Electronic Switching Research Articles

Scalable SOA-based Banyan optical space switch on InP membrane on silicon (IMOS)

Optical switches (OS) are vital for meeting modern data centers’ capacity and latency needs, overcoming the bandwidth and speed limitations that electronic switches encounter. To this end, this work proposes a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA)-based OS on the IMOS, a unique platform with a combination of high refractive index contrast for compactness and monolithic active-passive integration for active functionalities, thereby enabling the creation of compact SOA-based OSes. An 8 × 8 Banyan SOA-based OS is integrated on a 4 × 4 mm2 area on the standard 4 × 6 mm2 IMOS cell. This marks the first application of the IMOS technology platform for SOA-based OSes and sets the stage for compact and large-scale monolithic photonic integrated OS circuits. The basic 2 × 2 switch module delivers a high optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) and an extinction ratio (ER) above 45 dB. Employing NRZ-OOK routing on the 2 × 2 basic OS module, a 15 dB input power dynamic range (IPDR) is achieved within a 1 dB power penalty at 12.5 Gb/s. Data routing at higher data rates of 25 Gb/s and 40 Gb/s incurs power penalties of 0.8 and 1.4 dB, respectively. Furthermore, data routing for a 3-stage 8 × 8 switch operating at 25 Gb/s results in a power penalty of 1.2 dB. Compared to the 1-stage 2 × 2 switch, only a 0.4 dB additional penalty is observed despite incorporating 2 additional SOAs in the cascade. This indicates that the switch can scale to higher radix to accommodate multi-stage switches with numerous ports, large bandwidth, and fast speed, which is essential in modern large-scale data centers.

Achieving Ultrahigh Efficiency of Triboelectric Nanogenerator Energy Harvesting Systems via Hybrid Electronic‐Spark Power Management

AbstractSignificant efforts are devoted to optimizing the efficiency of triboelectric energy harvesting systems, particularly through the design of an advanced power management system (PMS) for Triboelectric Nanoenerators (TENGs). A critical aspect of PMS is the design and control of switches. However, existing switches face significant limitations. For spark switches, precise control cannot be achieved, and electronic switches can only operate at voltages below several hundred volts which is limited by the risk of electrical breakdown. To address these limitations, a hybrid electronic‐spark switch power management system (HESS) is proposed. HESS changes the connection of capacitors from parallel to series by deploying a maximum voltage tracking switch components at the peak voltage point, resulting in a much‐elevated voltage level to activate the spark switch. This approach achieves precise control of the spark switch for the first time and significantly reduces the operating voltage of electronic switches. Through simulation and experimental verification, HESS achieves the control at a voltage level of 1.8 kV for spark switch, with an electrical component breakdown voltage of only 450 V. The power density of the HESS is 29.8 mW Hz−1 m−2, which is a new record for electronic switches.

Mott resistive switching initiated by topological defects

Avalanche resistive switching is the fundamental process that triggers the sudden change of the electrical properties in solid-state devices under the action of intense electric fields. Despite its relevance for information processing, ultrafast electronics, neuromorphic devices, resistive memories and brain-inspired computation, the nature of the local stochastic fluctuations that drive the formation of metallic regions within the insulating state has remained hidden. Here, using operando X-ray nano-imaging, we have captured the origin of resistive switching in a V2O3-based device under working conditions. V2O3 is a paradigmatic Mott material, which undergoes a first-order metal-to-insulator phase transition together with a lattice transformation that breaks the threefold rotational symmetry of the rhombohedral metallic phase. We reveal a new class of volatile electronic switching triggered by nanoscale topological defects appearing in the shear-strain based order parameter that describes the insulating phase. Our results pave the way to the use of strain engineering approaches to manipulate such topological defects and achieve the full dynamical control of the electronic Mott switching. Topology-driven, reversible electronic transitions are relevant across a broad range of quantum materials, comprising transition metal oxides, chalcogenides and kagome metals.

Electrochemically-Switched Microwave Response of MXene in Organic Electrolyte.

The increasingly complex electromagnetic (EM) environment necessitates advanced electrically controllable electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials that can adapt to varying EM conditions. This study develops a flexible electrochemically tunable EMI shielding device based on ultrathin Ti3C2Tx MXene films, exhibiting reversible shielding effectiveness (SE) modulation from 18.9 to 26.2dB in X band at 0.1 and -1.5V. Unlike the previously reported mechanism relying on interlayer spacing adjustments, the work leverages transformations of charging state and surface chemistry for tunability during the electrochemical process. The Ti3C2Tx flake size is also evidenced to play a crucial role, with smaller flakes offering higher absorption modulation despite lower SE modulation, enabling the device with high designability. When integrated with Salisbury screen structure, the device achieves adjustable absorption from 93.560% at 0.1V to 99.996% at -1V, showing a tunable reflection suppression ratio up to 32dB with an effective bandwidth of 4.2GHz. Additionally, incorporating resonant cavity structure enables absorption-dominated (over 90%) microwave-responsive switching at 0.1 and -1.5V. This work highlights significant potential of adaptive EMI shielding materials for applications in smart electronic protection, EM switch, and radar camouflage.

Hybrid DC circuit breaker power supply system with load constant voltage self‐balancing design

AbstractPower electronic switches (PES) play a crucial role in transferring and clearing fault currents in hybrid DC circuit breakers. The PES encounters switching transients that require a dependable external power source. Usually, a power supply system utilizes an isolation transformer and many magnetic rings. However, the existence of inconsistent parameters might easily cause an imbalance in load power, which could potentially result in power supply failure for the loads. Therefore, to enhance the reliability of power supply, this study proposes a load constant voltage self‐balancing design approach that utilizes feedback circuits to achieve stability and balance in load voltage. At first, two feedback circuits are shown, and the analytical formulas for load active power and load voltage are derived. Moreover, a parameter design methodology is shown for the equivalent circuit of the magnetic rings in the power supply. Additionally, a power supply system is built with 24 V outputs. In conclusion, this study utilizes simulations and tests to assess the effectiveness of the proposed power supply system by analysing its performance during start‐up, load power‐off, and steady‐state operations.

Review of recent trends of advancements in multilevel inverter topologies with reduced power switches and control techniques

AbstractCurrently, multilevel inverters (MLI) are comprehensively used to integrate renewable energy sources with the grid or high‐power applications. MLI has outstanding properties such as high‐level output voltage with tremendous power quality and negligible harmonics distortion. General MLI topologies have a more complex circuit, high overall cost and installation area. Due to a large number of power switches and isolation of control circuit, fewer power electronic switches and DC source along with its suitable control logic is the need of the hour. Therefore, a lot of research scope exists in this area. Here, some of the topologies with a fewer number of power switches are reviewed and scrutinized. An extensive analysis of the topologies, control strategy and applications are presented here, suggesting suitable multilevel inverter solutions to the known industrial application or new research.

Design of high performances electronically reconfigurable antenna arrays by means of parasitic structures and RF-MEMS switches

AbstractThis work explores the development of smart array antennas, able to electronically change their beam patterns through reconfigurable linear, planar, or conformal parasitic structures controlled by mean of a set of electronic switches namely the radio frequency micro-electromechanical switches (RF-MEMS). The motivation of this study is to extend and make competitive the use of reconfigurable antenna arrays in areas such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and wireless sensor networks. These hot research areas require a capillary distribution of sensors characterized by compact dimensions and limited cost. The radiating systems play a key role in such applications since the improvement of the radiating properties can dramatically reduce the power consumption of such sensors and extend their operative range. Standard smart antenna arrays such as phased, or fully adaptive arrays are extremely expensive, expensive and difficult to control. In this work, the use of smart reconfigurable antenna arrays that do not require expensive digital variable phase shifters and attenuators has been considered. The proposed antenna structures are based on reconfigurable parasitic structures, that thanks to suitable RF-MEMs switches are able to obtain a desired beam pattern, by steering the main beam in a given direction, removing eventually interfering signals and maximizing the signal-to-noise ratio SNR. The versatility, simplicity, and low cost of such antennas make them particularly suitable for the emergent wireless sensor networks and IoT applications. Theoretical background, design guidelines, and suggestions for their fabrication are detailed in this work. Some antenna models for different practical applications are designed, optimized, numerically assessed with commercial electromagnetic simulators, and commented to provide a valid alternative to researchers involved in antenna design for IoT applications.

Large‐Scale High‐Density Multimode Optical Switch Matrix

AbstractOptical switching technology is emerging as a solution to the limitations of traditional electronic switching. Combining optical switching with mode‐division multiplexing effectively overcomes the limitations of expanding switching capacity solely by increasing the number of ports. This paper introduces a compact four‐mode 2 × 2 optical switch and a four‐mode reconfigurable non‐blocking 4 × 4 optical switch matrix based on the Beneš architecture. The multimode 2 × 2 switch achieves an extinction ratio larger than 15 dB for all modes in the wavelength range of 1530–1590 nm. The multimode 4 × 4 switch matrix has an extinction ratio exceeding 9 dB for all modes and states in the C‐band, with a compact size (1.46 × 0.23 mm2) and low power consumption (0–154 mW). It supports high‐integrity 50 Gbaud PAM4 signal transmission with a bit error rate below the forward error correction limit. These devices pave the way for enhanced integration density and capacity in optical switching systems.

VOLTAGE FLICKER MITIGATION USING GTOBASED STATCOM TO IMPROVE POWER QUALITY OF A MULTI MACHINE SYSTEM

Transmission networks of modern power systems are becoming increasingly stressed because of growing demand and restrictions on building new lines. One of the consequences of such a stressed system is the threat of losing stability following a disturbance. Flexible ac transmission system (FACTS) devices are found to be very effective in a transmission network for better utilization of its existing facilities without sacrificing the desired stability margin. FACTS such as Static Synchronous Compensator (STATCOM), employ the latest technology of power electronic switching devices in electric power transmission systems to control voltage and power flow. The STATCOM adjusts voltage at its terminal by managing the amount of reactive power injected into or absorbed from the power supply. When the system voltage is low, STATCOM creates reactive power; when the system voltage is high, STATCOM absorbs reactive power. In this paper STATCOM controllers are designed for improving transient stability of multi machine systems. Proposed controllers are implemented under MATLAB/SIMULNK environment. Results of PI based controllers installed with multi machine system is found to be better on comparison with conventional system.

The Development of a Novel Transient Signal Analysis: A Wavelet Transform Approach

This paper presents a new method for the analysis of transient signals in the frequency domain based on the Continuous Wavelet Transform (CWT). The proposed case study involves test signals measured from an electronic switch considering open and close operations. The source is connected to inductive, resistive, and capacitive loads. Resonance behaviors are introduced and compared with the Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT). Multiple factors, such as reliability, repeatability, high noise attenuation, and the smoothing of the analyzed spectrum, are considered in this study. This proposed study highlights the effectiveness of CWT in signal processing, especially in obtaining a detailed spectrum that reveals the behavior of electrical circuits. Resonance behaviors were analyzed, demonstrating that the signal processing performed by CWT is better for spectrum analysis than DFT. This study shows the potential of CWT to analyze transient electrical signals, specifically for identifying and characterizing the behavior of load connections and disconnections.

基于PTO协议的变量喷雾系统设计与试验

The aim of this research is to address the issues of low precision in variable spraying within the existing farmland application system, whereby nozzles cannot be controlled independently and low pesticide utilisation is observed. A variable spraying system based on PTO protocol has been designed. The system comprises an STM32 microcontroller as the control core, including the host computer, multi-channel controller, electronic switch, and electromagnetic spray nozzle. The master control unit receives the spray amount set by the user and calculates the duty cycle of the corresponding nozzle, which is then sent to the multiplex controller in real time through CAN communication. The multiplex controller adjusts the on-off frequency and duty cycle of each electromagnetic nozzle in real time according to the duty cycle of the corresponding nozzle it receives, thus enabling the nozzles to be controlled independently. This study offers theoretical and technical support for the independent control of spray nozzles and the optimisation of pesticide utilisation for variable spray systems based on PTO protocols.

Piezoelectric nanogenerator enabled fully self-powered instantaneous wireless sensor system

Self-powered real-time wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are vital for smart manufacturing, intelligent healthcare, and smart cities etc. Various nanogenerators have extensively exploited for powering these systems. Compared with triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs), piezoelectric nanogenerators (PENGs) have smaller dimensions and can be easier to integrate into ICs, offering broader applications. However, fully self-powered instantaneous wireless sensor systems with PENGs are yet to be realized. Here, we present a PENG based, self-powered, instantaneous wireless (PSIW) sensor system. The integration of the PENG with an RLC sensing circuit facilitates the spontaneous generation of oscillating signals with encoded sensing information. To address the high internal impedance issue of PENGs, a piezoelectric voltage driven electronic switch is employed, ensuring that the oscillating signal's frequency and amplitude remain highly stable. The effects of variables on signal frequency are investigated in detail. The sensor system is utilized to sense bending (strain), and to monitor physical actions such as elbow swing, wrist bending, walking, running etc. Results showed that the PSIW sensor system can effectively monitor strain and bending angles, and judiciously detect body’s physical movements. By employing either frequency-based or amplitude-based sensing methods, the PSIW sensor system demonstrates versatility and adaptability for various sensing applications.

Engineering of TiN/ZnO/SnO2/ZnO/Pt multilayer memristor with advanced electronic synapses and analog switching for neuromorphic computing

The two-terminal memristor is a promising neuromorphic artificial electronic device, mirroring biological synapses in structure and replicating various synaptic functions. Despite its advantages, challenges in achieving high reliability, gradual switching, and low energy consumption hinder progress in neuromorphic devices. This study explores electronic synapses and simulates analog switching in a Pt/TiN/ZnO/SnO2/ZnO/Pt multilayer (ML) configuration, featuring a ∼3 nm SnO2 layer between ZnO layers. Results show enhanced cycling endurance (more than 250 cycles), resistance window (102), tunable synaptic plasticity, and multilevel switching. ML memristors exhibit low coefficient of variation (4.5 %) in set voltage, low energy consumption (set = ∼0.12 nj, reset = ∼0.1 nj), and fast switching speeds (set = 300 ns, reset = 200 ns), suitable for high-density memory and neuromorphic systems. They successfully emulate synaptic functions, including paired-pulse facilitation (PPF), spike voltage-dependent plasticity (SVDP), spike width-dependent plasticity (SWDP), spike frequency-dependent plasticity (SFDP), and post-tetanic potentiation (PTP). Modulating pulse amplitude and width achieves multilevel conductance in long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD). Using nonlinear conductance data, a 96.5 % image pattern recognition accuracy is achieved in a deconvolution neural network (DNN) simulation. These results highlight the ML memristor's potential in efficient neuromorphic computing systems.

Three Phase Two-Arm Hybrid Active Filter Using Two Feedforward Loops with Self Tuning Filter for Elimination of 5th and 7th Harmonic Frequency

A novel topology for three-phase three-wire hybrid power filter with two-arm is proposed, this hybrid filter configured by a classical active filter consisting of two-arm bridge using two power electronic switches for each arm and two DC capacitors located in the DC side of the power converter, this topology uses less number of power electronic switches that allow to reduce the manufacturing cost. The active filter connected in series with a passive filter. The nonlinear load is a diode rectifier feeding a (R, C) parallel load. The proposed method is based on self-tuning filter placed in both feedback and feedforward loops dedicated to eliminate the 5th and 7th harmonics frequency. The feedforward loop consists in two branches, one to remove the 5th harmonic and the other one to remove 7th harmonic frequency. The use of self-tuning filter simplifies the control scheme by reducing the number of extraction filters, used in classical feedback and feedforward loops. More, in this case, no phase locked loop is necessary for the feedforward loop. The effectiveness of this new proposed scheme has been verified by computer simulation.

Dynamic frequency switching of a bandstop reconfigurable frequency selective surface with PIN diodes for C/X and Ku-band shielding applications

This paper presents a reconfigurable bandstop frequency selective surface (R-FSS) design capable of switching across C, X and Ku-bands. The electronic switching mechanism is achieved in real-time through PIN diodes. The combination of rectangular loops is selected as unit-cell and PIN diodes are strategically placed to dynamically adjust the bandstop region. The device operates in three distinct modes corresponding to the activation status of the PIN-diodes. For TE polarization, Mode 1 encompasses the Ku-bandstop (12.64–14.75 GHz), Mode 2 corresponds to the C/X-bandstop (6.62–11.28 GHz), and Mode 3 involves the X-bandstop (9.82–11.63 GHz), whereas X-bandstop characteristic is observed for TM polarization (9.054–––11.29 GHz). In TE polarization, each configuration is defined by specific equivalent circuit models, featuring an inductance in parallel with series L-C resonant circuit, an L-C resonant circuit in parallel with the inductance, and two L-C resonant circuits in parallel, respectively. Additionally, for TM polarization, the configuration incorporates two parallel L-C resonant circuits. A prototype of the proposed R-FSS is fabricated and measured. The results demonstrated effective switching operation across the C, X and Ku-band stopbands, depending on the biasing of the PIN diodes. The experimental outcomes are consistent with the simulation results, affirming the compatibility and functionality of the proposed R-FSS design.

Toward Practical Single-Molecule/Atom Switches.

Electronic switches have been considered to be one of the most important components of contemporary electronic circuits for processing and storing digital information. Fabricating functional devices with building blocks of atomic/molecular switches can greatly promote the minimization of the devices and meet the requirement of high integration. This review highlights key developments in the fabrication and application of molecular switching devices. This overview offers valuable insights into the switching mechanisms under various stimuli, emphasizing structural and energy state changes in the core molecules. Beyond the molecular switches, typical individual metal atomic switches are further introduced. A critical discussion of the main challenges for realizing and developing practical molecular/atomic switches is provided. These analyses and summaries will contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the switch mechanisms, providing guidance for the rational design of functional nanoswitch devices toward practical applications.

Nanosecond Structural Dynamics during Electrical Melting of Charge Density Waves in 1T-TaS_{2}.

Electrical control of charge density waves has been of immense interest, as the strong underlying electron-lattice interactions potentially open new, efficient pathways for manipulating their ordering and, consequently, their electronic properties. However, the transition mechanisms are often unclear as electric field, current, carrier injection, heat, and strain can all contribute and play varying roles across length scales and timescales. Here, we provide insight on how electrical stimulation melts the room temperature charge density wave order in 1T-TaS_{2} by visualizing the atomic and mesoscopic structural dynamics from quasi-static to nanosecond pulsed melting. Using a newly developed ultrafast electron microscope setup with electrical stimulation, we reveal the order and strain dynamics during voltage pulses as short as 20ns. The order parameter dynamics across a range of pulse amplitudes and durations support a thermally driven mechanism even for fields as high as 19 kV cm^{-1}. In addition, time-resolved imaging reveals a heterogeneous, mesoscopic strain response across the flake, including MHz-scale acoustic resonances that emerge during sufficiently short pulsed excitation which may modulate the order. These results suggest that metallic charge density wave phases like studied here may be more robust to electronic switching pathways than insulating ones, motivating further investigations at higher fields and currents in this and other related systems.

A Low Frequency Power Amplifier Design Based on Output CapacitorLess Circuit

This low-frequency power amplifier utilizes the AT89S51 microcontroller as the main control chip. The system can be divided into several modules: power amplification circuit module, pre-amplification module, band-stop filtering module, protection circuit module, volume control module, power supply voltage, AC voltage, and AC current testing module, A/D conversion module, power module, and single-chip microcomputer subsystem control module. We chose class AB audio power amplifiers. To ensure circuit stability and higher fidelity, we selected the TDA2030 integrated chip to build the OCL power amplifier circuit, preventing efficiency from being too low. Through the control of single-chip microcomputer subsystem, it can measure and display output power, the supply power of the DC power source, and overall efficiency. This system utilizes electronic switches connected with band-stop filters, with the band-stop frequency ranging from 40～60Hz.

A grid-connected eleven-level power conversion interface

ABSTRACT This paper proposes a grid-connected eleven-level power conversion interface (GCELPCI) for renewable power systems. The proposed GCELPCI is composed of a four-port DC-DC power converter (FPDDPC) and an eleven-level inverter (ELI). The FPDDPC combines a boost power converter and a transformer with a turn ratio of 2:1 to generate multiple combinations of the output voltages for the DC bus voltage of the ELI. The ELI integrates an asymmetric voltage technique on a T-type inverter to further convert the DC output voltages of FPDDPC into eleven-level AC voltage. A sinusoidal current is generated by the proposed GCELPCI through the filter inductor and injected into the power grid. Only nine power electronic switches are used in the ELI to generate an eleven-level AC voltage, the number of power electronic switches is reduced to simplify the power circuit. In addition, the capacity of the filter inductor is reduced. A digital signal processor (DSP) and a complex programmable logic device (CPLD) chip are used as the digital controller to complete a hardware prototype to verify the performance of the proposed GCELI.

Switch fault identification scheme based on machine learning algorithms for PV-Fed three-phase neutral point clamped inverter

Any faults in power electronic switches must be detected and located promptly to certify the unchanging operation and reliability of multilevel inverter (MLI) systems. Machine learning (ML) techniques are increasingly being utilized to diagnose faults in MLIs due to their advantages, such as high precision, less calculation time, and reduced complexity. A faulty switch identification and phase identification method based on different ML classifiers is presented in this paper, explicitly targeting open-circuit faults in switches in a PV-fed 3-phase three-level Neutral Point Clamped (NPC) inverter. The NPC MLI output voltage and current signals are input signals to classify faults. The information or essential feature from the raw voltage and current data is extracted using a recursive discrete Fourier (RDF) followed by a discrete wavelet transform (DWT). Finally, the standard deviations of the approximate and detailed coefficients are used as input for ML algorithms. To do the comparative analysis, a variety of ML techniques are then applied to these features, including logistic regression (LR), random forest (RF), quadratic discriminate analysis (QDA), K-nearest neighbour (K-NN), and support vector machines (SVM). The experiment results indicate that the RF algorithms achieve the highest classification accuracy of 99.59 % for various switch fault conditions.