Fundamental quantum 1/f noise in semiconductor devices

The quantum 1/f noise theory has been developed in the last two decades and has been applied to 1/f noise suppression in various electronic devices. This theory derives fundamental quantum fluctuations present in the elementary processes of physics at the level of the quantum mechanical cross sections and process rates. This paper demonstrates the basic simplicity of the theory with an elementary physical derivation followed by a short derivation of the conventional quantum 1/f effect in second quantization, for an arbitrary number of particles N defining the scattered current in the final state. A new derivation of the coherent quantum 1/f effect is also included. No adjustable parameters are present in the quantum 1/f theory. Practical applications to semiconductor materials, p-n junctions, SQUID's and quartz resonators are presented. Optimal design principles based on the quantum 1/f theory are described and explained     

Dielectric analysis of light-curing dental restorative materials—a pilot study

This study tested the potentiality of dielectric analysis (DEA) for determining the reaction performance of light-curing dental resins. The influence of polymerisation conditions and material properties on the ion viscosity were investigated within a current field. The restoratives were light-cured for 20, 40 or 60 s in a layer thickness between 1, 2 , or 3 mm with a varying distance between curing light and specimen of 1, 3 or 5 mm. The tests were performed at 25°C/37°C with different polymerisation modes. Nine restoratives (two composites and their derivate flowables, two ormocers, one compomer, one nano-filled composite and one siloran) were investigated. The ion-viscosity-time graph was analysed to characterize reaction velocity and polymerisation conversion. The slope of the ion viscosity decreased with increasing distance between polymerisation light and specimen. The time of exposure affected the affinity and the conversion, with a polymerisation maximum at 40 s. A relation between thickness and reaction time and between polymerisation modus and conversion/velocity was found. The temperature influenced the reaction affinity. Different materials showed an individual curing performance. DEA-monitoring of the ion viscosity gives principal insight in the polymerisation reaction of light curing materials. Further investigations are necessary for identifying the relation between ion viscosity and polymerisation.     

Parameter Estimation Employing a Dual-Channel Sine-Wave Model Under a Gaussian Assumption

The CramÉr–Rao bound (CRB) is a lower bound on the error variance of any estimator. For a Gaussian scenario, the CRB is derived for a seven-parameter, dual-channel sine-wave model, which is a model relevant to applications such as impedance measurements and the estimation of particle size and velocity by laser anemometry. Four different parameterizations were considered: the common quadrature/in-phase and amplitude–phase models and two relative amplitude–phase models. The CRB indicated the achievable error variance of an unbiased estimator as a function of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), the number of samples, and noise power. A nonlinear least squares fit of the signal model to the collected data was employed. The problem at hand is separable and can be solved by a 1-D search followed by a linear least squares fit of the remaining parameters. The performance of the method was investigated with the aid of a simulation study, and the outcome was compared with that of the corresponding CRB and with a recently proposed seven-parameter fit. For high SNRs, the performance of the proposed method is close to optimal with an error variance close to the predictions made by the CRB.      

Nanoscale Engineering for Reducing Phase Noise in Electronic Devices

An investigation of electronic 1/f noise in ultrasmall devices and systems is presented, focused on nanoscale engineering of electronic devices for low phase noise. The investigation is based on the quantum 1/f formulas. Nanotechnology raises new questions of electronic noise, since fluctuations are more important in smaller devices. Based on the quantum 1/f noise theory, we find that in a certain transition range of sizes this general law is suspended, but reappears for 1/f noise in the nanometer domain, where the transition from coherent to conventional quantum 1/f effect is complete. The coherent and conventional quantum 1/f effects and their connection are briefly derived. The resulting quantum 1/f formulas are used to derive the 1/f noise of GaN/AlGaN MODFETs, resonant tunneling diodes, bulk acoustic wave and surface acoustic wave quartz resonators, microelectromechanical systems resonators,and spin valves. They are also used to calculate phase noise in these devices and in oscillators based on them, from first principles along with some classical noise sources. Device optimization is thus facilitated for ultrasmall devices.     

IEEE Standard 1057, Crame/spl acute/r-Rao bound and the parsimony principle

This paper deals with some fundamental properties of the sine-wave-fit algorithm included in IEEE Standards 1057 and 1241. Asymptotic Crame/spl acute/r-Rao bounds (CRBs) for three and four model parameters are derived under the Gaussian assumption. Further, the sine-wave-fitting properties of the algorithm are analyzed by the parsimony principle. A decision criterion whether to use the three- or four-parameter model is derived. It is shown that a three-parameter sine-wave fit produces a better fit than the four-parameter fit if the frequency is known to be within an interval related to the number of samples and the signal-to-noise ratio. By a numerical analysis, the theoretical results are shown to be also valid for the uniform noise model of quantization.     

Germ cell loss in the XXY male mouse: altered X-chromosome dosage affects prenatal development

Attempts to describe the clinical heterogeneity of schizophrenia have consisted of categorical subtyping and a dimensional approach using factor analysis. The latter has yielded three dimensions or subsyndromes: positive, negative and disorganisation. The aim of this study is to explore to what degree these subsyndromes are correlated within 114 sibling pairs (185 individuals) with DSM-III-R schizophrenia or schizo-affective disorder who were assessed for the lifetime presence or absence of the positive, negative, affective and disorganisation subsyndromes. Ratings were based on the core symptoms of each subsyndrome using a modified Krawieka scale. First rank symptoms were also included in the analysis. Coincidence was assessed by application of the binomial theorem to the frequency of occurrence of subsyndromes in this set of siblings. The disorganisation subsyndrome was shared above chance expectation (chi2=9.15, P < 0.01 for all sibling pairs). The significant results for the disorganisation subsyndrome suggest that it may be a suitable phenotypic marker for genetic linkage studies.     

Colour stability of provisional crown and bridge restoration materials

OBJECTIVE: In an in vitro study to determine the colour stability of provisional restoration materials, the PMMA synthetics Trimm and Cronsin and the bis-acrylic composites Protemp Garant, Protemp Garant NF, Protemp II and Provipont DC were investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The colour changes of the cylindrical untreated samples were measured in comparison with samples after 24 and 72 hours of artificial ageing in a Suntest CPS+ UV ageing device using the Minolta CM 3500d spectrophotometer according to the CIE-L*a*b* system. RESULTS: Trimm (light), Cronsin (brown, yellow and universal), Provipont DC (yellow) and Protemp Garant NF (extra light) displayed the greatest discoloration with values > or = 4-21 delta E, where discoloration toward yellow could be discerned. The remaining materials showed lower luminance reflectance values of < or = 1-4 delta E, and therefore greater colour stability. CONCLUSIONS: Because of their colour stability the materials Cronsin (grey), Protemp Garant (yellow), Protemp II (light), Protemp Garant NF (yellow, light and extra light) could also be used as long-term interim prosthetics.     

Response properties of saccade-related burst neurons in the central mesencephalic reticular formation

We studied the activity of saccade-related burst neurons in the central mesencephalic reticular formation (cMRF) in awake behaving monkeys. In experiment 1, we examined the activity of single neurons while monkeys performed an average of 225 delayed saccade trials that evoked gaze shifts having horizontal and vertical amplitudes between 2 and 20 degrees . All neurons studied generated high-frequency bursts of activity during some of these saccades. For each neuron, the duration and frequency of these bursts of activity reached maximal values when the monkey made movements within a restricted range of horizontal and vertical amplitudes. The onset of the movement followed the onset of the burst by the longest intervals for movements within a restricted range of horizontal and vertical amplitudes. The range of movements for which this interval was longest varied from neuron to neuron. Across the population, these ranges included nearly all contraversive saccades with horizontal and vertical amplitudes between 2 and 20 degrees. In experiment 2, we used the following task to examine the low-frequency prelude of activity that cMRF neurons generate before bursting: the monkey was required to fixate a light-emitting diode (LED) while two eccentric visual stimuli were presented. After a delay, the color of the fixation LED was changed, identifying one of the two eccentric stimuli as the saccadic target. After a final unpredictable delay, the fixation LED was extinguished and the monkey was reinforced for redirecting gaze to the identified saccadic target. Some cMRF neurons fired at a low frequency during the interval after the fixation LED changed color but before it was extinguished. For many neurons, the firing rate during this interval was related to the metrics of the movement the monkey made at the end of the trial and, to a lesser degree, to the location of the eccentric stimulus to which a movement was not directed.     

Effect of hyperventilation on regional cerebral blood flow in head-injured children

OBJECTIVES: To study cerebral blood flow and cerebral oxygen consumption in severe head-injured children and also to assess the effect of hyperventilation on regional cerebral blood flow. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Pediatric intensive care unit at a tertiary-level university children's hospital. PATIENTS: Twenty-three children with isolated severe brain injury, whose admission Glasgow Coma Scores were <8. INTERVENTIONS: PaCO2 was adjusted by altering minute ventilation. Cerebral metabolic measurements were made at three levels of PaCO2 (>35, 25 to 35, and <25 torr [>4.7, 3.3 to 4.7, and <3.3 kPa]) after allowing 15 mins for equilibrium. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Thirty-eight studies (each study consisting of three sets of measurements at different levels of PaCO2) were performed on 23 patients. At each level of PaCO2, the following measurements were made: xenon-enhanced computed tomography scans; cerebral blood flow; intracranial pressure; jugular venous bulb oxygen saturation; mean arterial pressure; and arterial oxygen saturation. Derived variables included: cerebral oxygen consumption; cerebral perfusion pressure; and oxygen extraction ratio. Cerebral blood flow decreased below normal after head injury (mean 49.6 +/- 14.6 mL/min/100 g). Cerebral oxygen consumption decreased out of proportion to the decrease in cerebral blood flow; cerebral oxygen consumption was only a third of the normal range (mean 1.02 +/- 0.59 mL/min/100 g). Neither cerebral blood flow nor cerebral oxygen consumption showed any relationship to time after injury, Glasgow Coma Score at the time of presentation, or intracranial pressure. The frequency of one or more regions of ischemia (defined as cerebral blood flow of <18 mL/min/100 g) was 28.9% during normocapnia. This value increased to 73.1% for PaCO2 at <25 torr. CONCLUSIONS: Severe head injury in children produced a modest decrease in cerebral blood flow but a much larger decrease in cerebral oxygen consumption. Absolute hyperemia was uncommon at any time, but measured cerebral blood flow rates were still above the metabolic requirements of most children. The clear relationship between the frequency of cerebral ischemia and hypocarbia, combined with the rarity of hyperemia, suggests that hyperventilation should be used with caution and monitored carefully in children with severe head injuries.     

Frequency rate estimation at high SNR

The problem of estimating the frequency rate-of-change of complex-valued frequency-modulated signals from noisy observations is considered. The performance of four related estimators is studied, both analytically and by means of simulations, and their relationship to the estimators proposed by Djuric and Kay (1990) and Lang and Musicus (1989) is established