Abstract: A power generation system utilizes an electromagnetic tether having a three conductor, coaxial configuration which allows the circuit to be closed internal to two orbiting objects. An outer cylinder of the tether is a conductor which is used to cut or pass through the earth's magnetic field to produce a voltage output. A cylinder within the outer cylinder is made of a metal such as soft iron and is used to shield a central conductor from the earth's magnetic field. The two outer cylinders are insulated from the center conductor except at one of the tethered objects where they are electrically connected. This causes the end of the center conductor to be at the same electrical potential as the tethered object when there is an infinite load. Useful power is produced at the other object, which may be a space ship, when a switch is closed and the potential is between the outer cylinder and the center conductor.

Abstract: This device is an all-optical digital architecture for carrying out compuions. Residue number system addition and multiplication tables are produced on an optically-addressable plane composed of optically bistable material. The plane of optically bistable material devices represents a residue number system addition or multiplication tables and is addressed by two intersecting signal beams from the top and a bias beam from the bottom. A combination of two signal beams exceeds the material transmission threshold in the intersection region letting bias light emerge as a position encoded signal beam.