Abstract: A method of fabricating a conductive yarn comprising a plurality of filaments, the method comprising the steps of: (a) applying a reducing agent solution to the treated surface; and (b) applying a metal ion solution to the treated at least one of the lurality of filaments. The method comprising a further step of treating the surface of the at least one of the plurality of filaments with a hydrophilic agent before performing steps (a) and (b).

Abstract: A fiber-optic sensing apparatus, system, and method for characterizing at least one metal ion in a solution are provided. The sensing apparatus includes a fiber-optic sensor and a controller. The sensor includes an optical fiber with tilted grating in its core, and includes a conductive and surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-active coating assembly that allows the sensor to also serve as an electrochemical working electrode. The controller is electrically connected with the sensor, configured to provide an adjustable potential such that when the coating assembly is in contact with the solution, redox reactions of each of the at least one metal ion occur on an outer surface thereof, resulting in a detectable change of the surface plasmon waves generated in the fiber-optic sensor. Based on the change thus detected, identities and/or concentration of the at least one metal ion in the solution can be determined with high accuracy and sensitivity.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for aligning layers in fabricating a multilayer printable electronic device. The method entails providing a transparent substrate upon which a first metal layer is deposited, providing a transparent functional layer over the first metal layer, depositing metal nano particles over the functional layer to form a second metal layer, exposing the metal nano particles to intense pulsed light via an underside of the substrate to partially sinter exposed particles to the functional layer whereby the first metal layer acts as a photo mask, and washing away unexposed particles using a solvent to leave partially sintered metal nano particles on the substrate.

Abstract: A stretchable and/or flexible conductive ink has conductive particles admixed with a binder comprising a neoprene. The mass of the conductive particles in the ink is in a range of 6.0 to 10.4 times greater than the mass of the neoprene in the ink. When deposited on a substrate, the ink provides suitably stretchable and flexible conductive elements. The conductive elements may be stretchable, flexible electronic and/or thermal devices.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for aligning layers in fabricating a multilayer printable electronic device. The method entails providing a transparent substrate upon which a first metal layer is deposited, providing a transparent functional layer over the first metal layer, depositing metal nano particles over the functional layer to form a second metal layer, exposing the metal nano particles to intense pulsed light via an underside of the substrate to partially sinter exposed particles to the functional layer whereby the first metal layer acts as a photo mask, and washing away unexposed particles using a solvent to leave partially sintered metal nano particles on the substrate.

Abstract: A process for depositing a metal on a substrate involves the use of two reduction reactions in a bottom-up based tandem manner starting from a substrate surface and working upward. A first reduction reaction starts on the substrate surface at ambient temperature, and a second reduction reaction, which is initiated by the reaction heat of the first reduction reaction, occurs in a reactive ink solution film coated on top, which becomes solid after the reaction. Gas and other small molecules generated from the reduction reactions, and the solvent, can readily escape through the upper surface of the film before the solid metal layer is formed or during post-treatment, with no or few voids left in the metal film. Thus, the process can be used to form highly conductive films and features at ambient temperature on various substrates.

Abstract: A process for depositing a metal on a substrate involves the use of two reduction reactions in a bottom-up based tandem manner starting from a substrate surface and working upward. A first reduction reaction starts on the substrate surface at ambient temperature, and a second reduction reaction, which is initiated by the reaction heat of the first reduction reaction, occurs in a reactive ink solution film coated on top, which becomes solid after the reaction. Gas and other small molecules generated from the reduction reactions, and the solvent, can readily escape through the upper surface of the film before the solid metal layer is formed or during post-treatment, with no or few voids left in the metal film. Thus, the process can be used to form highly conductive films and features at ambient temperature on various substrates.

Abstract: A process for improving a property of a conductive ink track on a substrate involves applying heat and pressure above a glass transition temperature of the binder to a conductive ink track deposited on a first surface of a substrate, while maintaining a second surface of the substrate at a temperature below a glass transition temperature, a melting temperature or a degradation temperature of the substrate. In particular, electrical conductivity of the track is improved. The process is particularly useful for producing electronic devices, for example electrical circuits, sensors, antennae (e.g.

Abstract: A compact interrogator for the simultaneous interrogation of multi wavelength-modulated fiber optical sensors, includes a planar waveguide based demultiplexer receiving input signals from the sensors. An array of detectors is coupled to output waveguides of the demultiplexer corresponding to different nominal wavelengths. A tuning element matches the nominal wavelengths of the output waveguide to the input signals from the respective sensors to find the wavelengths of the individual sensors to be interrogated.

Abstract: A compact interrogator for the simultaneous interrogation of multi wavelength-modulated fiber optical sensors, includes a planar waveguide based demultiplexer receiving input signals from the sensors. An array of detectors is coupled to output waveguides of the demultiplexer corresponding to different nominal wavelengths. A tuning element matches the nominal wavelengths of the output waveguide to the input signals from the respective sensors to find the wavelengths of the individual sensors to be interrogated.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for real time measuring of an optical signal to noise ration (OSNR) of an optical channel is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a fiber Bragg grating for reflecting a signal component of the optical channel and for transmitting a noise component of the optical channel therethrough. Two photodetectors are provided disposed at two ends of the fiber Bragg grating for detecting a fraction of the reflected signal component and the transmitted noise component respectively. Electrical outputs of the photodetectors are communicated to a microprocessor for determining the OSNR. The invention provides a simple, compact, reliable, relatively fast and inexpensive technique to monitor OSNR.

Abstract: Polarization-mode dispersion (PMD) of an optical device, i.e. fiber or component is effected by launching a first pump laser beam of a fixed wavelength, a probe laser beam with a second fixed wavelength and a second pump laser beam having a variable wavelength and a polarization direction orthogonal to the other two beams into an optical device to generate three output signals which are input into a semiconductor optical amplifier to generate four-wave mixing (FWM) products. The average PMD of the device is computed by measuring the power of the FWM products versus the wavelength of the second pump laser beam.

Abstract: An integrated optical dynamic channel equalizer that can be employed to equalize the channel gain level in a WDM transmission line and monitor the optical channel performance. The device consists of a circulator, a dynamic gain equalizer chip and a controller. Due to the simplicity of the dynamic gain equalizer chip, which includes one 1×n multiplexer/demultiplexer, an n-channel variable optical attenuator array (VOA-n), a partially transparent dielectric reflective means and an n-channel detector array, the device is very compact and can be fabricated at low cost. By placing a quarter wave plate between the n-channel variable optical attenuator array and the partially transparent reflective means in the dynamic channel equalizer chip, the device can be rendered polarization insensitive.

Abstract: An integrated optical dynamic channel equalizer that can be employed to equalize the channel gain level in a WDM transmission line and monitor the optical channel performance. The device consists of a circulator, a dynamic gain equalizer chip and a controller. Due to the simplicity of the dynamic gain equalizer chip, which includes one 1×n multiplexer/demultiplexer, an n-channel variable optical attenuator array (VOA-n), a partially transparent dielectric reflective means and an n-channel detector array, the device is very compact and can be fabricated at low cost. By placing a quarter wave plate between the n-channel variable optical attenuator array and the partially transparent reflective means in the dynamic channel equalizer chip, the device can be rendered polarization insensitive.

Abstract: An organic-inorganic hybrid surface adhesion promoter having the general formula, A-B, wherein A is hydrolyzed and polycondensed from a trioxysilane R-Si(OR′)3 or its mixture with one or two more silanes, where R′ is methyl, ethyl or propyl, and where R is an organic group of methacrylate, epoxy, amine, isolyante, hydroxide or non-halogens or halogens containing alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkylary or arylalky, and wherein B is hydrolyzed and polycondensed from an alkoxy silane, chloride silane, or alkoxy or chloride metal compound, whereby B reacts with a substrate to form a uniting group which is selected from the group consisting of Si—O—Si, M-O-M, M-O—S and Si—O-M, M being a metal atom.

Abstract: Deuterium oxide, D2O, also called heavy water, is used for the hydrolysis of silanes and metal compounds. The D2O-hydrolyzed silanes polycondense much easier than H2O-hydrolyzed silanes, resulting in a fast Si—O—Si network build up. The most important feature of using D2O is that the final materials are 100% free of O—H and the residual O—D bond does not have an absorption peak in the wavelength range of 1.0 to 1.8 &mgr;m, which is crucial in reducing optical loss at the wavelengths of 1.3 and especially 1.55 &mgr;m. O—H free sol-gel materials with low optical loss have been developed based on this process. D2O may be applied in all kinds of hydrolysis-processes, such as the sol-gel process of silanes and metal compounds, the synthesis of polysiloxane, and may be extended to other silica and metal-oxides deposition processes for example, flame hydrolysis deposition (FHD) whenever water is used or O—H bond involved.