一种低信噪比环境下的语音端点检测算法

端点检测技术是语音信号处理的关键技术之一，为提高低信噪比环境下端点检测的准确率和稳健性，提出了一种非平稳噪声抑制和调制域谱减结合功率归一化倒谱距离的端点检测算法。该算法首先通过抑制非平稳噪声再采用调制域谱减消除残余噪声来提升信噪比，减少语音失真。然后再提取每帧信号的功率归一化倒谱系数，计算每帧信号与背景噪声的功率归一化倒谱距离。最后将该倒谱距离作为检测参数，采用双门限判决方法进行端点检测。实验结果表明，该端点检测算法对语音帧和噪声帧具有较好的区分性。此外，在低信噪比环境下，所提出的算法对于不同类型的噪声都具有较好的稳健性。     

Large area double p–i–n heterostructure for signal multiplexing and demultiplexing in the visible range

Results on the use of a double a-SiC:H p–i–n heterostructure for signal multiplexing and demultiplexing applications in the visible range, are presented.Modulated monochromatic beams together (multiplexing mode), or a single polychromatic beam (demultiplexing mode) impinge in the device and are absorbed, accordingly to their wavelength, giving rise to a time and wavelength dependent electrical field modulation.Red, green and blue pulsed input channels are transmitted together, each one with a specific transmission rate. The combined optical signal is analyzed by reading out, under different applied voltages, the generated photocurrent. Results show that in the multiplexing mode the output signal is balanced by the wavelength and transmission rate of each input channel, keeping the memory of the incoming optical carriers. In the demultiplexing mode the photocurrent is controlled by the applied voltage allowing regaining the transmitted information. An electrical model gives insight into the device operation.     

Ultrasensitive laser measurements without tears

Several easily implemented devices for doing ultrasensitive optical measurements with noisy lasers are presented. They are all-electronic noise cancellation circuits that largely eliminate excess laser intensity noise as a source of measurement error and are widely applicable. Shot-noise-limited optical measurements can now easily be made at baseband with noisy lasers. These circuits are especially useful in situations where strong intermodulation effects exist, such as current-tuned diode laser spectroscopy. These inexpensive devices (parts cost approximately $10) can be optimized for particular applications such as wideband or differential measurements. Although they cannot eliminate phase noise effects, they can reduce amplitude noise by 55-70 dB or more, even in unattended operation, and usually achieve the shot-noise limit. With 1-Hz signal-to-noise ratios of 150-160 dB, they allow performance equal or superior to a complex heterodyne system in many cases, while using much simpler dual-beam or homodyne approaches. Although these devices are related to earlier differential and ratiometric techniques, their noise cancellation performance is much better. They work well at modulation frequencies from dc to several megahertz and should be extensible to approximately 100 MHz. The circuits work by subtracting photocurrents directly, with feedback applied outside the signal path to continuously adjust the subtraction for perfect balance; thus the excess noise and spurious modulation ideally cancel at all frequencies, leaving only the shot noise. The noise cancellation bandwidth is independent of the feedback bandwidth; it depends only on the speeds of the photodiodes and of the bipolar junction transistors used. Two noise-canceled outputs are available; one is a high-pass filtered voltage proportional to the signal photocurrent and the other is a low-pass filtered voltage related to the log ratio of the signal and comparison photocurrents. For reasonable current densities, the noise floors of the outputs depend only on the shot noise of the signal beam. Four variations on the basic circuit are presented: low noise floor, high cancellation, differential high power, and ratio-only. Emphasis is placed on the detailed operation and design considerations, especially performance extension by compensation of the nonideal character of system components. Experience has shown that some applications advice is required by most users, so that is provided as well.     

Sensitivity and Dynamic Range Considerations for Homodyne Detection Systems

The effects of modulation frequency, RF reference power, and external bias upon the sensitivity and dynamic range of microwave homodyne detection systems was measured for point contact diodes and low l/f noise Schottky and backward diodes. The measurements were made at 4.89 GHz using a signal to noise ratio of 3 dB and a detection system bandwidth of 10 Hz. Maximum sensitivities of -135, -150, and -145 dBm, and dynamic ranges of 92, 110, and 124 dB were measured for the point contact, Schottky, and backward diodes at modulation frequencies of 30, 30, and 3 kHz, respectively. It was found that the level of RF reference signal needed to obtain the maximum sensitivity was equal to or somewhat above the point where the diode changes from square law to linear detection. The results are significant in that previously reported homodyne sensitivities (not necessarily maximum) were on the order of -90 to -130 dBm for point contact diodes and no data are available for Schottky and backward diodes. Significantly improved stability, sensitivity, and dynamic range can be achieved using these low 1/f noise devices, the correct external bias, and the optimum RF reference power.     

Narrow-linewidth vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers for oxygen detection

The use of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSEL's) for optical detection of atmospheric oxygen is described. The VCSEL's were custom designed for single-mode emission in the 763-nm wavelength range, with low noise and narrow optical linewidth. Using standard wavelength modulation spectroscopy and a second-harmonic detection scheme with a 1-m air path, we determined an oxygen concentration resolution of 0.2%. Because of its small size, low power dissipation, and good tunability characteristics, the VCSEL promises to be an attractive light source for use in compact, low-cost optical sensor microsystems for trace gas detection.     

Improvement of terahertz imaging with a dynamic subtraction technique

By use of dynamic subtraction it is feasible to adopt phase-sensitive detection with a CCD camera to reduce long-term optical background drift. We report on a two-order improvement of the signal-to-noise ratio. The improved system is used to image terahertz field distribution generated by an optically rectified electro-optic crystal with a modulation depth as small as 10(-4). We also introduce a modified detection geometry that realizes near-field imaging capability with greatly improved spatial resolution.     

Dual-trap technique for reduction of low-frequency noise in force measuring optical tweezers

High-resolution long-time force measurements by optical tweezers are often limited by low-frequency (1/f) noise. A dual-trap technique is presented that can reduce such noise in the force signal. It incorporates a second trap (a reference trap) that probes the noise in the system and it is based upon the assumption that the low-frequency parts of the noise from the two traps are correlated. A subtraction of the low-frequency signal from the reference trap from the signal from the force measuring trap will therefore yield a net signal that is significantly less influenced by noise. It is shown that this dual-trap technique can reduce the noise in the force signal up to 60% depending on detection bandwidth.     

Origin of 1/f PM and AM noise in bipolar junction transistor amplifiers

In this paper we report the results of extensive research on phase modulation (PM) and amplitude modulation (AM) noise in linear bipolar junction transistor (BJT) amplifiers. BJT amplifiers exhibit 1/f PM and AM noise about a carrier signal that is much larger than the amplifiers thermal noise at those frequencies in the absence of the carrier signal. Our work shows that the 1/f PM noise of a BJT based amplifier is accompanied by 1/f AM noise which can be higher, lower, or nearly equal, depending on the circuit implementation. The 1/f AM and PM noise in BJTs is primarily the result of 1/f fluctuations in transistor current, transistor capacitance, circuit supply voltages, circuit impedances, and circuit configuration. We discuss the theory and present experimental data in reference to common emitter amplifiers, but the analysis can be applied to other configurations as well. This study provides the functional dependence of 1/f AM and PM noise on transistor parameters, circuit parameters, and signal frequency, thereby laying the groundwork for a comprehensive theory of 1/f AM and PM noise in BJT amplifiers. We show that in many cases the 1/f PM and AM noise can be reduced below the thermal noise of the amplifier.     

Frequency Stabilization of Ar+ Lasers by Saturated Absorption in External 127I2 Cells (at 582 THz)

The frequency of commercial Ar+ lasers at 582 THz was stabilized by an external device mainly consisting of a 127I2 cell, two photodetectors, an electronic divider, and a conventional servo loop, using the 3f locking technique. The symmetry of the 3f signals was tested by two methods. In the neighborhood of the central zero crossing at separations of up to ±300 kHz no asymmetry could be detected within 4 × 10-13 v. The stabilized frequency?being independent of the modulation width?is reproducible to better than ±2 × 10-11 v. From the small dependence of the frequency on the I2 vapor pressure of -5 kHz/Pa an uncertainty of less than ±4 × 10-11 v is assumed. Thus the selected 127I2 lines at v = 582 THz/? = 515 nm should be promising candidates as optical frequency or wavelength standards.     

Extension of wavelength-modulation spectroscopy to large modulation depth for diode laser absorption measurements in high-pressure gases

Tunable diode laser absorption measurements at high pressures by use of wavelength-modulation spectroscopy (WMS) require large modulation depths for optimum detection of molecular absorption spectra blended by collisional broadening or dense spacing of the rovibrational transitions. Diode lasers have a large and nonlinear intensity modulation when the wavelength is modulated over a large range by injection-current tuning. In addition to this intensity modulation, other laser performance parameters are measured, including the phase shift between the frequency modulation and the intensity modulation. Following published theory, these parameters are incorporated into an improved model of the WMS signal. The influence of these nonideal laser effects is investigated by means of wavelength-scanned WMS measurements as a function of bath gas pressure on rovibrational transitions of water vapor near 1388 nm. Lock-in detection of the magnitude of the 2f signal is performed to remove the dependence on detection phase. We find good agreement between measurements and the improved model developed for the 2f component of the WMS signal. The effects of the nonideal performance parameters of commercial diode lasers are especially important away from the line center of discrete spectra, and these contributions become more pronounced for 2f signals with the large modulation depths needed for WMS at elevated pressures.     

Digital Hilbert transformation for separation measurement of thicknesses and refractive indices of layered objects by use of a wavelength-scanning heterodyne interference confocal microscope

A wavelength-scanning heterodyne interference confocal microscope quickly accomplishes the simultaneous measurement of the thickness and the refractive index of a sample by detection of the amplitude and the phase of the interference signal during a sample scan. However, the measurement range of the optical path difference (OPD) that is obtained from the phase changes is limited by the time response of the phase-locked loop circuit in the FM demodulator. To overcome this limitation and to improve the accuracy of the separation measurement, we propose an OPD detection using digital signal processing with a Hilbert transform. The measurement range is extended approximately five times, and the resolution of the OPD is improved to 5.5 from 9 microm without the electrical noise of the FM demodulator circuit. By applying this method for simultaneous measurement of thickness and the refractive index, we can measure samples 20-30-microm thick with refractive indices between 1 and 1.5.     

低信噪比环境下语音端点检测改进方法

针对语音端点检测在低信噪比环境下普遍存在检测性能急剧下降的问题,提出一种将调制域(时间-频率域)谱减法和自相关函数相结合的语音端点检测算法。该算法首先利用调制域谱减法较好的消噪能力来提高含噪语音的信噪比;然后根据语音和噪声的自相关函数的主峰最大值和次大值之比差异较大的特性,结合基于对数能量和自相关函数的端点检测方法对消噪后的语音进行端点检测。实验结果表明,该算法在低信噪比的环境下能取得较好的端点检测效果,并具有较好的稳健性。     

Frequency-shifted optical feedback in a pumping laser diode dynamically amplified by a microchip laser

Compared with conventional optical heterodyne detection, laser optical feedback imaging (LOFI) allows for a several orders of magnitude higher intensity modulation contrast. The maximum contrast amplification is typically 10(3) for a diode laser in the gigahertz range and 10(6) for a microchip laser in the megahertz range. To take advantage of the wavelength tunability of a laser diode and of the lower resonant detection frequency of a microchip laser, we used LOFI modulation induced by the frequency-shifted optical feedback in a laser diode as a modulated pumping power for a microchip laser for resonant dynamic amplification. In this way, we were able to transfer the optical feedback sensitivity of the laser diode to the megahertz range. Application to telemetry is also reported.     

2 μm可调谐高重复频率主动锁模光纤激光器

本文报道了一种2 μm波段可调谐主动锁模光纤激光器,增益介质为4 m铥钬共掺光纤。主动锁模脉冲采用强度调制方式实现,调制信号为高频正弦信号。可调谐窄带宽光滤波器用来窄化激光线宽,抑制噪声,同时可实现波长调谐。实现了稳定的2.2 GHz重复频率主动锁模脉冲输出,对应649阶谐波锁模脉冲序列,脉冲宽度约为200 ps,频谱信噪比可达68 dB,激光线宽为0.05 nm,光谱调谐范围为1907 nm~1927 nm。     

Metal Speciation in the ppt Range by HPLC and Diode Laser Atomic Absorption Spectrometry in a Flame

A simple, compact, and powerful instrument for metal speciation in the ppt range is described. The instrument includes a HPLC module for separation and a diode laser for element-selective detection by wavelength modulation absorption spectrometry in an analytical flame. The high detection power for metal species is due to a two-beam arrangement with logarithmic amplification of the normalized signal, which compensates the laser residual amplitude modulation noise, the offset, and its fluctuation. The analytical figures of merit are demonstrated by measurements of very low concentrations of Cr(VI) in tap water.     

Use of a scanning charge-coupled photodetector for compression of optical signals with linear wavelength modulation

An analysis is made of a processor for compression of optical signals with linear wavelength modulation. The processor system is equivalent to a diffraction spectrometer except that a linear charge-coupled photodetector operating in a delay-and-add mode is inserted in its spectral plane. By this means the processor isolates the signal from the noise and is invariant to the signal arrival time, and it can be tuned by a simple electronic technique to select signals with a different rate of change in wavelength. The compression coefficient may be several thousand. Other characteristics of the processor and its maximum capabilities are discussed. Pis’ma Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 23, 77–81 (January 12, 1997)     

Evaluation of partial-response maximum-likelihood detection for phase-change optical data storage

We describe the application of partial-response (PR) maximum-likelihood (ML) detection in rewritable phase-change optical data storage. The input to this detector, which is simulated in software, is the actual signal (without any equalization), reproduced from reading of the recorded sequence on an optical disk. The detection algorithm involves the extraction of the impulse response from the readout signal, PR equalization, the adjustment of gain and recovery of clock, ML sequence estimation with the Viterbi algorithm, and analysis of PRML performance. With a laser wavelength of 0.69 mum and an objective lens with a numerical aperture of 0.6, three linear densities are examined: 0.35 and 0.31 mum/bit without modulation code and 0.2 mum/bit with the (1, 7) modulation code. The equalized signal exhibits good eye patterns, especially at the densities of 0.35 and 0.31 mum/bit. Analyses of noise and bit-error rate indicate that jitter, rather than noise, is the main obstacle to realizing ultrahigh density in phase-change media with PRML detection. We also briefly discuss the problem of the inherent nonlinear effect in phase-change readout.     

Influence and compensation of autocorrelation terms in depth-resolved spectroscopic Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography

We demonstrate depth-resolved spectral absorption measurements in the wavelength range from 750 to 850 nm using a broadband light source consisting of three spectrally shifted superluminescent light-emitting diode modules and a low-cost spectrometer-based Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography system. We present the theoretical model and experimental verification of interferences between autocorrelation terms and the signal carrying cross-correlation terms, strongly affecting the absorption measurements. A simple background subtraction, minimizing the artifacts caused by the interferences of autocorrelation and cross-correlation terms, is presented.     

Measurement of absolute displacement by a double-modulation technique based on a Michelson interferometer

A novel method is presented for of measuring absolute displacement with a synthesized wavelength interferometer. The optical phase of the interferometer is simultaneously modulated with a frequency-modulated laser diode and optical path-length difference. The error signal originating from the intensity modulation of the source is eliminated by a signal processing circuit. In addition, a lock-in technique is used to demodulate the envelope of the interferometric signal. The displacement signal is derived by the self-mixing technique.     

Large-modulation-depth 2f spectroscopy with diode lasers for rapid temperature and species measurements in gases with blended and broadened spectra

A method that uses tunable diode lasers is developed for rapid temperature and concentration measurements of gases with highly broadened and congested spectra. Wavelength modulation absorption spectroscopy with 2f detection is utilized, because this derivative method offers benefits in dealing with blended spectral features. The 2f signal depends critically on the modulation depth of the laser alpha, which is increased to values above those typically achieved when wavelength modulation spectroscopy with diode lasers is performed. The 2f method with large modulation depths is validated by using near-IR diode lasers to probe pressure-broadened water-vapor features in the 1.4-microm region over a range of temperatures from 296 to 800 K and at pressures as high as 20 atm. Modulation depths as high as alpha = 0.8 cm(-1) are attained at modulation frequencies of 50 kHz and measurement bandwidths of 15 kHz. Comparisons of experimental results with 2f simulations, based on the HITRAN spectral database, provide confirmation of the capability of this method for rapid measurements of gas temperature and species concentration.