Abstract: A system of sensors associated with a branched conductor of an AC power line using the conductor as the communication medium between different sensors. The communication is carried out at frequencies higher than the powerline frequency. At least one sensor is provided in every branch in the vicinity of every branching point of the conductor. Synchronous measurements are carried out of the root mean square current passing through every branch of the conductor and the direction of energy flow in the branch. Results of the measurements are regularly reported throughout the system. An arrangement is provided for analyzing the results of the measurements to determine the graph topology of the branched conductor and ascertain the distribution of the root mean square current passing through every branch of the graph.

Abstract: A system of sensors associated with a branched conductor of an AC power line using the conductor as the communication medium between different sensors. The communication is carried out at frequencies higher than the powerline frequency. At least one sensor is provided in every branch in the vicinity of every branching point of the conductor. Synchronous measurements are carried out of the root mean square current passing through every branch of the conductor and the direction of energy flow in the branch. Results of the measurements are regularly reported throughout the system. An arrangement is provided for analyzing the results of the measurements to determine the graph topology of the branched conductor and ascertain the distribution of the root mean square current passing through every branch of the graph.

Abstract: A network of sensors is associated with a power distribution network. Sensors are positioned at each connecting line in the vicinity of each node of the power distribution network. The sensors regularly report the following measured data to the central processing unit: a geographical position of each sensor, direction of the energy flow relative to the nearest node; and value of RMS current synchronously measured over the entire network and averaged over chosen averaging period. The central processing unit includes an arrangement for receiving the measured data and using this data for constructing and updating a graph and a state of the power distribution network.

Abstract: A network of sensors is associated with a power distribution network. Sensors are positioned at each connecting line in the vicinity of each node of the power distribution network. The sensors regularly report the following measured data to the central processing unit: a geographical position of each sensor, direction of the energy flow relative to the nearest node; and value of RMS current synchronously measured over the entire network and averaged over chosen averaging period. The central processing unit includes an arrangement for receiving the measured data and using this data for constructing and updating a graph and a state of the power distribution network.

Abstract: A scintillator detector of high-energy radiation comprising a semiconductor slab that is composed of alternating layers of barrier and well material. The barrier and well material layers are direct bandgap semiconductors. Bandgap of the well material is smaller than the bandgap of the barrier material. The combined thickness of the well layers is substantially less than the total thickness of said slab. The thickness of the barrier layers is substantially larger than the diffusion length of minority carriers. The thickness of the well layers is sufficiently large to absorb most of the incident scintillating radiation generated in the barrier layers in response to an ionization event from interaction with an incident high-energy particle.

Abstract: The present invention provides a QCL device with an electrically controlled refractive index through the Stark effect. By changing the electric field in the active area, the energy spacing between the lasing energy levels may be changed and, hence, the effective refractive index in the spectral region near the laser wavelength may be controlled.

Abstract: An article comprising a slab generating scintillation light in response to ionization event and formed with at least two sides. The ionization event is resulted from interaction of high-energy particles within a material of the slab between these sides. A photoreceiver sensitive to the scintillation light is integrated on each side of the slab in an optically-tight fashion. An arrangement is provided for analyzing signals resulted from the ionization event and generated by the photoreceivers. The photoreceivers and the analyzing arrangement are adapted for extracting a position of the ionization event within the slab material relative to the slab sides. A correcting arrangement is provided for correcting the signals and to provide attenuation of the scintillation light.

Abstract: A scintillator detector of high-energy radiation comprising a semiconductor slab that is composed of alternating layers of barrier and well material. The barrier and well material layers are direct bandgap semiconductors. Bandgap of the well material is smaller than the bandgap of the barrier material. The combined thickness of the well layers is substantially less than the total thickness of said slab. The thickness of the barrier layers is substantially larger than the diffusion length of minority carriers. The thickness of the well layers is sufficiently large to absorb most of the incident scintillating radiation generated in the barrier layers in response to an ionization event from interaction with an incident high-energy particle.

Abstract: The present invention provides a QCL device with an electrically controlled refractive index through the Stark effect. By changing the electric field in the active area, the energy spacing between the lasing energy levels may be changed and, hence, the effective refractive index in the spectral region near the laser wavelength may be controlled.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel way of operating sensing elements or bolometers in the resistive hysteresis region of a phase-transitioning VO2 (or doped VO2) films. The invention is based on a novel principle that minor hysteresis loops inside the major loop become single-valued or non-hysteretic for sufficiently small temperature excursions. This single valued R(T) branches being characterized by essentially the same temperature coefficient of resistivity (TCR) as the semiconducting phase at room temperature. These non-hysteretic branches (NHB) can be located close to the metallic-phase end of the major loop, thus providing for tunable resistivity orders of magnitude lower than that of a pure semiconducting phase. Operating the Focal Plan Array in one of these NHBs allows for having high TCR and low resistivity simultaneously.

Abstract: An article comprising a slab generating scintillation light in response to ionization event and formed with at least two sides. The ionization event is resulted from interaction of high-energy particles within a material of the slab between these sides. A photoreceiver sensitive to the scintillation light is integrated on each side of the slab in an optically-tight fashion. An arrangement is provided for analyzing signals resulted from the ionization event and generated by the photoreceivers. The photoreceivers and the analyzing arrangement are adapted for extracting a position of the ionization event within the slab material relative to the slab sides. A correcting arrangement is provided for correcting the signals and to provide attenuation of the scintillation light.

Abstract: The invention provides a design of PIN diode having a low capacitance and a large area of effective collection of photo-generated charge. The low capacitance is obtained by replacing a continuous collector layer in the diode by a sparse array of collector disks interconnected by narrow metallic runners at a different structural level separated from the collector discs by an interlevel dielectric.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel way of operating sensing elements or bolometers in the resistive hysteresis region of a phase-transitioning VO2 (or doped VO2) films. The invention is based on a novel principle that minor hysteresis loops inside the major loop become single-valued or non-hysteretic for sufficiently small temperature excursions. This single valued R(T) branches being characterized by essentially the same temperature coefficient of resistivity (TCR) as the semiconducting phase at room temperature. These non-hysteretic branches (NHB) can be located close to the metallic-phase end of the major loop, thus providing for tunable resistivity orders of magnitude lower than that of a pure semiconducting phase. Operating the Focal Plan Array in one of these NHBs allows for having high TCR and low resistivity simultaneously.

Abstract: A semiconductor light source comprises a substrate, lower and upper claddings, a waveguide region with imbedded active area, and electrical contacts to provide voltage necessary for the wavelength tuning. The active region includes single or several heterojunction periods sandwiched between charge accumulation layers. Each of the active region periods comprises higher and lower affinity semiconductor layers with type-II band alignment. The charge carrier accumulation in the charge accumulation layers results in electric field build-up and leads to the formation of generally triangular electron and hole potential wells in the higher and lower affinity layers. Nonequillibrium carriers can be created in the active region by means of electrical injection or optical pumping. The ground state energy in the triangular wells and the radiation wavelength can be tuned by changing the voltage drop across the active region.

Abstract: Uniaxially patterned (UAP) dielectric layers have an optical anisotropy that can be dynamically controlled. In a three-layer optical waveguide structure, the pattern can be included in the core or in a cladding layer. The pattern influences the polarization properties of radiation propagating in the structure. Predicated on the effect are devices such as a polarization-insensitive amplifier, a polarizer, an optically controlled polarization switch, and an optically controlled modal coupler.

Abstract: The invention provides a design of PIN diode having a low capacitance and a large area of effective collection of photo-generated charge. The low capacitance is obtained by replacing a continuous collector layer in the diode by a sparse array of collector disks interconnected by narrow metallic runners at a different structural level separated from the collector discs by an interlevel dielectric.

Abstract: A multilayer semiconductor scintillator is disclosed for detection, energy quantification, and determination to source of high-energy radiation, such as gamma or X-ray photons or other particles that produce ionizing interaction in semiconductors. The basic embodiment of the inventive detector comprises a multiplicity of stacked direct-gap compound semiconductor wafers, such as InP and GaAs, each wafer heavily doped n-type so as to maximize its transparency to scintillating radiation. Each wafer is further endowed with surface means for detection of said scintillating radiation, such a hetero-epitaxial p-i-n photodiode. In a preferred embodiment, the photodiode layer in each wafer is pixellated so as to provide the x and y coordinates of an ionizing interaction event.

Abstract: Uniaxially patterned (UAP) dielectric layers have an optical anisotropy that can be dynamically controlled. In a three-layer optical waveguide structure, the pattern can be included in the core or in a cladding layer. The pattern influences the polarization properties of radiation propagating in the structure. Predicated on the effect are devices such as a polarization-insensitive amplifier, a polarizer, an optically controlled polarization switch, and an optically controlled modal coupler.

Abstract: An anisotropically conductive layer ‘ACL’ for mechanical and electrical bonding of two circuit containing structures, such as a flip chip and carrier is disclosed. The ACL is formed of a rigid insulating substrate or membrane with a top and bottom planar surfaces formed with a plurality of pins therein. The pins extend beyond the top and bottom surfaces so that a portion of each pin is exposed. The pins provide electrical connection between contact terminals or pads of the flip chip and carrier and additionally provide mechanical support between the flip chip and carrier so that the flip chip can undergo post-bonding processing without substantial deformation or breaking. A method of electrically and mechanically bonding the flip chip and carrier and a method of making a semiconductor device using the ACL is also disclosed.

Abstract: Intersubband semiconductor lasers (ISLs) are of great interest for mid-infrared (2-20 ?m) device applications. These semiconductor devices have a wide range of applications from pollution detection and industrial monitoring to military functions. ISLs have generally encountered several problems which include slow intrawell intersubband relaxation times due to the large momentum transfer and small wave-function overlap of the initial and final electron states in interwell transitions. Overall, the ISL's of the prior art are subject to weak intersubband population inversion. The semiconductor device of the present invention provides optimal intersubband population inversion by providing a double quantum well active region in the semiconductor device. This region allows for small momentum transfer in the intersubband electron-phonon resonance with the substantial wave-function overlap characteristic of the intersubband scattering.