Bandpass filters with reconfigurable transmission zeros using varactor-tuned tapped stubs

In this letter, bandpass filters with one or two tunable transmission zeros are proposed. The reconfigurable transmission zeros are implemented through varactors in combination with tapped quarter-wavelength stubs. Based on mixed mode simulations including EM simulation and circuit simulation, the proposed filters were designed and fabricated on low-cost FR4 board. The measurement results verified the design concepts.     

A study of the energy consumption characteristics of cryptographic algorithms and security protocols

Security is becoming an everyday concern for a wide range of electronic systems that manipulate, communicate, and store sensitive data. An important and emerging category of such electronic systems are battery-powered mobile appliances, such as personal digital assistants (PDAs) and cell phones, which are severely constrained in the resources they possess, namely, processor, battery, and memory. This work focuses on one important constraint of such devices-battery life-and examines how it is impacted by the use of various security mechanisms. In this paper, we first present a comprehensive analysis of the energy requirements of a wide range of cryptographic algorithms that form the building blocks of security mechanisms such as security protocols. We then study the energy consumption requirements of the most popular transport-layer security protocol: Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). We investigate the impact of various parameters at the protocol level (such as cipher suites, authentication mechanisms, and transaction sizes, etc.) and the cryptographic algorithm level (cipher modes, strength) on the overall energy consumption for secure data transactions. To our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive analysis of the energy requirements of SSL. For our studies, we have developed a measurement-based experimental testbed that consists of an iPAQ PDA connected to a wireless local area network (LAN) and running Linux, a PC-based data acquisition system for real-time current measurement, the OpenSSL implementation of the SSL protocol, and parameterizable SSL client and server test programs. Based on our results, we also discuss various opportunities for realizing energy-efficient implementations of security protocols. We believe such investigations to be an important first step toward addressing the challenges of energy-efficient security for battery-constrained systems.     

Waveguide probe structures for a multilayer magnetodielectric: An inverse problem

Direct and inverse problems are considered for diffraction by an open end of a rectangular waveguide (RW) with a flange that adjoins a piecewise inhomogeneous planar layered lossy medium. Also considered are similar diffraction problems for a junction of an RW and a rectangular resonator filled with a multilayer medium and a junction of two RWs, one of which contains a multilayer plate. Such open and shielded waveguide probe structures (WPSs) are used for determination and nondestructive testing of parameters of multilayer samples. The direct problem is formulated on the basis of admittance and impedance algorithms with consideration for losses existing in the medium, flange, and screens. In this case, the approximation of the given aperture field allows obtainment of explicit solutions for open and shielded WPSs in the form of integrals. Solution of the inverse problem that lies in determining thicknesses, permittivities, and permeabilities of the layers from measured values of the magnitude of the reflection coefficient is obtained by minimizing the corresponding least-squares error and by constructing artificial neural networks. In order to increase the accuracy, it is proposed to use a two-port of errors and perform measurements for several positions of the sample with respect to the flange and different impedance conditions behind the sample.     

The colored revolution of bioimaging

This paper provides an overview of the main aspects of modern fluorescence microscopy. It covers the principles of fluorescence and highlights the key discoveries in the history of fluorescence microscopy. The paper also discusses the optics of fluorescence microscopes and examines the various types of detectors. It also discusses the signal and image processing challenges in fluorescence microscopy and highlights some of the present developments and future trends in the field.     

Finite element piezothermoelasticity analysis and the active control of FGM plates with integrated piezoelectric sensors and actuators

 An efficient finite element model is presented for the static and dynamic piezothermoelastic analysis and control of FGM plates under temperature gradient environments using integrated piezoelectric sensor/actuator layers. The properties of an FGM plate are functionally graded in the thickness direction according to a volume fraction power law distribution. A constant displacement-cum-velocity feedback control algorithm that couples the direct and inverse piezoelectric effects is applied to provide active feedback control of the integrated FGM plate in a closed loop system. Numerical results for the static and dynamic control are presented for the FGM plate, which consists of zirconia and aluminum. The effects of the constituent volume fractions and the influence of feedback control gain on the static and dynamic responses of the FGM plates are examined. Received: 13 March 2002 / Accepted: 5 March 2003 The work described in this paper was supported by a grant awarded by the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China (Project No. CityU 1024/01E).     

Self-oscillating dimmable electronic ballast

This paper presents a simple alternative for an electronic ballast operating in self-sustained oscillating mode with dimming capability for fluorescent lamps. A simple modification in one of the gate drivers side circuit allows the lamp to dim without compromising the simplicity, reliability, and low cost which characterize the self-oscillating electronic ballast (SOEB). A qualitative analysis is presented to explain the behavior of the proposed self-oscillating electronic ballast with dimming feature. In addition, the stability and the key equations for the design are derived using the extended Nyquist criterion and describing function method. Experimental results from two 40-W electronic ballasts are presented to demonstrate the performance and to validate the analysis carried out.     

Transient response of ARROW VCSELs under external optical feedback

The effect of external optical feedback on the transient response of antiresonant reflecting optical waveguide (ARROW) vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) is studied. It can be shown that the proper design of ARROW can suppress the excitation of high-order transverse leaky mode as well as increase the critical feedback strength so that stable high-power single-mode operation of VCSELs can be obtained even under the influence of strong external optical feedback.     

Mixed oxide supported hydrodesulfurization catalysts—a review

Support effects form important aspect of hydrodesulfurization (HDS) studies and mixed oxide supports received maximum attention in the last two decades. This review will focus attention on studies on mixed oxide supported Mo and W catalysts. For convenience of discussion, these are divided into Al₂O₃ containing mixed oxide supports, TiO₂ containing mixed oxide supports, ZrO₂ containing mixed oxide supports and other mixed oxide supports containing all the rest. TiO₂ containing mixed oxides received maximum attention, especially TiO₂–Al₂O₃ supported catalysts. A brief discussion about their prospects for application to ultradeep desulfurization is also included. An overview of the available literature with emphasis on research carried out in our laboratory form the contents of this publication.     

Single-polarization single-mode photonic crystal fibers

A new structure of single-polarization single-mode (SPSM) photonic crystal fiber (PCF) is proposed and analyzed by using a full-vector finite element method with anisotropic perfectly matched layers. From the numerical results it is confirmed that the proposed fiber is low-loss SPSM-PCF within the wavelengths ranging from 1.48 to 1.6 /spl mu/m, where only the slow-axis mode exists and the confinement loss is less than 0.1 dB/km.     

Estimation and Optimization of the Principal H-Maser Parameters

The scale along the coordinate axes in the equations of motion hitherto used for an H-maser (in relative units) is shown to depend on Q as the quality factor for an H-maser. This hinders both analysis of the operation of the H-maser and optimization of its parameters. The modified equations of motion proposed here do not have that shortcoming. We determine the atomic flux into the bulb that gives the H-maser the best metrological characteristics.