FIR system identification based on a nonparametric Bayesian model using the Indian buffet process

In this paper, we propose a nonparametric Bayesian model combined with the Indian buffet process (IBP) for a finite impulse response (FIR) system. We develop an FIR system identification method that can simultaneously estimate the number of FIR taps and coefficients. In the proposed model, each FIR tap consists of a coefficient and a gain, and the gain is a binary value. An infinite-dimensional binary vector is composed of binary values, and we assume that this binary vector is generated by the IBP. To identify the FIR system, we specify the likelihood function and prior distributions of the parameters and derive their posterior distributions. We can simultaneously estimate the number of FIR taps and coefficients by sampling from posterior distributions using the Gibbs sampler. Our simulations demonstrate that although the number of FIR taps is unknown, the identification performance of the proposed method in a high signal-to-noise ratio environment is similar to or better than that of the conventional least square solution.     

Magnetization distribution of magnetic vortex of amorphous FeSiB investigated by electron holography and computer simulation

The three-dimensional spin structure of the magnetic vortex of FeSiB, an amorphous soft magnetic material, was investigated by holography observation and computer simulation. Magnetization distribution in the neighborhood of the vortex center was estimated from the phase distribution obtained by holography observation. To confirm this magnetization distribution, sample-tilting experiments were performed: when the sample was tilted with respect to the electron beam direction, the phase-image center was found to shift along the tilting axis. Finite-element computer simulation was carried out to estimate the amount of shifts of the phase-image center in the sample tilting from the experimental magnetization distributions in the no sample-tilting conditions. We found that the simulated shifts of the phase-image center were in good agreement with those in the sample-tilting experiment, thus confirming the magnetization distribution near the vortex center obtained by holography observation.     

Growth condition of iodine-doped n+-CdTe layers in metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy

Iodine doping of CdTe layers grown on (100) GaAs by metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) was studied using diethyltelluride (DETe) and diisopropyltelluride (DiPTe) as tellurium precursors and ethyliodine (EI) as a dopant. Electron densities of doped layers increased gradually with decreasing the growth temperature from 425°C to 325°C. Doped layers grown with DETe had higher electron densities than those grown with DiPTe. When the hot-wall temperature was increased from 200°C to 250°C at the growth temperature of 325°C, doped layers grown with DETe showed an increase of the electron density from 3.7×10¹⁶ cm⁻³ to 2.6×10¹⁸ cm⁻³. On the other hand, such an increase of the electron density was not observed for layers grown with DiPTe. The mechanisms for different doping properties for DETe and DiPTe were studied on the basis of the growth characteristics for these precursors. Higher thermal stability of DETe than that of DiPTe was considered to cause the difference of doping properties. With increasing the hot-wall temperature from 200°C to 250°C, the effective ratio of Cd to Te species on the growth surface became larger for layers grown with DETe than those grown with DiPTe. This was considered to decrease the compensation of doped iodine and to increase the electron density of layers grown with DETe. The effective ratio of Cd to Te species on the growth surface also increased with decreasing growth temperature. This was considered to increase the electron density with decreasing growth temperature.     

Lateral Inhomogeneity in the Electronic Structure of a Conjugated Poly(3‐hexylthiophene) Thin Film

How annealing influences the morphology of a highly regioregular poly(3‐hexylthiophene) (RR‐P3HT) film at the substrate interface as well as the lateral inhomogeneity in the electronic structure of the film are elucidated. Whereas previous studies have reported that high‐molecular‐weight (MW) RR‐P3HT films tend to show low crystallinity even after annealing, it is found that high‐MW RR‐P3HT does show high crystallinity after annealing at high temperature for a long time. Photoemission electron microscopy (PEEM), X‐ray photoemission spectroscopy, and ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy results clearly resolve a considerable lateral inhomogeneity in the morphology of RR‐P3HT film, which results in a variation of the electronic structure depending on the local crystallinity. The PEEM results show how annealing facilitates crystal growth in a high‐MW RR‐P3HT film.     

Path planning using a mobile anchor node based on trilateration in wireless sensor networks

In wireless sensor networks (WSNs), many applications require sensor nodes to obtain their locations. Now, the main idea in most existing localization algorithms has been that a mobile anchor node (e.g., global positioning system‐equipped nodes) broadcasts its coordinates to help other unknown nodes to localize themselves while moving according to a specified trajectory. This method not only reduces the cost of WSNs but also gets high localization accuracy. In this case, a basic problem is that the path planning of the mobile anchor node should move along the trajectory to minimize the localization error and to localize the unknown nodes. In this paper, we propose a Localization algorithm with a Mobile Anchor node based on Trilateration (LMAT) in WSNs. LMAT algorithm uses a mobile anchor node to move according to trilateration trajectory in deployment area and broadcasts its current position periodically. Simulation results show that the performance of our LMAT algorithm is better than that of other similar algorithms. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Stability of Skutterudite Thermoelectric Materials

By multifilling with La, Ba, Ga, Ti, Yb, Ca, Al, and In, the dimensionless figure of merit ZT of filled skutterudites has been improved in this work. ZT reached 0.75 for p-type (La,Ba,Ga,Ti) _x (Fe,Co)₄Sb₁₂ (x = 0.8 to 1.0) and 1.0 for n-type (Yb,Ca,Al,Ga,In) _y (Co,Fe)₄Sb₁₂ (y = 0.7 to 0.9). After annealing at 873 K for 180 h, 300 h, 710 h, 1000 h, and 5000 h in vacuum, the Seebeck coefficient S and the electrical resistivity ρ of the samples increased while the thermal conductivity λ decreased with increasing annealing time. As a result, the ZT values of both p- and n-type skutterudites remained unchanged or were slightly improved, demonstrating the excellent thermal stability of these skutterudites.     

Detection and visualization method of dynamic state transition for biological spatio-temporal imaging data

In the statistical analysis of functional brain imaging data, regression analysis and cross correlation analysis between time series data on each grid point have been widely used. The results can be graphically represented as an activation map on an anatomical image, but only activation signal, whose temporal pattern resembles the predefined reference function, can be detected. In the present study, we propose a fusion method comprising innovation approach in time series analysis and statistical test. Autoregressive (AR) models were fitted to time series data of each pixel for the range sufficiently before or after the state transition. Then, the remaining time series data were filtered using these AR parameters to obtain its innovation (filter output). The proposed method could extract brain neural activation as a phase transition of dynamics in the system without employing external information such as the reference function. The activation could be detected as temporal transitions of statistical test values. We evaluated this method by applying to optical imaging data obtained from the mammalian brain and the cardiac sino-atrial node (SAN), and demonstrated that our method can precisely detect spatio-temporal activation profiles in the brain or SAN.     

Queuing Scheme for Improved Downlink Throughput on WLANs

A transmission queuing scheme is described that increases downlink throughput on wireless local area networks (WLANs) while also increasing the total throughput. When the amount of uplink traffic increases on a WLAN, the carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance (CSMA/CA) protocol, which is the prescribed scheme for IEEE 802.11 WLAN channel access, may substantially reduce the rate of downlink data frame transmission. This results in severe throughput degradation for mobile stations with downlink traffic. The proposed scheme comprises a transmission control function based on consecutive transmission, as described in the IEEE 802.11e standard, and a dynamic queue prioritization algorithm. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed scheme increases the maximum total throughput for uplink and downlink traffic by 17% compared with the conventional distributed coordination function (DCF) scheme and that it reduces the difference between uplink and downlink throughput. In an environment where transmission errors occur, the difference in throughput is reduced by about 50% compared with the conventional schemes.     

Dirac Cone Spin Polarization of Graphene by Magnetic Insulator Proximity Effect Probed with Outermost Surface Spin Spectroscopy

The effects of the proximity contact with magnetic insulator on the spin‐dependent electronic structure of graphene are explored for the heterostructure of single‐layer graphene (SLG) and yttrium iron garnet Y₃Fe₅O₁₂ (YIG) by means of outermost surface spin spectroscopy using a spin‐polarized metastable He atom beam. In the SLG/YIG heterostructure, the Dirac cone electrons of graphene are found to be negatively spin polarized in parallel to the minority spins of YIG with a large polarization degree, without giving rise to significant changes in the π band structure. Theoretical calculations reveal the electrostatic interfacial interactions providing a strong physical adhesion and the indirect exchange interaction causing the spin polarization of SLG at the interface with YIG. The Hall device of the SLG/YIG heterostructure exhibits a nonlinear Hall resistance attributable to the anomalous Hall effect, implying the extrinsic spin–orbit interactions as another manifestation of the proximity effect.     

W-band waveguide photomixer using a uni-traveling-carrier photodiode with 2-mW output

Developed a W-band (75-110 GHz) waveguide photomixer with a uni-traveling carrier photodiode, which can be driven by two 1.5-/spl mu/m lasers. It generates an output power of 2.2/spl plusmn/0.2 mW at 100 GHz with a laser power of less than 100 mW, and its relative power variation is as small as 3 dB across the entire frequency range of the W-band. A 100-GHz superconductor-insulator-superconductor receiver driven by this photomixer shows the same noise temperature around 26 K as that driven by a conventional Gunn oscillator.