Resonant tunneling transistor lasers: A new approach to obtain multi-state switching and bistable operation

Bipolar resonant tunneling heterotransistor structures, which can be configured to operate as multi-state or as bistable lasers, are described. Both edge and surface-emitting structures are presented. Computations of various optoelectronics parameters including confinement factor, threshold current density, and cavity modes for a stripe-geometry structure are presented. In addition, simulations of base and collector currents are given for a resonant tunneling transistor to demonstrate the feasibility of lasing in the base region.     

DDFSGEN

This paper presents a functional compiler for the automatic design of Direct Digital Frequency Synthesizer (DDFS) integrated circuits (ICs) using a ROM based table look-up architecture. The compiler allows the user to specify high-level specifications such as the acceptable spurious response and it generates the IC architecture, floorplan, and layout. To construct the layout for different specifications, a library of parameterized macrocells has been developed in 1.2 m CMOS technology.A test chip with a quadrature DDFS module has been generated, using the compiler, and fabricated. The chip has two input signals: one is for frequency control while the other is for phase initialization. Input and output word lengths are 16 bits and 6 bits respectively. The chip complexity is approximately 12,000 transistors (DDFS core) and the die size is 4.8×2.9mm ². A maximum sample rate of 80 MHz has been attained implying a maximum sine (cosine) output frequency of 40 MHz and a frequency resolution of 1.22 kHz. The maximum spurious level measured is –46 dB.     

A radix-8 wafer scale FFT processor

Wafer Scale Integration promises radical improvements in the performance of digital signal processing systems. This paper describes the design of a radix-8 systolic (pipeline) fast Fourier transform processor for implementation with wafer scale integration. By the use of the radix-8 FFT butterfly wafer that is currently under development, continuous data rates of 160 MSPS are anticipated for FFTs of up to 4096 points with 16-bit fixed point data.     

Software‐defined network‐enabled opportunistic offloading and charging scheme in multi‐unmanned aerial vehicle ecosystem

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are autonomous fliers, which can play different roles in modern day applications. In one of the important role, UAVs can act as aerial data forwarding nodes for communication range enhancement in remote areas. UAVs form a web of drones, which can be geo‐distributed across a large area to serve various applications. However, the two major contradicting challenges with respect to multi‐UAV networks are channel congestion and flight time enhancement. The use of effective data transmission techniques to handle congestion can lead to higher battery dissipation, which in turn end up in the reduction in flight time. However, it is utmost necessity to provide an effective framework, which can provide a viable solution for handling congestion in multi‐UAV networks while enhancing the flight time of UAVs. To handle these issues, software‐defined network (SDN)–enabled opportunistic offloading and charging scheme (SOOCS) in multi‐UAV ecosystem is designed in this paper. In this scheme, an opportunistic offloading scheme is proposed, which uses an SDN‐based control model to handle congestion issues. Apart from this, an opportunistic energy‐charging scheme is designed, wherein the UAVS can either replenish their batteries using solar plates or they can wirelessly charge energy from charging points deployed at various geo‐distributed locations. The proposed scheme is evaluated using a simulation‐based study over the realistic deployment of charging points in Chandigarh City, India. The results obtained show the superiority of SOOCS over other variants of its category in terms of end‐to‐end delay, throughput, and hand‐over latency.     

Efficient dissemination of personalized information using content-based multicast

There has been a surge of interest in the delivery of personalized information to users (e.g., personalized stocks or travel information), particularly as mobile users with limited terminal device capabilities increasingly desire updated and targeted information in real time. When the number of information recipients is large and there is sufficient commonality in their interests, as is often the case, IP multicast is an efficient way of delivering the information. However, IP multicast services do not consider the structure and semantics of the information in the multicast process. We propose the use of Content-Based Multicast (CBM) where extra content filtering is performed at the interior nodes of the IP multicast tree; this will reduce network bandwidth usage and delivery delay, as well as the computation required at the sources and sinks. We evaluate the situations in which CBM is advantageous. The benefits of CBM depend critically upon how well filters are placed at interior nodes of the IP multicast tree and the costs depend upon those introduced by filters themselves. Further, we consider the benefits of allowing the filters to be mobile so as to respond to user mobility or changes in user interests and the corresponding costs of filter mobility. The criterion that we consider is the total network bandwidth utilization. For this criterion, we develop an optimal filter placement algorithm, as well as a heuristic that executes faster than the optimal algorithm. We evaluate the algorithms by means of simulation experiments. Our results indicate that filters can be effective in substantially reducing bandwidth. We also find filter mobility is worthwhile if there is marked large-scale user mobility. We conclude with suggestions for further work.     

Design and Analysis of InGaN-GaN Modulation Doped Field-Effect Transistors (MODFETs) for Over 60 GHz Operation

A Modulation-Doped Field-Effect Transistor (MODFET) structure realized in InGaN-GaN material system is presented for the first time. An analytical model predicting the transport characteristics of the proposed MODFET structure is given in detail. Electron energy levels inside and outside the quantum well channel of the MODFET are evaluated. The two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) density in the channel is calculated by self-consistently solving Schrödinger and Poisson's equations simultaneously. Analytical results of the current-voltage and transconductance characteristics are presented. The unity-current gain cutoff frequency (f _T) of the proposed device is computed as a function of the gate voltage V _G . The results are compared well with experimental f _T value of a GaN/AlGaN HFET device. By scaling the gate length down to 0.25 μm the proposed InGaN-GaN MODFET can be operated up to about 80GHz. It is shown in this paper that InGaN-GaN system has small degradation in f _T as the operating temperature is increased from 300°K to 400°K.     

Radiation resistance of MBE-grown GaInP/GaAs-based solar cells

Proton irradiation-based degradation characteristics for molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) grown Ga_0·51In_0·49P/GaAs single-junction tandem solar cells of n/p configuration are reported. The cells were irradiated with 3-MeV protons up to fluences of 10¹³ cm⁻². The cells were characterized with current–voltage (I–V) measurements at AMO conditions, and with spectral measurements. The damage coefficient for the GaAs cells was calculated using numerical modelling by the PC-1D program, and the result was compared with the InP damage coefficient. By using the ‘displacement damage dose’ approach, the degradation characteristics were compared with the published data for InP and GaAs/Ge solar cells. In addition, these MBE results were compared with the radiation behavior of metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD)-grown Ga_0·51In_0·49P/GaAs single-, and double-junction solar cells of p/n configuration. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Removal of threading dislocations from patterned heteroepitaxial semiconductors by glide to sidewalls

We have shown that threading dislocations can be removed from patterned heteroepitaxial semiconductors by glide to the sidewalls, which is driven by the presence of image forces. In principle, it should be possible to attain highly mismatched heteroepitaxial semiconductors which are completely free from threading dislocations, even though they are not pseudomorphic, by patterned heteroepitaxial processing. There are two basic approaches to patterned heteroepitaxial processing. The first involves selective area growth on a pre-patterned substrate. The second approach involves post-growth patterning followed by annealing. We have developed a quantitative model which predicts that there is a maximum lateral dimension for complete removal of threading dislocations by patterned heteroepitaxy. According to our model, this maximum lateral dimension is proportional to the layer thickness and increases monotonically with the lattice mismatch. For heteroepitaxial materials with greater than 1% lattice mismatch, our model predicts that practical device-sized threading dislocation-free regions may be realized by patterned heteroepitaxial processing.     

A Markov random field model for classification of multisourcesatellite imagery

A general model for multisource classification of remotely sensed data based on Markov random fields (MRF) is proposed. A specific model for fusion of optical images, synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images, and GIS (geographic information systems) ground cover data is presented in detail and tested. The MRF model exploits spatial class dependencies (spatial context) between neighboring pixels in an image, and temporal class dependencies between different images of the same scene. By including the temporal aspect of the data, the proposed model is suitable for detection of class changes between the acquisition dates of different images. The performance of the proposed model is investigated by fusing Landsat TM images, multitemporal ERS-1 SAR images, and GIS ground-cover maps for land-use classification, and on agricultural crop classification based on Landsat TM images, multipolarization SAR images, and GIS crop field border maps. The performance of the MRF model is compared to a simpler reference fusion model. On an average, the MRF model results in slightly higher (2%) classification accuracy when the same data is used as input to the two models. When GIS field border data is included in the MRF model, the classification accuracy of the MRF model improves by 8%. For change detection in agricultural areas, 75% of the actual class changes are detected by the MRF model, compared to 62% for the reference model. Based on the well-founded theoretical basis of Markov random field models for classification tasks and the encouraging experimental results in our small-scale study, the authors conclude that the proposed MRF model is useful for classification of multisource satellite imagery     

Experimental investigations on solar chimney for room ventilation

Experimental investigations on a small size solar chimney show that the rate of ventilation increases with increase of the ratio between height of absorber and gap between glass and absorber. This finding is in agreement with results of the steady-state mathematical model developed for analysis of such systems. Nine different combination of absorber height and air gap have been investigated on the experimental set-up. Highest rate of ventilation induced with the help of solar energy was found to be 5.6 air change per hour in a room of 27 m³, at solar radiation 700 W/m² on vertical surface with the stack height-air gap ratio of 2.83 for a 1 m high chimney.