, is deposited on the walls of the cavity, followed by deposition of a layer of aluminum. The structure is preferably annealed to form titanium silicide and titanium-aluminum interface layers. The component is then bonded to the aluminum layer.

Abstract: A differential amplifier that includes both a main differential pair of transistors and an auxiliary differential pair of transistors of like conductivity type that are operated in a complementary mode with respect to the main differential pair. A monitoring circuit measures the current to the load from the main pair and varies the current to the load from the auxiliary pair to keep the total current to the load substantially constant, as the common-mode amplitude of the input differential signal varies. This serves to increase the effective dynamic range of the differential amplifier.

Abstract: A bandpass sigma-delta modulator includes a first low pass sigma-delta modulator of a predetermined order and operative according to a predetermined transfer characteristic for producing a first output of an initial dynamic range. A second low pass sigma-delta modulator substantially similar to the first low pass sigma-delta modulator is disposed in parallel relationship with the first modulator. Cross-coupled connections between the first and second modulators are operative to alter the respective transfer characteristics such that the first and second low pass modulator outputs cooperate to form the bandpass transfer function and expand the dynamic range beyond that associated with the individual modulators.

Abstract: One-by-three and two-by-two optical switches comprising optical waveguides or fibers with tapered ends that utilize electrostatically-driven actuators are disclosed. Tapering of the fiber ends allow the ends to be positioned in close proximity to one another to yield an optical switch with low insertion loss.

Abstract: The specification describes a process for making gate electrodes for silicon MOS transistor devices. The gate electrode is a composite of a first layer of tungsten suicide, a second layer of tungsten silicide nitride, and a third layer of tungsten silicide. The absence of polysilicon as a main constituent of the gate electrode eliminates depletion effects. The presence of nitride in the composite gate electrode impedes updiffusion of boron from the source and drain. The layers are preferably formed in situ in an PVD apparatus.

Abstract: The present invention provides, in one embodiment, a method of fabricating a heterostructure bipolar transistor. This particular embodiment comprises forming a n-type doped region in a semiconductor substrate to form a collector, epitaxially forming a base on the collector, epitaxially doping the base with indium while forming the base, and forming an emitter on the base. The base is epitaxially formed, and at the same time the base is doped with indium. In other words, the indium is epitaxially incorporated within the base as the base is being formed. In addition to the indium, the base may also be epitaxially doped with boron. Since, indium is incorporated into the base with the same epitaxial process used to form the base, the damage typically associated with conventional implantation processes are not present, and thus, the high annealing temperatures to repair the damage are not required. The base can be doped and formed at the same time; thereby, saving processing time.

Abstract: A method of semiconductor circuit fabrication utilizing the poly buffered LOCOS process is disclosed. Amorphous silicon is desirably formed by the decomposition of disilane at temperatures between 400-525.degree. C. The amorphous silicon exhibits less pits than what is produced by conventional processes. The absence of pits contributes to eventual substrate integrity.

Abstract: Apparatus for measuring the dispersion and dispersion parameter of an optical fiber as a function of distance (the dispersion map) by the optical-time-domain reflection technique uses a multi-frequency laser with an extra cavity semiconductor optical amplifier switch to generate the short pulses of two wavelengths to displace the four-wave mixing oscillations away from the origin of the complex plane. Additionally laser power is supplied at both ends of the fiber under test to provide pump power to Raman amplify the backscattered signal being measured. Finally a novel Fast Fourier Transform based algorithm is used to calculate the dispersion map fast and accurately.

Abstract: A finite impulse response filter uses rotating tap weights that are connected in turn to a succession of sample/hold (S/H) cells in each of which is held a separate successive sample of an analog balanced signal being filtered for an interval long enough to tap to each tap weight in one rotation. Each of the S/H cells is a switched-current memory cell and includes a primary negative feedback transconductance differential amplifier and a primary pair of storage capacitors and a secondary positive feedback transconductance differential amplifier and a secondary pair of storage capacitors. Charge injection errors created in each primary amplifier are replicated in an associated secondary amplifier and used to cancel these errors to provide higher fidelity samples for summing for forming the output of the filter. The tap weights are provided by binary-ratioed resistors provided by transistors of binary-ratioed transconductances.

Abstract: An optimized optical transmitter for use with a 1.3 .mu.m directly-modulated DFB laser. A negative fiber dispersion is intentionally introduced into the system by selecting the operating wavelength to be less than the nominal zero-dispersion value. The introduction of the negative fiber dispersion reduces the system power penalty and results in an optical transmission system useful over relatively short lengths of standard single mode fiber (50 km, for example) without the need for additional amplification.

Abstract: A layered structure is divided into a plurality of regions. Transmission line equivalents (Green's functions) in the spectral domain are formed between all regions within the layered structure. The spectral domain Greens' function are converted to the spatial domain using a near field and a far field computed for those regions part of a component within the layered structure. The far field is extracted from a compressed database computed from the transmission line equivalents and descriptive of the layered structure. The near field is computed using a prioritization mechanism. Priority is assigned in accordance with the amplitude of a source and the length of the path between regions of interest.Once the physical characteristics of the layers used in the fabrication process of the IC are identified, the database used for computation of the far field is compiled and compressed, and remains unchanged for each new parameter extraction.

Abstract: Providing by a wireless terminal the sole communication link to a wireless telecommunication switching system, and inserting the wireless terminal into an auxiliary desktop unit to provide the full functional capabilities of a business telecommunication terminal. The result is that a user has one telephone number for the wireless terminal, and yet, when the wireless terminal is inserted into the auxiliary unit, the user is provided the full capabilities of a modern business telecommunication wired terminal. Also, no wired telephone links must be installed since the wireless terminal communicates solely over a wireless media.

Abstract: Pose estimation of a camera is facilitated by including in the scene a space fiducial, an object that has the property that its appearance as viewed by the camera uniquely determines the direction from which it is viewed.

Abstract: A facility is provided for correcting fixed column noise that may appear in a fingerprint image acquired from a capacitive fingerprint sensor. In particular, corrective gain and offset values are determined for each column of pixel signals generated by the sensor and are applied to such signals to greatly diminish the fixed column noise that may be present in that column.

Abstract: An unbalanced to balanced antenna matching unit (AMU) is capable of operating over a relatively large frequency range by utilizing multiple transformers connected in series, with a set of bypass switches used to control the number of transformers that are "active" in the matching unit at any particular time. Complex impedance matching by the AMU is controlled by a variable capacitor in parallel with the multiple transformers and a variable capacitor in series with the unbalanced input. The parallel variable capacitor may be located on either side of the transformer arrangement. The transformer output may be configured to switch between matching either a low impedance antenna or a high impedance antenna.