Abstract: A photon detector including a graphene-insulating-superconducting junction configured as a temperature sensor. Photons are absorbed by the graphene sheet of the graphene-insulating-superconducting junction, each absorbed photon causing a temporary increase in the temperature of the graphene sheet, and a corresponding change in the differential impedance of the graphene-insulating-superconducting junction. The graphene-insulating-superconducting junction is part of a resonant circuit connected as a shunt load between a radio frequency input transmission line and a radio frequency output transmission line. The transmission S-parameter from input to output is affected by the impedance of the resonant circuit which in turn is affected by the differential impedance of the graphene-insulating-superconducting junction, and therefore by the temperature of the graphene sheet.

Abstract: A system comprising includes a plurality of three dimensional line-scanner LIDAR sensors disposed to provide a set of fanned beams that travel from one horizon into the air to the other horizon arranged to provide a light fence to detect an object that breaks the light fence and a sensor processor connected to the plurality of three dimensional multi-beam line-scanner LIDAR sensors to establish a vector of travel and a velocity of the object that passes through the multi-beam light fence at the location of where the beams are broken.

Abstract: A system for authentication and validation of the identity of a person. The person carries a mobile device configured to measure motion as the person walks or stands still, generating a time record of motion data. A security system in a facility which the person seeks to access receives the time record of motion data and compares gait characteristics inferred from the time record with gait characteristics inferred from motion data previously obtained for a person whom the person seeking access purports to be. The security system may instruct the person to pause and stand still, and then to begin walking again, and it may then verify that the received time record of motion data includes an interval with little motion at a point in the time record corresponding to the pause.

Abstract: A system for isolating signals from individual vehicles. An array of sensors generates a plurality of time records. The time records are transformed into spectrogram structures, and for each time-frequency point in the spectrogram structures, a bearing is calculated, to form a movement structure. A Hough transform is used to fit a movement model to the movement structure, to form a Hough transform structure. Peaks in the Hough transform structure correspond to vehicles and their position in the Hough transform structure correspond to motion parameters, such as the velocity of the vehicle, and the time of closest approach of the vehicle to the array of acoustic sensors. A model of the motion of a vehicle is then used to associate, with the vehicle, points (e.g., structure elements in the spectrogram structures) from the data.

Abstract: Embodiments includes an apparatus and method that intentionally illuminate a device with RF energy having specific characteristics (e.g., frequency, power, waveform, directionality, duration, etc.) to make a conductor of the device a transmitter. A method can include identifying data to be transmitted by the one or more conductors and providing a signal to the electrical or electronic circuitry to cause the electrical or electronic circuitry to change state and produce a first signal on the one or more conductors. The one or more conductors can produce a forced non-linear emission (FNLE) that is a mixture of the first signal and an electromagnetic wave incident thereon that, when decoded by an external device, corresponds to the data.

Abstract: An apparatus and method that intentionally illuminate a number of target devices with RF energy having specific characteristics (e.g., frequency, power, waveform, directionality, duration, etc.) are provided. The target devices, which may comprise a computer system or other electronic circuits, by their fundamental nature as mixed analog and digital devices, act as non-linear mixers and are forced to emit information about the target device behavior, state, and physical characteristics. The apparatus that implements the method receives the forced emissions signals, extracts useful data from noise, and analyzes the data to determine target device characteristics. The target devices may be powered or unpowered. The apparatus and method provided may avoid impacting target device operation.

Abstract: Generally discussed herein are systems, devices, and methods for scheduling node performance of communication and/or function. A method can include receiving, from a plurality of nodes, parameters indicating a trajectory and position of each of the plurality of nodes, creating a directed communication graph, creating a communications conflict graph, creating a function conflict graph indicating which function performed by one node of the plurality of nodes interferes with at least one of a function and communication performed by another node of the plurality of nodes, creating a universal conflict graph based on the communications conflict graph and the function conflict graph, creating a schedule for communication and function performance for each of the nodes based on the universal conflict graph, and providing data indicative of the schedule to nodes of the plurality of nodes.

Abstract: A system for covert sensing. A broadband light source is split into two portions, a first portion of which illuminates a target, and a second portion of which is frequency shifted, e.g., by an acousto-optic frequency shifter. Light reflected from the target is combined with the frequency shifted light, detected, and demodulated with an in-phase and quadrature demodulator. The outputs of the demodulator are filtered and the arc tangent of the ratio is calculated.

Abstract: A subsea system for exploiting an oceanic current shear includes a first vehicle positionable in a first oceanic current and tethered to a second vehicle positionable in a second oceanic current. The first and second oceanic currents have a velocity differential. A drag or lift device integral or attached to the first vehicle exerts a force through the tether on the second vehicle and its associated drag or lift device, thus providing a net propulsive force. Hydrofoils or control devices attached to the vehicles provide hydrodynamic lift, drag, and/or depth control that allow the direction of the force to be controlled for propulsion in a desired direction. The relative currents and/or change in separation of the vehicles can be used for energy harvesting. Turbines and generators coupled to the vehicles harvest energy for long term subsea endurance. A sensor aperture comprises a plurality of sensors coupled to components of the subsea system.

Abstract: A method for performing security functions in a computer system hosting a network-facing server application includes receiving, by a service request processor, a service request to an application adapted to process the service request; responsive to the service request being a first request for the application to communicate over a network, processing the service request with a first process isolated in memory from the application; responsive to the service request being a second request for the application to access a physical storage device, processing the service request with a second process isolated in memory from the application; and responsive to a determination that the processed service request will not adversely affect the application, providing the processed service request to the application.

Abstract: An SDR system and method that intentionally illuminates aircraft systems with RF energy having specific characteristics (e.g., frequency, power, waveform, directionality, duration, etc.) are provided. The aircraft systems act as non-linear mixers and emit non-linear RF energy. A receiver receives the RF energy response and generates an RF energy representation that is correlated to a database of baseline responses. A correlation response between the received RF energy representation and any one of the baseline responses from the database provides an indication of the aircraft system status.

Abstract: An apparatus, method, and computer program product that intentionally illuminate at least one target device with electromagnetic energy having specific characteristics (e.g., frequency, power, waveform, directionality, duration, etc.). The target device, which may be an unpowered data storage device, acts as a non-linear mixer and is forced to emit radiative signals containing information about the target device behavior, state, and physical characteristics. Embodiments receive the forced emissions, extract useful data, and analyze the data to determine target device characteristics (e.g., a target device type, based on a comparison of data from known types). Embodiments control the illumination so the forced emissions radiate from an enclosure without interfering with tactical communications, and so that stored target device data is not affected. Embodiments can locate a hidden target device via the strength and directionality of the forced emissions.

Abstract: A sensing system including in-ground sensors not requiring battery power. A thermoelectric generator sensor rod includes an upper thermal contact and a lower thermal contact at or near its two ends. When the thermoelectric generator sensor rod is buried in the ground with one end buried more deeply than the other, a temperature gradient in the soil produces a temperature difference between the upper thermal contact and the lower thermal contact. The upper thermal contact and the lower thermal contact are thermally connected to a thermoelectric generator, e.g., by heat pipes or thermally conductive rods. Electrical power generated by the thermoelectric generator powers sensors for monitoring conditions in the ground, and circuitry for transmitting sensor data to a central data processing system.

Abstract: Systems, devices and methods for remotely interrogating sensor electronics are described. In one embodiment, a system for detecting and localizing chemical analytes is described. This system includes a plurality of chemosensor electronic devices for detecting the presence of chemical analytes. Each of these devices includes a chemosensor for sensing chemical analytes, a transponder, and an electronic circuit for activating the transponder based on an output of the chemosensor. These devices may have a cross-section area of less than 1 square micrometer. The system also includes an interrogation device for interrogating the plurality of devices and for receiving information on the detected chemical analytes from devices with activated transponders, and a processor for determining the locations of the devices with activated transponders. These locations may be forwarded to a third party.

Abstract: An optical receiver may include a unitary transformation operator to receive an n-symbol optical codeword associated with a codebook, and to perform a unitary transformation on the received optical codeword to generate a transformed optical codeword, where the unitary transformation is based on the codebook. The optical receiver may further include n optical detectors, where a particular one of the n optical detectors is to detect a particular optical symbol of the transformed optical codeword, and to determine whether the particular optical symbol corresponds to a first optical symbol or a second optical symbol. The optical receiver may also include a decoder to construct a codeword based on the determinations, and to decode the constructed codeword into a message using the codebook. The optical receiver may attain superadditive capacity, and, with an optimal code, may attain the Holevo limit to reliable communication data rates.

Abstract: A body garment including sensors distributed throughout the garment, each sensor senses body state information from a local surface area of a body; and sensor nodes in proximity to the plurality of sensors, each sensor node including a processor to receive sensing body state information from at least one of the plurality of sensors. Each processor is configured to receive body state information locally from sensors, to utilize the information to determine a local surface shape of the surface of a portion of the body part; and to exchange local surface shape information with neighboring sensor nodes. At least one processor of utilizes the local surface shape information received from the sensor nodes to generate one overall model of a surface shape of the entire surface of the body part covered by the garment.

Abstract: A quantum circuit and method for Schur transform includes: a first quantum register including n quantum systems initialized to an initial state of “0”, where n is an integer and represents a number of quantum systems; a second quantum register including m quantum systems initialized to the initial state of “0”, where m is an integer and represents a required workspace; a first quantum circuit that operates on only the first register and performs a block diagonalization of the n quantum systems into permutation modules; a second quantum circuit that operates on both registers and block diagonalizes each of the permutation modules using a QFTPermMod operation; and one or more quantum output registers coupled to the second quantum circuit for holding a basis for the Schur transform.

Abstract: A system comprising includes a plurality of three dimensional line-scanner LIDAR sensors disposed to provide a set of fanned beams that travel from one horizon into the air to the other horizon arranged to provide a light fence to detect an object that breaks the light fence and a sensor processor connected to the plurality of three dimensional multi-beam line-scanner LIDAR sensors to establish a vector of travel and a velocity of the object that passes through the multi-beam light fence at the location of where the beams are broken.

Abstract: A system for tracking a drone includes a device where a human designates a drone as a target drone and a second autonomous intercept drone having an on-board sensor to track the target drone and self pilots to the location of the target drone

Abstract: Acoustic sensing systems having improved vibration cancelation, and methods of achieving improved vibration cancelation. In one example, an acoustic sensing system includes an acoustic sensor configured to produce a sensor output signal representative of a response of the acoustic sensor to acoustic excitation and vibration excitation, at least one accelerometer configured to provide an acceleration signal responsive to the vibration excitation, and a controller, including an adaptive digital filter, coupled to the acoustic sensor and to the at least one accelerometer, and configured to receive the acceleration signal and to adjust coefficients of the adaptive digital filter so as to minimize coherence between a residual signal and the acceleration signal, the residual signal being a difference between the sensor output signal and a filter output signal from the adaptive digital filter.