Solid-state mixed-potential sensor employing tin-doped indium oxide sensing electrode and scandium oxide-stabilised zirconia electrolyte

The sensing properties of the planar mixed-potential CO sensor coupling scandia-stabilized zirconia (ScsZ) as electrolyte and tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) as sensing electrode to different CO concentrations from ～100 ppm to ～500 ppm have been investigated. The monodispersed ITO particles with spherical shape have been obtained by hydrothermally treating the mixture of the coprecipitated gels with urea as an additive. Directly using urea as the mineralizer, the two coexisting morphologies such as rod-like and spherical shapes have been obtained. The sensor coupling spherical 5 at.% tin-doped indium oxide (5ITO) electrode shows better sensitivity than the sensors coupling both spherical 8 at.% tin-doped indium oxide (S8ITO) and 8 at.% tin-doped indium oxide (RS8ITO) containing rod-like particles. The sensor coupling spherical 5 at.% tin-doped indium oxide (5ITO) electrode also exhibits highly reproducible and stable signals to different CO concentrations.     

Photovoltaic power generation using albedo and thermal radiations in the satellite orbits around planetary bodies

In this paper, we have studied photovoltaic power generation in satellite orbits around different planetary objects using albedo and thermal radiations. We have addressed the power generation in the darkside of satellite orbits using solar cells in particular. LILT solar cells can be used for photovoltaic power generation in the darkside of satellite orbits around moon, mars etc. receiving the weak albedo radiation from the nearby brightest celestial object. We can also make use of the emerging IR photovoltaic technology to generate power using planetary thermal radiation from the nightside of planets like earth.     

Electrochemical Determination of the Activity of Na2O in the Pyrochlore Phase of the Sb2O4-NaSbO3 System

Activity of Na₂O in the pyrochlore phase of the system Sb₂O₄-NaSbO₃ has been measured as a function of temperature in the range 1073–1412 K by electromotive force (emf) measurements of the following solid-state electrochemical cells:
The solid electrolyte used in the above electrochemical cells is Na-ß-Al₂O₃, which is an excellent sodium-ion conductor in the temperature range of the measurements. From the measured reversible emf, the activity of Na₂O in the Sb₂O₄-NaSbO₃ system has been calculated. The temperature dependence of the logarithm of the activity of Na₂O in various two-phase regions of the Sb₂O₄-NaSbO₃ system can be represented as
No thermodynamic data have been reported earlier in the literature for the system Sb₂O₄-NaSbO₃, and the present data constitute the first thermodynamic information.     

Two extensions of topological feedback entropy

Topological feedback entropy (TFE) measures the intrinsic rate at which a continuous, fully observed, deterministic control system generates information for controlled set-invariance. In this paper we generalise this notion in two directions; one is to continuous, partially observed systems, and the other is to discontinuous, fully observed systems. In each case, we show that the corresponding generalised TFE coincides with the smallest feedback bit rate that allows a form of controlled invariance to be achieved.     

Higher-order Coherence Functions in the Space-frequency Domain

Abstract

Some years ago a new coherence theory in the space-frequency domain was formulated. Subsequent research has revealed some difficulties regarding the representation, in this theory, of the higher-order correlation functions. In the present paper the origin of these difficulties is discussed and a new representation of the higher-order correlation functions is introduced, in terms of the coherent modes of the second-order theory.     

Concurrent learning adaptive control of linear systems with exponentially convergent bounds

Concurrent learning adaptive controllers, which use recorded and current data concurrently for adaptation, are developed for model reference adaptive control of uncertain linear dynamical systems. We show that a verifiable condition on the linear independence of the recorded data is sufficient to guarantee global exponential stability. We use this fact to develop exponentially decaying bounds on the tracking error and weight error, and estimate upper bounds on the control signal. These results allow the development of adaptive controllers that ensure good tracking without relying on high adaptation gains, and can be designed to avoid actuator saturation. Simulations and hardware experiments show improved performance. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Compact Modeling of Schottky Gate-all-around Silicon Nanowire Transistors with Halo Doping

Silicon - A physics-based compact model for halo doped Silicon Nanowire Transistor with Schottky-barrier (SB) contact at the source/drain (S/D) junctions is developedconsidering the quasi-2D...     

Zinc Oxide Nanostructures for NO2 Gas–Sensor Applications: A Review

Nano-Micro Letters - Because of the interesting and multifunctional properties, recently, ZnO nanostructures are considered as excellent material for fabrication of highly sensitive and selective...     

Some applications of randomized algorithms for control system design

In this paper a few “difficult” problems related to simultaneous stabilization of three plants (equivalent to a certain problem related to unit interpolation in H_∞) have been addressed through the framework of randomized algorithms. These problems which were proposed by Blondel (Simultaneous Stabilization of Linear Systems, Springer, Berlin, 1994) and Blondel and Gevers (Math. Control Signals Systems 6 (1994) 135) concern the existence of a controller.     

Light,the universe and everything – 12 Herculean tasks for quantum cowboys and black diamond skiers

Abstract

The Winter Colloquium on the Physics of Quantum Electronics (PQE) has been a seminal force in quantum optics and related areas since 1971. It is rather mind-boggling to recognize how the concepts presented at these conferences have transformed scientific understanding and human society. In January 2017, the participants of PQE were asked to consider the equally important prospects for the future, and to formulate a set of questions representing some of the greatest aspirations in this broad field. The result is this multi-authored paper, in which many of the world’s leading experts address the following fundamental questions: (1) What is the future of gravitational wave astronomy? (2) Are there new quantum phases of matter away from equilibrium that can be found and exploited – such as the time crystal? (3) Quantum theory in uncharted territory: What can we learn? (4) What are the ultimate limits for laser photon energies? (5) What are the ultimate limits to temporal, spatial and optical resolution? (6) What novel roles will atoms play in technology? (7) What applications lie ahead for nitrogen-vacancy centres in diamond? (8) What is the future of quantum coherence, squeezing and entanglement for enhanced super-resolution and sensing? (9) How can we solve (some of) humanity’s biggest problems through new quantum technologies? (10) What new understanding of materials and biological molecules will result from their dynamical characterization with free-electron lasers? (11) What new technologies and fundamental discoveries might quantum optics achieve by the end of this century? (12) What novel topological structures can be created and employed in quantum optics?