Abstract: Acoustic transducers generate and receive acoustic signals at multiple locations along a surface of rigid structure, wherein longitudinal spacing between transducer locations define measurement zones. Acoustic signals with chosen amplitude-time-frequency characteristics excite multiple vibration modes in the structure within each zone. Small mechanical changes in inspection zones lead to scattering and attenuation of broadband acoustic signals, which are detectable as changes in received signal characteristics as part of a through-transmission technique. Additional use of short, narrowband pulse acoustic signals as part of a pulse-echo technique allows determination of the relative location of the mechanical change within each zone based on the differential delay profiles. For accurate acoustic modeling and simulation, the mesh size, time step, time delay, and time-window size are optimized.

Abstract: Methods for detection, monitoring, and determination of location of changes in rigid structures with arbitrarily complex geometries are described. Implementations include locating acoustic transducers that generate and receive acoustic signals at multiple locations along a surface of the rigid structure, wherein longitudinal spacing between the transducer locations define measurement zones. Acoustic signals with chosen amplitude-time-frequency characteristics excite multiple vibration modes in the structure within each zone. Small mechanical changes in the inspection zones lead to scattering and attenuation of broadband acoustic signals, which are detectable as changes in received signal characteristics as part of a through-transmission technique. Additional use of short, narrowband pulse acoustic signals as part of a pulse-echo technique allows determination of the relative location of the mechanical change within each zone based on the differential delay profiles.

Abstract: Methods for detecting and monitoring changes in mechanical structures and in walls of pipes, vessels and storage tanks, using muitimode acoustic signal propagation and detection, are described. Acoustic signals having chosen amplitude-time-frequency characteristics excite multiple modes in the structure under investigation, are generated and received at a small number of accessible locations, such as the ends of pipes and the tops and bottoms of vessels and storage tanks, with the inspection region between transmit and receive transducers. Small mechanical changes lead to acoustic scattering and attenuation among the various modes, which are detectable as changes in received signal intensity. Such changes may include material loss, material conversion and material addition. Once the structure is characterized in a known condition, the present method may be used to monitor the structure at a later time to determine whether changes have taken place.

Abstract: Methods for detection, monitoring, and determination of location of changes in rigid structures with arbitrarily complex geometries are described. Implementations include locating acoustic transducers that generate and receive acoustic signals at multiple locations along a surface of the rigid structure, wherein longitudinal spacing between the transducer locations define measurement zones. Acoustic signals with chosen amplitude-time-frequency characteristics excite multiple vibration modes in the structure within each zone. Small mechanical changes in the inspection zones lead to scattering and attenuation of broadband acoustic signals, which are detectable as changes in received signal characteristics as part of a through-transmission technique. Additional use of short, narrowband pulse acoustic signals as part of a pulse-echo technique allows determination of the relative location of the mechanical change within each zone based on the differential delay profiles.

Abstract: Methods for detecting and monitoring changes in mechanical structures and in walls of pipes, vessels and storage tanks, using muitimode acoustic signal propagation and detection, are described. Acoustic signals having chosen amplitude-time-frequency characteristics excite multiple modes in the structure under investigation, are generated and received at a small number of accessible locations, such as the ends of pipes and the tops and bottoms of vessels and storage tanks, with the inspection region between transmit and receive transducers. Small mechanical changes lead to acoustic scattering and attenuation among the various modes, which are detectable as changes in received signal intensity. Such changes may include material loss, material conversion and material addition. Once the structure is characterized in a known condition, the present method may be used to monitor the structure at a later time to determine whether changes have taken place.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for applying electric fields at specific amplitudes, gradients, and frequencies for separating oil and water from emulsions thereof, are described. Significant reduction of water concentration in stable water-in-crude oil emulsions having high (>65%) as well as low (<3%) water-cuts has been demonstrated. The apparatus does not require pre-heating of the emulsions or addition of chemicals thereto, and can be stand-alone or functionally integrated with other processes, such as mechanical or gravitational separation technologies. The apparatus may be adapted to small-volume and narrow-space environments, such as pipes.

Abstract: A simplified architecture for a superconducting coated conductor is provided and includes a substrate, a layer of titanium nitride directly upon the substrate, the layer of titanium nitride deposited by ion beam assisted deposition (IBAD), a layer of a buffer material having chemical and structural compatibility with said layer of titanium nitride, the buffer material layer directly upon the IBAD-titanium nitride layer, and a layer of a high temperature superconductive material such as YBCO.

Abstract: Semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) are promising materials for applications in photovoltaic (PV) structures that could benefit from size-controlled tunability of absorption spectra, the ease of realization of various tandem architectures, and perhaps, increased conversion efficiency in the ultraviolet through carrier multiplication. The first practical step toward utilization of the unique properties of NCs in PV technologies could be through their integration into traditional silicon-based solar cells. Here, we demonstrate an example of such hybrid PV structures that combine colloidal NCs with amorphous silicon. In these structures, NCs and silicon are electronically coupled, and the regime of this coupling can be tuned by altering the alignment of NC states with regard to silicon band edges. For example, using wide-gap CdSe NCs we demonstrate a photoresponse which is exclusively due to the NCs.

Abstract: A semiconducting structure having a glass substrate. In one embodiment, the glass substrate has a softening temperature of at least about 750° C. The structure includes a nucleation layer formed on a surface of the substrate, a template layer deposited on the nucleation layer by one of ion assisted beam deposition and reactive ion beam deposition, at least on biaxially oriented buffer layer epitaxially deposited on the template layer, and a biaxially oriented semiconducting layer epitaxially deposited on the buffer layer. A method of making the semiconducting structure is also described.

Abstract: A template article including a base substrate including: (i) a base material selected from the group consisting of polycrystalline substrates and amorphous substrates, and (ii) at least one layer of a differing material upon the surface of the base material; and, a buffer material layer upon the base substrate, the buffer material layer characterized by: (a) low chemical reactivity with the base substrate, (b) stability at temperatures up to at least about 800° C.

Abstract: A method for a new universal nucleation-layer/diffusion barrier, which is based on amorphous films of Si—O and Si—N for ion-beam-assisted deposition (IBAD) process. Unlike other nucleation layers that were used in the past, this process works on a variety of substrates (glass, Hastelloy tape, Cu), with varying surface roughness, and with a wide range of thickness. In addition, this new material system of Si—O (and Si—N) is ideally suited for oxide (and nitride) based multilayer stacks. As importantly, the flexibility in nucleation layer thickness allows the nucleation layer to be an effective diffusion barrier, and to be grown at room temperature, while the IBAD layer and subsequent epitaxial layers can be grown much thinner than usual.

Abstract: A semiconducting structure having a glass substrate. In one embodiment, the glass substrate has a softening temperature of at least about 750° C. The structure includes a nucleation layer formed on a surface of the substrate, a template layer deposited on the nucleation layer by one of ion assisted beam deposition and reactive ion beam deposition, at least on biaxially oriented buffer layer epitaxially deposited on the template layer, and a biaxially oriented semiconducting layer epitaxially deposited on the buffer layer. A method of making the semiconducting structure is also described.

Abstract: A conductive layer for biaxially oriented semiconductor film growth and a thin film semiconductor structure such as, for example, a photodetector, a photovoltaic cell, or a light emitting diode (LED) that includes a crystallographically oriented semiconducting film disposed on the conductive layer. The thin film semiconductor structure includes: a substrate; a first electrode deposited on the substrate; and a semiconducting layer epitaxially deposited on the first electrode. The first electrode includes a template layer deposited on the substrate and a buffer layer epitaxially deposited on the template layer. The template layer includes a first metal nitride that is electrically conductive and has a rock salt crystal structure, and the buffer layer includes a second metal nitride that is electrically conductive. The semiconducting layer is epitaxially deposited on the buffer layer. A method of making such a thin film semiconductor structure is also described.

Abstract: Dynamic time expansion or compression of a small-amplitude input signal generated with an initial scale is performed using a nonlinear waveguide. A nonlinear waveguide having a variable refractive index is connected to a bias voltage source having a bias signal amplitude that is large relative to the input signal to vary the reflective index and concomitant speed of propagation of the nonlinear waveguide and an electrical circuit for applying the small-amplitude signal and the large amplitude bias signal simultaneously to the nonlinear waveguide. The large amplitude bias signal with the input signal alters the speed of propagation of the small-amplitude signal with time in the nonlinear waveguide to expand or contract the initial time scale of the small-amplitude input signal.

Abstract: A dielectric composite material comprising at least two crystal phases of different components with TiO2 as a first component and a material selected from the group consisting of Ba1−xSrxTiO3 where x is from 0.3 to 0.7, Pb1−xCaxTiO3 where x is from 0.4 to 0.7, Sr1−xPbxTiO3 where x is from 0.2 to 0.4, Ba1−xCdxTiO3 where x is from 0.02 to 0.1, BaTi1−xZrxO3 where x is from 0.2 to 0.3, BaTi1−xSnxO3 where x is from 0.15 to 0.3, BaTi1−xHfxO3 where x is from 0.24 to 0.3, Pb1−1.3xLaxTiO3+0.2x where x is from 0.23 to 0.3, (BaTiO3)x(PbFeo0.5Nb0.5O3)1−x where x is from 0.75 to 0.9, (PbTiO3)−(PbCo0.5W0.5O3)1−x where x is from 0.1 to 0.45, (PbTiO3)x(PbMg0.5W0.5O3)1−x where x is from 0.2 to 0.4, and (PbTiO3)x(PbFe0.5Ta0.5O3)1−x where x is from 0 to 0.2, as the second component is described. The dielectric composite material can be formed as a thin film upon suitable substrates.

Abstract: A dielectric composite material comprising at least two crystal phases of different components with TiO2 as a first component and a material selected from the group consisting of Ba1−xSrxTiO3 where x is from 0.3 to 0.7, Pb1−xCaxTiO3 where x is from 0.4 to 0.7, Sr1−xPbxTiO3 where x is from 0.2 to 0.4, Ba1−xCdxTiO3 where x is from 0.02 to 0.1, BaTi1−xZrxO3 where x is from 0.2 to 0.3, BaTi1−xSnxO3 where x is from 0.15 to 0.3, BaTi1−xHfxO3 where x is from 0.24 to 0.3, Pb1-1.3xLaxTiO3+0.2x where x is from 0.23 to 0.3, (BaTiO3)x(PbFe0.5Nb0.5O3)1−x where x is from 0.75 to 0.9, (PbTiO3)x(PbCo0.5W0.5O3)1−x where x is from 0.1 to 0.45, (PbTiO3)x(PbMg0.5W0.5O3)1−x where x is from 0.2 to 0.4, and (PbTiO3)x(PbFe0.5Ta0.5O3)1−x where x is from 0 to 0.2, as the second component is described. The dielectric composite material can be formed as a thin film upon suitable substrates.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the localized electrical fine tuning of passive multiple element microwave or RF devices in which a nonlinear dielectric material is deposited onto predetermined areas of a substrate containing the device. An appropriate electrically conductive material is deposited over predetermined areas of the nonlinear dielectric and the signal line of the device for providing electrical contact with the nonlinear dielectric. Individual, adjustable bias voltages are applied to the electrically conductive material allowing localized electrical fine tuning of the devices. The method of the present invention can be applied to manufactured devices, or can be incorporated into the design of the devices so that it is applied at the time the devices are manufactured. The invention can be configured to provide localized fine tuning for devices including but not limited to coplanar waveguides, slotline devices, stripline devices, and microstrip devices.

Abstract: A thin film structure including a lanthanum aluminum oxide substrate, a thin layer of homoepitaxial lanthanum aluminum oxide thereon, and a layer of a nonlinear dielectric material thereon the thin layer of homoepitaxial lanthanum aluminum oxide is provided together with microwave and electro-optical devices including such a thin film structure.

Abstract: A superconducting active lumped component for microwave device application including a dielectric substrate, a first superconducting portion of an oxide superconductor provided on said dielectric substrate, an insulator layer formed on the first superconducting portion and a second conductive portion arranged on the insulator layer in which the conductivity of the first superconducting electrode and the dielectric property of the insulator layer can be changed by a dc bias voltage applied between the first and the second conductive portion so that capacitance and/or inductance and/or microwave resistance can be changed.

Abstract: A joint device structure for capacitive microwave coupling of a superconducting device arranged on a substrate with room temperature circuitry; including a superconducting wave guide of an oxide superconductor on said substrate from one side to the superconducting device launching microwave to the superconducting device, a pair of superconducting groundplanes of an oxide superconductor arranged at an end of the superconducting wave guide sandwiching the end of the superconducting wave guide with a little gap and a microwave probe-head connected to the room temperature circuitry arranged above the superconducting wave guide with a coupling gap having three probing pins corresponding to the superconducting wave guide and the superconducting groundplanes.