Abstract: A reflectarray antenna system includes an antenna feed configured to at least one of transmit and receive a wireless signal occupying a frequency band. The system also includes a reflector having a reflectarray. The reflectarray includes a plurality of reflectarray elements, where each of the reflectarray elements includes a dipole element. The dipole element of at least a portion of the plurality of reflectarray elements comprises a crossed-dipole portion and a looped-dipole portion. The plurality of reflectarray elements can be configured to selectively phase-delay the wireless signal to provide the wireless signal as a coherent beam.

Abstract: A bonded joint for use in bonding composite materials is provided and includes a composite rib having electrically conductive properties and a composite structure having electrically conductive properties. An electrically conductive preform is provided that facilitates a bond between the composite rib and the composite structure. A mesh composition that bonds the composite rib to the preform and that bonds the preform to the composite structure is provided and is electrically conductive to conduct current between the composite rib and the composite structure.

Abstract: A powered projectile having a nose portion, a body portion, a tail portion, and a central axis. In various embodiments a collar is rotatably mounted to a control support portion with a plurality of aerodynamic surfaces thereon for despinning the collar. An alternator configured as an axial flux machine with a stator arranged can be axially adjacent to one or more rotors, the stator including a plurality of windings and the one or more rotors each including a plurality of permanent magnets arranged about the face of the respective one or more rotor. In various embodiments the projectile includes an assembly of projectile control circuitry. In one or more embodiments, upon relative motion of the rotor with respect to the stator, magnetic flux from the magnets interacts with the windings of the stator and passes through an air gap between the one or more rotors and stator.

Abstract: A system for fabricating a composite part using a 3D printing machine. The system includes means for forming the part by depositing consecutive part layers each including rows of filaments made of a part material from the machine, where depositing each part layer includes non-sequentially depositing one set of a plurality of filaments so that a gap is formed between the filaments and then depositing any number of additional sets of filaments so that each adjacent pair of filaments in each additional set of filaments are non-sequentially deposited.

Abstract: One example includes an isochronous receiver system. The system includes a pulse receiver configured to receive an input data signal from a transmission line and to convert the input data signal to a pulse signal. The system also includes a converter system comprising a phase converter system. The phase converter system includes a plurality of pulse converters associated with a respective plurality of sampling windows across a period of an AC clock signal. At least two of the sampling windows overlap at any given phase of the AC clock signal, such that the converter system is configured to generate an output pulse signal that is phase-aligned with at least one of a plurality of sampling phases of the AC clock signal based on associating the pulse signal with at least two of the sampling windows.

Abstract: One example describes a superconducting XOR-gate system. The system includes a pulse generator configured to generate a decision pulse. The system also includes an input superconducting XOR-2 gate that receives a first superconducting logic input signal and a second superconducting logic input signal and is configured to perform a logic XOR function based on the decision pulse on a given phase of a clock signal to provide an intermediate superconducting logic output signal. The system also includes an output superconducting XOR-2 gate that receives the intermediate superconducting logic output signal and a third superconducting logic input signal and is configured to perform a logic XOR function based on the decision pulse on the given phase of the clock signal to provide a superconducting logic output signal.

Abstract: An electrical connector system includes a first connector comprising first contacts and a plurality of contact guides associated with the respective first contacts. The system also includes a second connector comprising second contacts configured to slide between a respective one of the contact guides and a respective one of the first contacts in response to joining the first and second connectors as a mated pair. Each respective contact guide provides contact pressure to a first surface of the respective one of the second contacts to provide a biasing force of the second contact onto the first contact to electrically couple a second surface of the respective one of the second contacts opposite the first side to an adjoining surface of the respective one of the first contacts to conduct a signal between the respective one of each of the first and second contacts.

Abstract: A composite storage tank may include a wall structure including at least three regions including an inner region, an outer region, and at least one permeation barrier. Another region may be optionally incorporated for venting potential permeation of fluids. The at least one permeation barrier and/or the venting layer may be strategically positioned between the inner region and the outer region to reduce or at least partially prevent fluid permeation of the inner region or the outer region. A vehicle may include such a composite storage tank. Methods of forming a composite fluid storage tank may include forming an inner composite region, applying a permeation barrier to an outer surface of the inner composite region, forming an outer composite region, and curing the inner composite region and the outer composite region with the permeation barrier to form the composite fluid storage tank.

Abstract: A superconducting AC switch system includes a switch network configuration comprising a Josephson junction (JJ) coupled to a transmission line having a transmission line impedance, and a magnetic field generator that is configured to switch from inducing a magnetic field in a plane of the JJ, and providing no magnetic field in the plane of the JJ. An AC input signal applied at an input of the switch network configuration is passed through to an output of the switch network configuration in a first magnetic state, and substantially reflected back to the input of the switch network configuration in a second magnetic state. The first magnetic state is one of inducing and not inducing a magnetic field in a plane of the JJ, and the second magnetic state is the other of inducing and not inducing a magnetic field in a plane of the JJ.

Abstract: An optical proximity sensor system to detect a distance to a target object is provided. The optical proximity sensor system includes a laser that generates an emitted optical beam at a linear polarization and an optical cavity system that includes an optical cavity defined by a distance between the laser and the target object. The target object reflects the emitted optical beam to generate a reflected optical beam. A partially reflective mirror diverts a portion of the emitted optical beam and/or the reflected optical beam. A photodetector receives the diverted optical beam and generates a proximity signal that has a frequency that is indicative of the distance to the target object based on the diverted portion of the at least one of the emitted optical beam and the reflected optical beam. A proximity processor calculates the distance to the target object based on the frequency of the proximity signal.

Abstract: A high-performance optical absorber, having a texturized base layer, the base layer comprising one or more of a polymer film and a polymer coating; and a surface layer located above and immediately adjacent to the base layer. The surface layer is joined to the base layer and the surface layer has a plasma-functionalized, non-woven carbon nanotube (CNT) sheet, wherein the base layer texturization comprises one or more of substantially rectangular ridges, substantially triangular ridges, substantially pyramidal ridges, and truncated, substantially pyramidal ridges.

Abstract: Controlling an in-flight spin-rate of a spin-stabilized guided projectile is disclosed. In various embodiments, the projectile includes a despun control portion configured for despinning relative to a projectile chassis and for directional control of the projectile. In various embodiments, controlling the in-flight spin-rate includes determining a gyroscopic stability factor for the guided projectile using the in-flight spin rate and a forward velocity of the guided projectile, determining that the gyroscopic stability factor exceeds a stability threshold, and spin-braking the guided projectile, in response to determining that the gyroscopic stability factor exceeds a threshold value, by braking rotation of the despun control portion by which the gyroscopic stability factor of the guided projectile is reduced to a second gyroscopic stability factor.

Abstract: A method for scanning a transmitted beam through a 360° FOV in a LIDAR system using no moving parts. The method includes directing a laser beam at a first frequency to an SPPR device and directing the laser beam from the SPPR device onto a conical mirror to direct the laser beam at a certain angle therefrom depending on the first frequency of the laser beam. The method further includes shifting the optical frequency of the laser beam to a second frequency to change the angle that the transmitted beam is directed from the conical mirror and intensity modulating the laser beam at the second frequency using a first intensity modulation frequency for a predetermined period of time. The method further includes receiving a reflected beam from the target and estimating a round trip time of the transmitted beam and the reflected beam using the modulation of the laser beam.

Abstract: A system and a method for a supply-chain hardware integrity for electronics defense (SHIELD) dielet embedded over a component of a device, a radio frequency identification (RFID) probe system coupled to the SHIELD dielet, and a secure server system communicating with the RFID probe system that can enable security services is provided. Embodiments include a multi-function SHIELD software defined, hardware enabled security system that provides hardware identity, anti-tamper, encryption key generation and management, trusted platform module services, and cryptographic software security services for a device.

Abstract: In some examples, design parameter data for an object can be received based on user input. A set of design criteria for the object can be received based on the design parameter data. A search of a learned design virtual reality (VR) database can be implemented to identify a set of candidate designs for the object based on the set of design criteria. The learned design VR database can include a plurality of previously determined designs for the object. Each candidate design for the object can be simulated in a simulation environment based on a learned design simulation database and optimization criteria to identify at least one new design for the object. A ranked design list can be generated ranking each candidate design and the at least one new design for the object based on ranking criteria.

Abstract: The disclosed invention provides a distributed directional aperture (DDA) system that is installed in a vertical lift aircraft that comprises a fuselage and a rotor system including rotary wings rotatably coupled to the fuselage. The DDA system provides capability to receive and/or transmit signals in one or more frequency bands, and provides communications, signals intelligence (SIGNINT), positional sensing, jamming, and offensive cyber on the vertical lift aircraft. The DDA system of the vertical lift aircraft includes a sensor and emitter array subsystem that includes a plurality of sensors and emitters distributed in the rotary wings, a beamformer subsystem that processes the sensor signals and emitter signals, and a telemetry subsystem that conveys signals between the sensor and emitter array subsystem and the beamformer subsystem.

Abstract: In an example, a machine learning (ML) processor emulator can be configured to emulate a legacy processor for emulating a legacy program. The emulator environment can include virtual registers storing operand data on which an operation is to be performed based on a respective instruction from instruction data representative of the legacy program. The ML processor emulator includes a processor ensemble engine that includes ML modules generated by a different ML algorithm, and a voting engine. Each ML module can be configured to emulate an instruction set of a processor and process the operand data according to the operation of the respective instruction to produce a set of candidate result data. The voting engine can be configured to identify a subset of candidate result data from the set of candidate result data and provide output data with content similar to the subset of candidate result data.

Abstract: One example includes a cryogenic wafer test system. The system includes a first chamber that is cooled to a cryogenic temperature and a wafer chuck confined within the first chamber. The wafer chuck can be configured to accommodate a wafer device-under-test (DUT) comprising a plurality of superconducting die. The system also includes at least one wafer prober configured to implement a test on a superconducting die of the plurality of superconducting die via a plurality of electrical probe contacts. The system further includes a wafer chuck actuator system confined within a second chamber. The wafer chuck actuator system can be configured to provide at least one of translational and rotational motion of the wafer chuck to facilitate alignment and contact of a plurality of electrical contacts of the superconducting die to the respective plurality of electrical probe contacts of the at least one wafer prober.

Abstract: One example includes a cryogenic wafer test system. The system includes a first chamber that is cooled to a cryogenic temperature and a wafer chuck confined within the first chamber. The wafer chuck can be configured to accommodate a wafer device-under-test (DUT) comprising a plurality of superconducting die. The system also includes a second chamber that is held at a non-cryogenic temperature and which comprises a wafer chuck actuator system configured to provide at least one of translational and rotational motion of the wafer chuck via mechanical linkage interconnecting the wafer chuck and the wafer chuck actuator system. The system further includes a radiation barrier arranged between the first chamber and the second chamber and through which the mechanical linkage extends, the radiation barrier being configured to provide a thermal gradient between the cryogenic temperature of the first chamber and the non-cryogenic temperature of the second chamber.

Abstract: One example includes a superconducting current control system. The system includes an inductive coupler comprising a load inductor and a control inductor. The inductive coupler can be configured to inductively provide a control current from the control inductor to a superconducting circuit device based on a load current being provided through the load inductor. The system also includes a current control element comprising a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) array comprising a plurality of SQUIDs. The current control element can be coupled to the inductive coupler to control an amplitude of the load current through the load inductor, and thus to control an amplitude of the control current to the superconducting circuit device.