Simplified characterization of uniaxial and biaxial nonlinearoptical crystals: a plea for standardization of nomenclature andconventions

Standards which eliminate ambiguity in reporting nonlinear phenomena, especially in the increasingly complex realm of biaxial crystals, are proposed. In order to restore uniformity to the designation of crystallographic axes and crystal tensor properties, adoption of IEEE/ANSI Std. 176, with a small but much needed modification for crystal class mm2, is recommended. For the reporting of nonlinear interaction characteristics, other frames are proposed which result in simpler rules than heretofore given for categorizing phase-matching loci, and for characterizing eigenmode polarizations, double refraction, effective nonlinear coupling, and first- and second-order acceptance bandwidths (angular, spectral, thermal) along these loci. Similarities as well as differences between biaxial and uniaxial crystals are emphasized     

Buck converter small-signal models and dynamics: comparison ofquasi-resonant and pulsewidth modulated switches

The generalized canonical model obtained from extended state-space averaging is used as a design tool for the evaluation of the buck converter dynamics in different switching schemes. Designs are given at a specified constant conversion ratio and load for the pulse width modulated, zero current, zero voltage, and nonlinear resonant switch full- and half-wave converters. The small signal equivalent circuit model is discussed, and the feedback effects introduced by resonant switching on line and control transfer functions are evaluated. The small signal transfer functions of half-wave converters are heavily load-current dependent, and exhibit significant damping at light loads, which can result in two real poles in the converter response instead of a complex conjugate pair. This damping effect is evaluated over the entire normalized load current range for the linear and nonlinear zero-current switching converters. Simple approximate expressions are given for the real poles. Experimental verification of the half-wave analysis is presented, and the effects of converter efficiency on model accuracy are discussed     

Use of electric power in glass melting

The advantages and disadvantages of electric furnaces for melting frits and enamels and glasses for special applications were examined. It was shown that low-efficiency electric furnaces are more economical than furnaces heated by organic fuel. The main advantage of electric furnaces is the reduction in harmful emissions.Translated from Steklo i Keramika, Nos. 3–4, pp. 8–10, March–April, 1994.     

Duality transformations for general bi-isotropic (nonreciprocalchiral) media

The transformation is defined to leave a given bi-isotropic medium invariant, whence it is self-dual in this transformation. It is shown that duality transformations always exist in pairs, labeled as left-hand and right-hand transformations. Self-dual fields are seen to be generalizations of the wave fields E± applied in the analysis of reciprocal chiral media. It is demonstrated that plane wave propagation and reflection problems in bi-isotropic media can be solved easily in terms of self-dual field decompositions. Nonreciprocity is seen to give rise to effects like polarization rotation in reflection, which cannot be interpreted in terms of reciprocal chiral media     

Constrained feed technique for subarrays of large phased arrays

A technique is presented which combines the subarraying qualities of constrained dual transform beamforming sections and partial overlapping networks to produce arrays of contiguous subarrays. This approach is shown to facilitate wideband scanning or limited field of view coverage with a minimum number of controls and low sidelobes     

The Solar System Modeler

The authors undertook the Solar System Modeler project to improve comprehension and appreciation of the size, complexity, and splendor of the solar system. To do so, the Solar System Modeler must (1) accurately portray the orbital behavior of satellites, planets, comets, and other celestial bodies, and (2) function in a distributed virtual environment. Additionally, the system needs to: provide a flexible, 3D graphical user interface for immersive operation; assist the user in comprehending the state of the virtual environment; accurately portray the stars and their locations; graphically model all bodies throughout the solar system in 3D and to the same scale; and maintain an interactive frame rate. They describe how they met these requirements     

Nonlinear Kerr interactions between modulated waves propagating ina single-mode fiber

The interactions induced by the nonlinear refractive index in a single-mode optical fiber (Kerr effect) between a modulated wave and a carrier wave have been investigated for amplitude shift keying (ASK), frequency shift keying (FSK), and phase shift keying (PSK). The theoretical analysis, based on a time-domain solution, exploits the well-known formalism of self-phase modulation to describe the propagation of the input electric field in the fiber. The theoretical results were validated experimentally for amplitude- and phase-modulated waves with heterodyne detection techniques. These experiments mimic a coherent transmission system and allow the measurement of the spectrum of each of the waves that participate in the nonlinear interaction     

IEEE standard 802.16: a technical overview of theWirelessMANTM air interface for broadband wirelessaccess

The broadband wireless access industry, which provides high-rate network connections to stationary sites, has matured to the point at which it now has a standard for second-generation wireless metropolitan area networks. The IEEE standard 802.16, with its WirelessMAN^TM air interface, sets the stage for widespread and effective deployments worldwide. This article overviews the technical medium access control and physical layer features of this new standard