Elimination of scan blindness with compact defected ground structures in microstrip phased array

A compact H-shaped defected ground structure (DGS) is applied to reduce the mutual coupling between array elements and eliminate the scan blindness in a microstrip phased array design. The proposed DGS is inserted between the adjacent E-plane coupled elements in the array to suppress the pronounced surface waves. A two-element array is measured and the results show that a reduction in mutual coupling of 12 dB is obtained between elements at the operation frequency of the array. The scan properties of microstrip phased arrays with and without DGS are studied by the waveguide simulator method. The analysis indicates that the scan blindness of the microstrip phased array can be well eliminated because of the effect of the proposed DGS. Meanwhile, the active patterns of the array centre element in 7 x 3 element arrays with and without the H-shaped DGS are simulated, and the results agree with those obtained by the waveguide simulator method.     

一种均匀线阵互耦校正算法

旋转不变子空间(Estimating Signal Parameters via Rotational Invariance Techniques,ESPRIT)算法是空间谱估计中的典型算法,但是阵列互耦会严重影响ESPRIT算法的测向性能。将均匀线阵划分为冗余阵元和有效中心阵元,对有效中心阵元利用ESPRIT算法估计出校正源方位角,结合冗余阵元信息估计出互耦系数阵。计算机仿真显示该算法在互耦自由度为2或3时均有效,算法还从仿真角度研究了幅度和相位误差对算法性能的影响。该算法校正时只需单个未知方位校正源,是一种操作简单的均匀线阵互耦校正算法。     

A New Approach for Optimization of Wavelength Multiplexers with Phased Waveguide Arrays by Use of the Beam Propagation Method

An approach to the optimization of wavelength multiplexers with phased waveguide arrays is presented. It is based on a simulation of the structure by the beam propagation method. The approach takes into account not only the symmetry of the structure but also the perturbations due to both emitted radiation and coupling between the waveguides at the ends of the phased waveguide array. Low-loss cosine-shaped bends are used. Both the design principles and the optimization of real wavelength multiplexers are described. The optimized multiplexers, based on silica waveguides on a silicon substrate, have sizes of about 50 mm 2 30 mm, fibre-to-fibre losses of 1–2 dB and cross-talk values between m 40 and m 29 dB.     

Feasibility of using ultrasound phased arrays for MRI monitorednoninvasive surgery

The purpose of this paper was to evaluate the in vivo feasibility of using phased arrays for MRI guided ultrasound surgery. Two different array concepts were investigated: a spherically curved concentric ring array to move the focus along the central axis and a spherically curved 16 square element array to make the focus larger. Rabbit thigh muscles were exposed in vivo in a 1.5 T MRI scanner to evaluate the array performance. The results showed that both of the arrays performed as expected, and the focus could be moved and enlarged. In addition, adequate power could be delivered from the arrays to necrose in vivo muscle tissue in 10 s. This study was the first implementation of phased arrays for MRI guided ultrasound surgery. The results demonstrate that phased arrays have significant potential for noninvasive tissue coagulation     

Coupling and cross-talk effects in 12-15 microm diameter single-mode fiber arrays for simultaneous transmission and photon collection from scattering media

We examine signal degradation effects in fiber arrays from fiber-to-fiber coupling and from cross talk attributable to backscatter from the sample medium originating from adjacent fibers in the array. An analysis of coupling and cross talk for single-mode fibers (SMFs) operating at 1310 nm with different core diameters, interaction lengths, core center spacing, and numerical apertures (NAs) is evaluated. The coupling was evaluated using beam propagation algorithms and cross talk was analyzed by using Monte Carlo methods. Several multimode fiber types that are currently used in fiber image guides were also evaluated for comparative purposes. The analysis shows that an optimum NA and core diameter can be found for a specific fiber center separation that maximizes the directly backscattered signal relative to the cross talk. The coupling between fibers can be kept less than -35 dB for interaction lengths less than 5 mm. The calculations were compared to an experimentally fabricated SMF array with 15 microm center spacing and showed good agreement. The experimental fiber array without a lens was also used in a coherent detection configuration to measure the position of a mirror. Accurate depth ranging up to a distance of 250 microm from the tip of the fiber was achieved, which was five times the Rayleigh range of the beam emitted from the fiber.     

Diagnostic of phased arrays with faulty elements using the mutual coupling method

The ability to calibrate phased array antennas by utilising the mutual coupling method (MCM), which takes advantage of the mutual coupling effect between adjacent elements, is addressed. The basic assumption of the method is that the mutual coupling between adjacent elements is equal for all elements in the array and its major deficiency is its failure in the case of faulty elements. A parametric study to identify the effect of faulty elements in the array has been conducted. It has been shown that displacement of one element in the array may cause a significant error in the calibration, which affects its radiation characteristics (increase in the far side lobe level). The main contribution is the presentation of the effect of faulty elements in the calibration process and the proposal of a way to detect and bypass the faulty elements in a phased array calibrated by the MCM.     

基于相控阵激光超声的裂纹衍射增强试验研究

针对超声衍射时差法(TOFD)存在检测精度较差、区域检测可靠性不够和信号信噪比(signal-to-noise ratio, SNR)低等问题,提出了一种基于光纤皮秒激光器和高速旋转镜的相控阵激光超声裂纹检测方法。利用有限元方法模拟热弹机制,建立二维瞬态激光超声力-固耦合模型产生横波与纵波在缺陷处发生的衍射现象,分析了裂纹尖端不同奇异点、声波不同中心频率和相控阵激励源不同位置对声波衍射的影响,通过衍射信号的信噪比和位移幅值两个计算指标来分析变化规律,并进行了试验验证。结果表明:数值模拟与试验结果有较好的一致性,相控阵激光源较传统单束激光源对衍射信号幅值和信噪比有明显的增强作用,纵波衍射信号信噪比较理想;衍射信号幅值随裂纹尖端奇异点增加和声波中心频率减小而增大;信噪比随尖端奇异点增加而增大,随声波中心频率一定范围增加无明显变化,随激光源距离的增加呈现先增加后减小的趋势;缺陷定量分析时计算出的裂纹长度与实际裂纹的误差均不超过6.8%。     

线阵换能器阵元宽度对主瓣半功率点宽度的影响

文章考虑了阵元宽度对主瓣半功率点宽度的影响,并与忽略阵元宽度的线列阵的情况进行了比较。结果表明:阵元宽度对主瓣半功率点宽度的影响非常有限,而且不同的阵元宽度造成的半功率点宽度之间的差异也很小。因此,在简化的情况下,可以用均匀的线列阵来取代实际相控阵进行计算。     

Large improvement of the electrical impedance of imaging and high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) phased arrays using multilayer piezoelectric ceramics coupled in lateral mode

With a change in phased-array configuration from one dimension to two, the electrical impedance of the array elements is substantially increased because of their decreased width (w)-to-thickness (t) ratio. The most common way to compensate for this impedance increase is to employ electrical matching circuits at a high cost of fabrication complexity and effort. In this paper, we introduce a multilayer lateral-mode coupling method for phased-array construction. The direct comparison showed that the electrical impedance of a single-layer transducer driven in thickness mode is 1/(n2(1/(w/t))2) times that of an n-layer lateral mode transducer. A large reduction of the electrical impedance showed the impact and benefit of the lateral-mode coupling method. A one-dimensional linear 32-element 770-kHz imaging array and a 42-element 1.45-MHz high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) phased array were fabricated. The averaged electrical impedances of each element were measured to be 58 Ω at the maximum phase angle of -1.2° for the imaging array and 105 Ω at 0° for the HIFU array. The imaging array had a center frequency of 770 kHz with an averaged -6-dB bandwidth of approximately 52%. For the HIFU array, the averaged maximum surface acoustic intensity was measured to be 32.8 W/cm2 before failure.     

Application of metric tensors to conformal arrays

Using the metric tensor g ^{the author derives the scattering parameters appearing in the field equations of the uniform theory of diffraction (UTD). The method presented allows us to derive these field parameters in terms of tensors whose general form can be applied to high-frequency electromagnetic scattering problems or more specifically to the analysis of conformal arrays. All the parameters in the field solutions are related to the array manifold properties that are derived via the use of the metric tensor are shown. The expressions for the Frenet-field tensors and the generalised Fock parameter and the shortest path propagated by the fields along the array manifold using the metric tensor in the calculus of variations are determined. The method enables UTD mutual coupling calculations to be performed for various phased array manifolds.}     

Performance analysis of multiple-input multiple-output orthogonal frequency division multiplexing systems under the influence of antenna mutual coupling effect

The effect of antenna mutual coupling on signal correlation and bit error rate (BER) of a multiple-input multiple-output orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (MIMO-OFDM) system has been modelled. A MIMOOFDM model with correlated channels is presented. The correlation matrices are determined with the antenna mutual coupling taken into account. The effect of antenna mutual coupling is characterised using the receiving and transmitting mutual impedances. A rigorous expression for the BER of the system employing quadrature phase-shift keying digital modulation is derived. A 2 x 2 MIMO-OFDM system using the Alamouti space?time block code for OFDM symbol transmission over 64 sub-channels spanning a 20 MHz band centred at 5.2 GHz is simulated. The simulated results show that the antenna mutual coupling has a significant effect on the BER performance, especially when the spacing between the antenna elements is small.     

Ultrasound Transducer and System for Real-Time Simultaneous Therapy and Diagnosis for Noninvasive Surgery of Prostate Tissue

For noninvasive treatment of prostate tissue using high-intensity focused ultrasound this paper proposes a design of an integrated multifunctional confocal phased array (IMCPA) and a strategy to perform both imaging and therapy simultaneously with this array. IMCPA is composed of triplerow phased arrays: a 6-MHz array in the center row for imaging and two 4-MHz arrays in the outer rows for therapy. Different types of piezoelectric materials and stack configurations may be employed to maximize their respective functionalities, i.e., therapy and imaging. Fabrication complexity of IMCPA may be reduced by assembling already constructed arrays. In IMCPA, reflected therapeutic signals may corrupt the quality of imaging signals received by the center-row array. This problem can be overcome by implementing a coded excitation approach and/or a notch filter when B-mode images are formed during therapy. The 13-bit Barker code, which is a binary code with unique autocorrelation properties, is preferred for implementing coded excitation, although other codes may also be used. From both Field II simulation and experimental results, we verified whether these remedial approaches would make it feasible to simultaneously carry out imaging and therapy by IMCPA. The results showed that the 13-bit Barker code with 3 cycles per bit provided acceptable performances. The measured -6 dB and -20 dB range mainlobe widths were 0.52 mm and 0.91 mm, respectively, and a range sidelobe level was measured to be -48 dB regardless of whether a notch filter was used. The 13-bit Barker code with 2 cycles per bit yielded -6 dB and -20 dB range mainlobe widths of 0.39 mm and 0.67 mm. Its range sidelobe level was found to be -40 dB after notch filtering. These results indicate the feasibility of the proposed transducer design and system for real-time imaging during therapy.     

Evaluation of the radiation pattern of a split aperture linear phased array for high frequency imaging

Developing transducer arrays for high frequency medical imaging is complicated because of the extremely small size and spacing of the array elements. For example, a 50 MHz linear phased array requires a center-to-center spacing of only 15 mum (one-half wavelength in water) to avoid the formation of grating lobes in the radiation pattern of the array. Fabricating an array with these dimensions is difficult using conventional technology. A split aperture design that permits much larger element spacing (3 to 4 times) while avoiding the formation of grating lobes is described. The 3-D radiation pattern of a 1.9x1.4 mm, 50-MHz split aperture linear phased array with 33 transmit elements and 33 receive elements has been evaluated theoretically. The azimuthal beam width is 90 mum at a distance of 4.0 mm. Grating lobes are suppressed by at least 60 dB at distances >4.0 mm (~f/2). The elevation beam width is 220 mum at 4.0 mm, and a useful depth of field over the axial range from 4 to 10 mm is obtained.     

Nonreciprocal microwave transmission in metastructures with transversely magnetized ferrite plate and a grating of resonant elements

Nonreciprocal transmission of a linearly polarized electromagnetic wave at a ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) frequency has been observed in a metastructure comprising a transversely magnetized ferrite plate and a grating of resonant elements. The nonreciprocity of wave transmission is observed for the metastructure arranged along the axis of a rectangular waveguide and even in the free space between transmitting and receiving waveguides, where the effect does not take place when there is no grating. The observed phenomenon is explained by the formation of a surface wave with elliptic or circular polarization on the grating. The nonreciprocity reaches maximum (>35 dB) under the conditions of mutual influence between the FMR and the resonance of grating elements for certain values of the certain frequency and magnetic field, which depend on the distance between the ferrite plate and the grating. The nonreciprocal effects have been observed for grating elements in the form of double split rings, polyhedral loops, and dipoles. The results may be of interest for the development of new nonreciprocal devices and multifunctional metastructures such as decoupling elements for quasi-optical systems and two-frequency decoupling filters for counterpropagating waves in the gigahertz and terahertz range.     

声压基阵误差单辅助矢量水听器快速校准方法

针对方位依赖的声压基阵误差校正困难问题,提出了声压基阵误差单辅助矢量水听器快速校准方法。利用精确校正的单只矢量水听器,就可以对声源方位及方位依赖的声压基阵幅度相位误差,进行无模糊的联合估计。由于阵元位置误差、互耦及通道的幅度相位误差均可以等效为方位依赖的基阵幅度相位误差,所以可以对多种同时存在的基阵误差进行校正。该方法适用于任意的阵列结构,不存在参数联合估计的局部收敛问题,只需参数的一维搜索,运算量小可实时在线完成。通过计算机仿真实验验证了该方法的有效性。     

锁定放大技术在参量接收阵中的应用

为抑制泵波影响,提取参量接收阵中的微弱差频信号,根据微弱信号探测原理,设计了一个基于锁定放大技术的参量接收阵系统。简要介绍了参量接收阵原理,详细描述了锁定放大技术,以及所设计的参量接收阵系统的工作过程,给出泵波比差频高130 dB时的仿真数据。结果表明,采用锁定放大技术后的参量接收阵系统可对接收的差频信号优化约5 dB。     

Medium-loss SAW filters with synthesized characteristics

Medium-loss surface acoustic wave (SAW) filters based on the in-line dot array structure are reported. This configuration is very amenable to device synthesis, potentially to specifications comparable to conventional high-loss designs. The design procedure fully allows for multiple reflections within the reflecting arrays and can handle chirps. The devices have achieved up to 0.2-dB RMS passband ripple and 32-dB rejection after direct coupling and multistrip coupler (MSC) reflection are removed. Passband loss (6-8 dB) could be reduced if transducer and MSC loss (3 dB) can be improved. The devices also have sharp cutoffs, and fairly uniform input and output impedances in the pass and transition bands. The reflectors chosen for the reflecting arrays are thin metal dots. The results of computation and experimental verification of dot reflectivity and velocity change for the particular size of dots and dot pattern used are given. The device design, and the measured results are discussed.     

Design of a low cross‐talk micro‐coil array for micro‐scale MRI

Design of magnetic resonance micro‐coil arrays with low cross‐talk among the coils can be the main challenge to improve the effectiveness of magnetic resonance micro‐imaging because the electrical cross‐talk which is mainly due to the inductive coupling perturbs the sensitivity profile of the array and causes image artifacts. In this work, a capacitive decoupling network with N(M ? 1) + (N ? 1)(M ? 2) capacitors is proposed to reduce the inductive coupling in an N × M array. A 3 × 3 array of optimized micro‐coils is designed using the finite element simulations and all the needed elements for the array equivalent circuit are extracted in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed decoupling method by assessing the reduction of the coupled signals after employing the capacitive network on the circuit. The achieved results for the designed array show that the high cross‐talk level is reduced by the factor of 2.2–3.4 after employing the capacitive network. By employing this method of decoupling, the adjacent coils in each row and inner columns can be decoupled properly while the minimum decoupling belongs to the outer columns because of the lack of all necessary decoupling capacitances for these columns. The main advantages of the proposed decoupling method are its efficiency and design easiness which facilitates the design of dense arrays with the properly decoupled coils, especially the inner coils which are more coupled due to their neighbors. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol, 23, 353–359, 2013     

Capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers: next-generation arrays for acoustic imaging?

Piezoelectric materials have dominated the ultrasonic transducer technology. Recently, capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (CMUTs) have emerged as an alternative technology offering advantages such as wide bandwidth, ease of fabricating large arrays, and potential for integration with electronics. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the viability of CMUTs for ultrasound imaging. We present the first pulse-echo phased array B-scan sector images using a 128-element, one-dimensional (1-D) linear CMUT array. We fabricated 64- and 128-element 1-D CMUT arrays with 100% yield and uniform element response across the arrays. These arrays have been operated in immersion with no failure or degradation in performance over the time. For imaging experiments, we built a resolution test phantom roughly mimicking the attenuation properties of soft tissue. We used a PC-based experimental system, including custom-designed electronic circuits to acquire the complete set of 128 x 128 RF A-scans from all transmit-receive element combinations. We obtained the pulse-echo frequency response by analyzing the echo signals from wire targets. These echo signals presented an 80% fractional bandwidth around 3 MHz, including the effect of attenuation in the propagating medium. We reconstructed the B-scan images with a sector angle of 90 degrees and an image depth of 210 mm through offline processing by using RF beamforming and synthetic phased array approaches. The measured 6-dB lateral and axial resolutions at 135 mm depth were 0.0144 radians and 0.3 mm, respectively. The electronic noise floor of the image was more than 50 dB below the maximum mainlobe magnitude. We also performed preliminary investigations on the effects of crosstalk among array elements on the image quality. In the near field, some artifacts were observable extending out from the array to a depth of 2 cm. A tail also was observed in the point spread function (PSF) in the axial direction, indicating the existence of crosstalk. The relative amplitude of this tail with respect to the mainlobe was less than -20 dB.     

Performance evaluation of fiber array for NDE application

This paper evaluates the performance of an optical fiber phased array as a source of ultrasonic generation for nondestructive applications. The results of the shear and longitudinal wave directivity patterns generated with this technique are presented. The signal enhancements produced by increasing the number of fibers in the array are presented for both shear and longitudinal waves. The receiving transducers were two piezoelectric transducers.