Patents by Inventor Michael Fiddy

Michael Fiddy has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10522703
    Abstract: A photovoltaic cell includes a junction, formed from an n-type semiconductor material and a p-type semiconductor material, a trench, opening toward the light-incident side of the junction, for trapping reflected light, and two photon conversion layers. A first photon conversion layer, arranged at the light-incident side of the junction, converts photons from a higher energy to a lower energy suitable for absorption by the semiconductor material, and a second photon conversion layer, arranged at the opposite side of the junction, converts photons from a lower energy to a higher energy suitable for absorption by the semiconductor material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: The University of North Carolina at Charlotte
    Inventors: Mohamad-Ali Hasan, Michael A. Fiddy, Terence A. Goveas
  • Patent number: 10203526
    Abstract: A semiconductor junction may include a first layer and a second layer. The first layer may include a first semiconductor material and the second layer may be deposited on the first layer and may include a second material. The valence band maximum of the second material is higher than a conduction band minimum of the first semiconductor material, thereby allowing a flow of a majority of free carriers across the semiconductor junction between the first and second layers to be diffusive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHARLOTTE
    Inventors: Raphael Tsu, Michael Fiddy, Tsinghua Her
  • Publication number: 20180138341
    Abstract: A photovoltaic cell includes a junction, formed from an n-type semiconductor material and a p-type semiconductor material, a trench, opening toward the light-incident side of the junction, for trapping reflected light, and two photon conversion layers. A first photon conversion layer, arranged at the light-incident side of the junction, converts photons from a higher energy to a lower energy suitable for absorption by the semiconductor material, and a second photon conversion layer, arranged at the opposite side of the junction, converts photons from a lower energy to a higher energy suitable for absorption by the semiconductor material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2018
    Publication date: May 17, 2018
    Inventors: Mohamad-Ali HASAN, Michael A. FIDDY, Terence A. GOVEAS
  • Patent number: 9871158
    Abstract: A photovoltaic cell includes a junction, formed from an n-type semiconductor material and a p-type semiconductor material, a trench, opening toward the light-incident side of the junction, for trapping reflected light, and two photon conversion layers. A first photon conversion layer, arranged at the light-incident side of the junction, converts photons from a higher energy to a lower energy suitable for absorption by the semiconductor material, and a second photon conversion layer, arranged at the opposite side of the junction, converts photons from a lower energy to a higher energy suitable for absorption by the semiconductor material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: The University of North Carolina at Charlotte
    Inventors: Mohamad-Ali Hasan, Michael A. Fiddy, Terence A. Goveas
  • Patent number: 9791618
    Abstract: A hollow-core waveguide structure for guiding an electromagnetic signal, comprising: a core material comprising a predetermined refractive index; and a cladding structure disposed about the core material, wherein the cladding structure has a refractive index that is less than unity; wherein the cladding structure comprises an Epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) metamaterial. The core material comprises air or the like. The cladding structure comprises one of substantially planar sheets disposed about the core material and a substantially tubular structure disposed about the core material. Optionally, the ENZ metamaterial comprises a plurality of nanostructures disposed in a host medium. The plurality of nanostructures comprise a transparent conducting oxide. Alternatively, the cladding structure is manufactured via a self-assembly method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: The University of North Carolina at Charlotte
    Inventors: Hossein Alisafaee, Michael Fiddy
  • Publication number: 20170010484
    Abstract: A semiconductor junction may include a first layer and a second layer. The first layer may include a first semiconductor material and the second layer may be deposited on the first layer and may include a second material. The valence band maximum of the second material is higher than a conduction band minimum of the first semiconductor material, thereby allowing a flow of a majority of free carriers across the semiconductor junction between the first and second layers to be diffusive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2016
    Publication date: January 12, 2017
    Applicant: THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHARLOTTE
    Inventors: Raphael TSU, Michael FIDDY, Tsinghua HER
  • Publication number: 20160363726
    Abstract: A hollow-core waveguide structure for guiding an electromagnetic signal, comprising: a core material comprising a predetermined refractive index; and a cladding structure disposed about the core material, wherein the cladding structure has a refractive index that is less than unity; wherein the cladding structure comprises an Epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) metamaterial. The core material comprises air or the like. The cladding structure comprises one of substantially planar sheets disposed about the core material and a substantially tubular structure disposed about the core material. Optionally, the ENZ metamaterial comprises a plurality of nanostructures disposed in a host medium. The plurality of nanostructures comprise a transparent conducting oxide. Alternatively, the cladding structure is manufactured via a self-assembly method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2014
    Publication date: December 15, 2016
    Applicant: The University Of North Carolina At Charlotte
    Inventors: Hossein ALISAFAEE, Michael FIDDY
  • Patent number: 9360590
    Abstract: A metamaterial-based dispersion compensator includes a plurality of layers arranged in a geometric structure; wherein the plurality of layers comprise engineered metamaterials; wherein the engineered metamaterials and the geometric structure are configured to compensate dispersion across a wavelength spectrum. The metamaterial-based dispersion compensator utilizes a specifically engineered frequency response, in a compact metamaterial form-factor, to correct for naturally occurring and problematic dispersion in physical systems such as in optical communication systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: The University of North Carolina at Charlotte
    Inventors: Hossein Alisafaee, Michael Fiddy
  • Publication number: 20160043258
    Abstract: A photovoltaic cell includes a junction, formed from an n-type semiconductor material and a p-type semiconductor material, a trench, opening toward the light-incident side of the junction, for trapping reflected light, and two photon conversion layers. A first photon conversion layer, arranged at the light-incident side of the junction, converts photons from a higher energy to a lower energy suitable for absorption by the semiconductor material, and a second photon conversion layer, arranged at the opposite side of the junction, converts photons from a lower energy to a higher energy suitable for absorption by the semiconductor material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2015
    Publication date: February 11, 2016
    Inventors: Mohamad-Ali HASAN, Michael A. FIDDY, Terence A. GOVEAS
  • Publication number: 20150331146
    Abstract: A metamaterial-based dispersion compensator includes a plurality of layers arranged in a geometric structure; wherein the plurality of layers comprise engineered metamaterials; wherein the engineered metamaterials and the geometric structure are configured to compensate dispersion across a wavelength spectrum. The metamaterial-based dispersion compensator utilizes a specifically engineered frequency response, in a compact metamaterial form-factor, to correct for naturally occurring and problematic dispersion in physical systems such as in optical communication systems.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2013
    Publication date: November 19, 2015
    Applicant: UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHARLOTTE
    Inventors: Hossein ALISAFAEE, Michael FIDDY
  • Publication number: 20110315219
    Abstract: A photovoltaic cell includes a junction, formed from an n-type semiconductor material and a p-type semiconductor material, a trench, opening toward the light-incident side of the junction, for trapping reflected light, and two photon conversion layers. A first photon conversion layer, arranged at the light-incident side of the junction, converts photons from a higher energy to a lower energy suitable for absorption by the semiconductor material, and a second photon conversion layer, arranged at the opposite side of the junction, converts photons from a lower energy to a higher energy suitable for absorption by the semiconductor material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2010
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Applicant: THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHARLOTTE
    Inventors: Mohamad-Ali Hasan, Michael A. Fiddy, Terence A. Goveas
  • Publication number: 20100134876
    Abstract: A strongly anisotropic photonic crystal structure was designed using form birefringence. It has a low group velocity close to a split band edge (SBE) and large field enhancements proportional to the fourth power of the number of periods are predicted. The structure is used to amplify wireless signals outside and near the structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2009
    Publication date: June 3, 2010
    Inventor: Michael Fiddy
  • Publication number: 20020151774
    Abstract: A non-invasive spectral measurement of a native, diagnostic or treatment component in blood or tissue, illuminates the back of the eye and collects return light that has passed through and been reflected from choroidal or retinal tissue. Spectral analysis detects a retinal tissue state, or detects the level of a blood or serum constituent, which may be a native constituent or a dye, marker or pharmacological agent. Time-resolved or spectral decay monitoring may be used to assess organ functioning, e.g., by administering a serum-carried indicator of uptake, clearance or binding rate for specific organs. Circulating cells or material diagnostic of different conditions may also be detected by spectral analysis, either directly, or by tagging with a suitable label.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2002
    Publication date: October 17, 2002
    Applicant: UMASS/WORCESTER
    Inventors: Babs R. Soller, Bilal Saleh, Edward Chaum, Markus E. Testorf, Michael Fiddy
  • Patent number: 5872648
    Abstract: New on-axis, optically addressable spatial light modulators (SLMs) and methods of use are described. The new SLMs include a film of a photochromic material and a non-polarizing beam splitter arranged such that read and write beams counterpropagate with one another, and the read beam is separated from the path of the write beam after being transmitted through the photochromic material film without losing any polarization information encoded on the read beam. The new SLMs are advantageously implemented in incoherent-to-coherent optical converters and all-optical joint transform correlators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 16, 1999
    Assignee: University of Massachusetts
    Inventors: Julian David Sanchez, Drew A. Pommet, Michael A. Fiddy, Carl W. Lawton