Design principles underlying circadian clocks.

A fundamental problem for regulatory networks is to understand the relation between form and function: to uncover the underlying design principles of the network. Circadian clocks present a particularly interesting instance, as recent work has shown that they have complex structures involving multiple interconnected feedback loops with both positive and negative feedback. While several authors have speculated on the reasons for this, a convincing explanation is still lacking.We analyse both the flexibility of clock networks and the relationships between various desirable properties such as robust entrainment, temperature compensation, and stability to environmental variations and parameter fluctuations. We use this to argue that the complexity provides the flexibility necessary to simultaneously attain multiple key properties of circadian clocks. As part of our analysis we show how to quantify the key evolutionary aims using infinitesimal response curves, a tool that we believe will be of general utility in the analysis of regulatory networks. Our results suggest that regulatory and signalling networks might be much less flexible and of lower dimension than their apparent complexity would suggest.     

LiNbO3 optical waveguides formed in a new proton source

Proton-exchanged planar waveguides have been fabricated on Z-cut and X-cut lithium niobate crystals by using a new proton source formed by a mixture of benzoic and adipic acids. Waveguide index profiles and optical characteristics have been obtained at different values of the adipic-benzoic acid concentration ratio. The samples have been structurally characterized by Raman and infrared (IR) absorption spectroscopy and double-crystal X-ray diffraction. Good quality samples have been fabricated by using 30 mol% ratio dilution, showing very low scattering levels (<0.1 dB/cm), relatively high electrooptic coefficient (r₃₃=0.88 pm/V), and low relative percentage of interstitial protons (26%). The main factor limiting the waveguide optical properties is the substitutional-interstitial proton ratio, which can be easily controlled to produce good quality waveguides. A demonstration of the repeatability of the exchange process in the acid mixture is also provided     

Near-field corrections to site attenuation

The theoretical model used for calculating normalized site attenuation for broadband antennas in ANSI C63.4-1992 and for antenna calibration in ANSI C63.5-1988 includes only the radiation terms in the electric field. The omission of the near field terms leads to errors of as much as 2.0 dB at 30 MHz for horizontally polarized antennas separated by 3 m. Corrected values of normalized site attenuation and E _D^max are presented for the 30-300 MHz frequency range     

An optical instrumentation using a sensor with a sensordummyagainst noises on sensor and transmission line

This short paper discusses the method of effectively canceling equal status normal mode noise not only on a sensor line but also on a transmission line of an optical instrument using a sensor with a sensordummy resistance     

Crosstalk between microstrip transmission lines

Methods for prediction of crosstalk between microstrip transmission lines are reviewed and simplified for the weak-coupling case. Classical coupled transmission line theory is used for uniform lines, and potential and induced EMF methods are used for crosstalk between nonuniform lines. It is shown that the potential method is equivalent to classical coupled transmission line theory for the case of uniform lines. An experiment was performed for uniform coupled microstrip lines for frequencies from 50 MHz to 5 GHz, and good agreement between theory and measurement was obtained for both near- and far-end crosstalk     

High-frequency analysis of the Ellipticus antenna

Efficient numerical solution techniques have been developed and used to examine the electromagnetic fields that can be developed in the working volume of the CW Ellipticus antenna operated at frequencies from 100 kHz to 1 GHz. An exponentially tapered transition section is designed to obtain the desired illumination pattern in the working volume. The input transition section is needed for impedance matching and to drive efficiently the Ellipticus antenna. A parametric study is performed to ascertain the performance of the Ellipticus antenna for frequencies up to 1 GHz     

Microscopic simulation of electronic noise in semiconductormaterials and devices

We present a microscopic interpretation of electronic noise in semiconductor materials and two-terminal devices. The theory is based on Monte Carlo simulations of the carrier motion self-consistently coupled with a Poisson solver. Current and voltage noise operations are applied and their respective representations discussed. As application we consider the cases of homogeneous materials, resistors, n⁺nn ⁺ structures, and Schottky-barrier diodes. Phenomena associated with coupling between fluctuations in carrier velocity and self-consistent electric field are quantitatively investigated for the first time. At increasing applied fields hot-carrier effects are found to be of relevant importance in all the cases considered here. As a general result, noise spectroscopy is found to be a source of valuable information to investigate and characterize transport properties of semiconductor materials and devices     

1/f noise sources

This survey deals with 1/f noise in homogeneous semiconductor samples. A distinction is made between mobility noise and number noise. It is shown that there always is mobility noise with an α value with a magnitude in the order of 10^-4. Damaging the crystal has a strong influence on α, α may increase by orders of magnitude. Some theoretical models are briefly discussed none of them can explain all experimental results. The α values of several semiconductors are given. These values can be used in calculations of 1/f noise in devices     

Metal diffraction gratings as laser power or energy dividers

The authors survey published results on the application of metal diffraction gratings as laser power or energy dividers when the laser beam is split into two approximately equal pans. The normal incidence of laser radiation on metal diffraction gratings of various profiles in the case of three propagating diffraction orders n=0, ±1 is discussed, along with the case of oblique incidence with only two propagating diffraction orders n=0 and n =–1.Translated from Izmeritel'naya Tekhnika, No. 2, pp. 22–26, February, 1994.