Passive Array Research Articles

A ferroelectric fin diode for robust non-volatile memory

Among today’s nonvolatile memories, ferroelectric-based capacitors, tunnel junctions and field-effect transistors (FET) are already industrially integrated and/or intensively investigated to improve their performances. Concurrently, because of the tremendous development of artificial intelligence and big-data issues, there is an urgent need to realize high-density crossbar arrays, a prerequisite for the future of memories and emerging computing algorithms. Here, a two-terminal ferroelectric fin diode (FFD) in which a ferroelectric capacitor and a fin-like semiconductor channel are combined to share both top and bottom electrodes is designed. Such a device not only shows both digital and analog memory functionalities but is also robust and universal as it works using two very different ferroelectric materials. When compared to all current nonvolatile memories, it cumulatively demonstrates an endurance up to 1010 cycles, an ON/OFF ratio of ~102, a feature size of 30 nm, an operating energy of ~20 fJ and an operation speed of 100 ns. Beyond these superior performances, the simple two-terminal structure and their self-rectifying ratio of ~ 104 permit to consider them as new electronic building blocks for designing passive crossbar arrays which are crucial for the future in-memory computing.

Optimization method of passive omnidirectional buoy array in on-call anti-submarine search based on improved NSGA-II

Passive omni-directional sonar buoys are extensively used as submarine detection devices in anti-submarine UAVs. Studying the problem of optimizing their deployment can effectively enhance their submarine detection capabilities, facilitating further anti-submarine operations. To maximize the search efficiency against quiet submarines during on-call submarine search, an optimization method based on an improved NSGA-II is proposed. First, considering the scenario in which the submarine's speed and approximate heading are known, the initial and postmaneuver position distribution are established. Second, the search efficiency models for a single sonar buoy and for a buoy array are established by the grid method. The effective positioning probability model is established by the LOFIX method. Third, the optimization model of buoy array deployment based on the improved NSGA-II is established with optimization objectives to maximize the submarine search probability and the effective positioning probability and minimize the delivery amount of the buoys. By introducing a probability selection operator, a hybrid crossover operator and an improved elite preservation strategy to enhance the NSGA-II, the global search capability of the algorithm is improved. Finally, the experimental results show that the improved NSGA-II can obtain effective optimal deployment solutions for the buoy array, and the optimal delivery amount and search probability change with changes in the scenario parameters.

Vocal fingerprinting reveals a substantially smaller global population of the Critically Endangered cao vit gibbon (Nomascus nasutus) than previously thought

The cao vit gibbon (Nomascus nasutus) is one of the rarest primates on Earth and now only survives in a single forest patch of less than 5000 ha on the Vietnam–China border. Accurate monitoring of the last remaining population is critical to inform ongoing conservation interventions and track conservation success over time. However, traditional methods for monitoring gibbons, involving triangulation of groups from their songs, are inherently subjective and likely subject to considerable measurement errors. To overcome this, we aimed to use ‘vocal fingerprinting’ to distinguish the different singing males in the population. During the 2021 population survey, we complemented the traditional observations made by survey teams with a concurrent passive acoustic monitoring array. Counts of gibbon group sizes were also assisted with a UAV-mounted thermal camera. After identifying eight family groups in the acoustic data and incorporating long-term data, we estimate that the population was comprised of 74 individuals in 11 family groups, which is 38% smaller than previously thought. We have no evidence that the population has declined—indeed it appears to be growing, with new groups having formed in recent years—and the difference is instead due to double-counting of groups in previous surveys employing the triangulation method. Indeed, using spatially explicit capture-recapture modelling, we uncovered substantial measurement error in the bearings and distances from field teams. We also applied semi- and fully-automatic approaches to clustering the male calls into groups, finding no evidence that we had missed any males with the manual approach. Given the very small size of the population, conservation actions are now even more urgent, in particular habitat restoration to allow the population to expand. Our new population estimate now serves as a more robust basis for informing management actions and tracking conservation success over time.

Purely self-rectifying memristor-based passive crossbar array for artificial neural network accelerators

Memristor-integrated passive crossbar arrays (CAs) could potentially accelerate neural network (NN) computations, but studies on these devices are limited to software-based simulations owing to their poor reliability. Herein, we propose a self-rectifying memristor-based 1 kb CA as a hardware accelerator for NN computations. We conducted fully hardware-based single-layer NN classification tasks involving the Modified National Institute of Standards and Technology database using the developed passive CA, and achieved 100% classification accuracy for 1500 test sets. We also investigated the influences of the defect-tolerance capability of the CA, impact of the conductance range of the integrated memristors, and presence or absence of selection functionality in the integrated memristors on the image classification tasks. We offer valuable insights into the behavior and performance of CA devices under various conditions and provide evidence of the practicality of memristor-integrated passive CAs as hardware accelerators for NN applications.

Impact of Lossy Compression Errors on Passive Seismic Data Analyses

Abstract New technologies such as low-cost nodes and distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) are making it easier to continuously collect broadband, high-density seismic monitoring data. To reduce the time to move data from the field to computing centers, reduce archival requirements, and speed up interactive data analysis and visualization, we are motivated to investigate the use of lossy compression on passive seismic array data. In particular, there is a need to not only just quantify the errors in the raw data but also the characteristics of the spectra of these errors and the extent to which these errors propagate into results such as detectability and arrival-time picks of microseismic events. We compare three types of lossy compression: sparse thresholded wavelet compression, zfp compression, and low-rank singular value decomposition compression. We apply these techniques to compare compression schemes on two publicly available datasets: an urban dark fiber DAS experiment and a surface DAS array above a geothermal field. We find that depending on the level of compression needed and the importance of preserving large versus small seismic events, different compression schemes are preferable.

Passive Receiver Array Illuminated by a Near-Field Local Oscillator

Passive Receiver Array Illuminated by a Near-Field Local Oscillator

Adapted MLP-Mixer network based on crossbar arrays of fast and multilevel switching (Co-Fe-B)x(LiNbO3)100-x nanocomposite memristors.

MLP-Mixer based on multilayer perceptrons (MLPs) is a novel architecture of a neuromorphic computing system (NCS) introduced for image classification tasks without convolutional layers. Its software realization demonstrates high classification accuracy, although the number of trainable weights is relatively low. One more promising way of improving the NCS performance, especially in terms of power consumption, is its hardware realization using memristors. Therefore, in this work, we proposed an NCS with an adapted MLP-Mixer architecture and memristive weights. For this purpose, we used a passive crossbar array of (Co-Fe-B)x(LiNbO3)100-x memristors. Firstly, we studied the characteristics of such memristors, including their minimal resistive switching time, which was extrapolated to be in the picosecond range. Secondly, we created a fully hardware NCS with memristive weights that are capable of classification of simple 4-bit vectors. The system was shown to be robust to noise introduction in the input patterns. Finally, we used experimental memristive characteristics to simulate an adapted MLP-Mixer architecture that demonstrated a classification accuracy of (94.7 ± 0.3)% on the Modified National Institute of Standards and Technology (MNIST) dataset. The obtained results are the first steps toward the realization of memristive NCS with a promising MLP-Mixer architecture.

Noncircular Signal Tracking With Distributed Passive Arrays: Combining Data Fusion and Extended Kalman Filter

Noncircular Signal Tracking With Distributed Passive Arrays: Combining Data Fusion and Extended Kalman Filter

Contactless wheat foreign material monitoring and localization with passive RFID tag arrays

In the early stage of harvesting, transportation, and storage, the grain could be mingled with clods from the field, metal pieces from aging machines, and other objects of foreign material, which will greatly influence the grain quality and food security. In this paper, we propose a novel radio frequency (RF) sensing system termed TagSee, which utilizes passive RFID tag arrays to sense the objects buried in wheat. The goal is to simultaneously sense the presence of foreign materials, locate their locations in the 3D space and sense their types, to automatically monitor the stored grain. Specifically, we use RFID received signal strength (RSS) and phase as features for foreign material detection. To design the TagSee system, we first introduce a sensing space division method. Then, an Euclidean Distance Ratio (EDR) algorithm and a heuristic method are proposed to achieve high localization success accuracy. A multi-class SVM method is used to sense different materials properties based on the impact of different foreign materials on signal features. Experimental results show that TagSee can effectively detect foreign materials in stored grain and achieve a centimeter-level localization success accuracy, and can recognize four types of objects in grain.

On enhancing the noise-reduction performance of the acoustic lined duct utilizing the phase-modulating metasurface

This work proposes a noise-reduction structure that integrates phase-modulating metasurface (PMM) with acoustic liners (ALs) to enhance the narrow band absorption performance of a duct with relatively small length-diameter ratio. The PMM manipulates the wavefront by introducing different transmission phase shifts based on an array of Helmholtz resonators, so that the spinning wave within the duct can be generated. Compared with the plane wave, the generated spinning wave has a lower group velocity, which results in a greater traveling distance over the ALs in the duct. The optimization design is performed to determine the final structural parameters of the PMM, which is based on the predictions of the amplitude and phase shift of the acoustic wave at the outlet of the PMM using the theory of passive phased array. With the manipulation of the PMM, the incident plane wave is modulated into a spinning wave, and then enters into the acoustic liner duct (ALD), whose structural parameters are optimized by maximizing the transmission loss using the mode-matching technique. Finally, the noise-reduction performance of this combined structure is evaluated by numerical simulations in the presence of grazing flow. The results demonstrate that, compared with the traditional ALD, the proposed structure exhibits a significant increase in transmission loss within the considered frequency band, especially near the peak frequency of the narrow band noise.

Tracking pygmy blue whales in the Perth Canyon using passive acoustic observatories

Eastern Indian Ocean pygmy blue (EIOPB) whales were localised and tracked through the Perth Canyon area utilising a passive acoustic tracking array. Vocalising animals were tracked using the Type II unit of the EIOPB whale song across recordings for an average of 109.3 min (95% CI ± 27 min), suggesting that animals move slowly through the array area. Comparisons of the distribution of animals between sample years revealed non-uniform distribution of animals suggesting that environmental variables may drive pygmy blue whale spatial distribution within foraging areas. Analysis of the movement patterns of acoustically tracked animals found that animals tracked between January and early March generally exhibited directional movement while singing animals tracked between March and May exhibited directional and milling movement patterns, indicating that they may be foraging, and thus that animals may sing between feeding bouts. Comparisons of visual and acoustic localisations found animals appeared to utilise similar areas around the passive acoustic receiver array on days where survey effort overlapped, though acoustic survey methods returned consistently higher numbers of detections. Further, acoustic and visual detections of animals within the same day were not within the same location highlighting the need for holistic studies of species habitat utilisation. The inclusion of in-situ environmental data collection in the design of future acoustic tracking studies would be valuable to understand whether there is a link between environmental factors at the local scale and the localised movement of whales around the listening area.

Tunable acoustic passive phased array based on double-opening resonant rings

The special structural design of acoustic metamaterials further extends acoustic properties of the materials. We design a tunable acoustic passive phased array based on double-opening resonant rings, which modulates the acoustic waves only by the rotational angle, making up for the defect of the fixed structure of ordinary metamaterials. The rotation angle is selected based on the generalized Snell’s law, which not only enables focusing in a large frequency band range but also meets the focusing demand of acoustic waves incident at different angles and controls the position of the focal point.

Computer Vision-Aided Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface-Based Beam Tracking: Prototyping and Experimental Results

In this paper, we propose a novel computer vision-based approach to aid reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) for dynamic beam tracking and implement the corresponding prototype verification system. A camera is attached at the RIS to obtain the visual information about the surroundings, with which RIS identifies the incident beam direction and the desired reflected beam direction, and then adjusts the reflection coefficients according to the pre-designed codebooks. We build a 20-by-20 RIS running at 5.4 GHz and develop a high-speed control board to ensure the real-time refresh of the reflection coefficients. Meanwhile we implement an independent peer-to-peer communications system to simulate the physical link between the base station and the user equipment. The vision-aided RIS prototype system is tested in two mobile scenarios: RIS works in near-field conditions as a passive array antenna of the base station; RIS works in far-field conditions to assist the communication between the base station and the user equipment. The experimental results show that RIS can quickly adjust the reflection coefficients for dynamic beam tracking with the help of visual information.

Direct position tracking method for non‐circular signals with distributed passive arrays via first‐order approximation

AbstractIn this study, a direct position tracking method for non‐circular (NC) signals using distributed passive arrays is proposed. First, we calculate the initial positions of sources using a direct position determination (DPD) approach; next, we transform the tracking into a compensation problem. The offsets of the adjacent time positions are calculated using a first‐order Taylor expansion. The fusion calculation of the noise subspace is performed according to the NC characteristics. Because the proposed method uses the signal information from the previous iteration, it can realize automatic data associations. Compared with traditional DPD and two‐step localization methods, our novel process has lower computational complexity and provides higher accuracy. Moreover, its performance is better than that of the traditional tracking methods. Numerous simulation results support the superiority of our proposed method.

INEMI MAESTRO: Glass Substrates for mmWave/sub-THz Applications

This paper will explore the use of glass substrates for wireless components at frequencies ranging from 30 GHz - 240 GHz. Applications include both communications and radar/sensing. Examples of devices that can benefit from glass substrates include individual passive devices, filters, diplexers, and antenna arrays. We will discuss the properties of glass and how they translate into improved performance with lower power and size.

Photothermal Lithography for Realizing a Stretchable Multilayer Electronic Circuit Using a Laser.

Photolithography is a well-established fabrication method for realizing multilayer electronic circuits. However, it is challenging to adopt photolithography to fabricate intrinsically stretchable multilayer electronic circuits fully composed of an elastomeric matrix, due to the opacity of thick stretchable nanocomposite conductors. Here, we present photothermal lithography that can pattern elastomeric conductors and via holes using pulsed lasers. The photothermal-patterned stretchable nanocomposite conductor exhibits 3 times higher conductivity (5940 S cm-1) and 5 orders of magnitude lower resistance change (R/R0 = 40) under a 30% strained 5000th cyclic stretch, compared to those of a screen-printed conductor, based on the percolation network formed by spatial heating of the laser. In addition, a 50 μm sized stretchable via holes can be patterned on the passivation without material ablation and electrical degradation of the bottom conductor. By repeatedly patterning the conductor and via holes, highly conductive and durable multilayer circuits can be stacked with layer-by-layer material integration. Finally, a stretchable wireless pressure sensor and passive matrix LED array are demonstrated, thus showing the potential for a stretchable multilayer electronic circuit with durability, high density, and multifunctionality.

Adaptive noise cancelling for an AUV-mounted passive inverted USBL array

Noise interference of an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) is a critical factor affecting the performance of AUV-mounted sonar payloads, especially for passive acoustic systems. Adaptive noise cancellers (ANCs) are used to eliminate noise in many scenarios for signal enhancement. However, a conventional ANC uses a primary sensor to get the data and a secondary sensor to get correlated reference noise input, which adds complexity to the AUV-mounted sonar systems. In this paper, a modified ANC is proposed to improve the performance of an AUV-mounted passive inverted ultra-short baseline (piUSBL) positioning system receiver. Unlike the conventional ANC, the reference input of this ANC is not the noise obtained using a secondary sensor; instead, the transmitted source signal is used as the reference signal, independent of the noise characteristics. The performance of the ANC is thoroughly evaluated using the field navigation data collected from an AUV sea trial. Post-processing results indicate that the ANC can effectively improve the beamforming performance of the piUSBL array, suppressing the beamformed power of the AUV noise by up to 13.8 dB. To our knowledge, this work is the first ANC study for piUSBL, which is of great significance for the further development of piUSBL.

An ultra-fast method for designing holographic phase shifting surfaces

Holographic phase-shifting surfaces (PSSs) have been proven to offer a cost-effective solution for enabling passive arrays to mechanically steer their beams toward desired directions. However, even though the principle of operation of PSSs is straightforward, designing a PSS is very challenging, because it involves an extremely high computational time, which in turn limits their usage and development. Notably, traditional design approaches of PSSs, with N number of layers that have M different variations of conductive patches, need M^N full-wave simulations to be properly characterized. To address these challenges that are associated with the design of PSSs and reduce the needed computational effort, we present here a semi-numerical approach that enables the efficient design of holographic PSSs. Specifically, by representing an N-layer PSS unit-cell as N cascaded networks, where each network represents one layer of the PSS that has M different designs of sub-wavelength resonators, we only need to conduct N times M full-wave simulations to collect all the required data needed to analyze the performance of the PSS. In turn, by utilizing the multiplication property of ABCD parameters we can evaluate very efficiently all the M^N different combinations that characterize our PSS. To validate the accuracy of our design methodology, a 1-D beam steerable antenna system is designed that is comprised of a circularly polarized holographic metasurface antenna (HMA) and a hybrid PSS, both operating at 30 GHz. Comparisons between our semi-numerical results, full-wave simulations, and measurements demonstrate an angular error of less than 0.7^{circ }.

Passive array micro-magnetic stimulation device based on multi-carrier wireless flexible control for magnetic neuromodulation.

Objective.The passive micro-magnetic stimulation (µMS) devices typically consist of an external transmitting coil and a single internal micro-coil, which enables a point-to-point energy supply from the external coil to the internal coil and the realization of magnetic neuromodulation via wireless energy transmission. The internal array of micro coils can achieve multi-target stimulation without movement, which improves the focus and effectiveness of magnetic stimulations. However, achieving a free selection of an appropriate external coil to deliver energy to a particular internal array of micro-coils for multiple stimulation targets has been challenging. To address this challenge, this study uses a multi-carrier modulation technique to transmit the energy of the external coil.Approach.In this study, a theoretical model of a multi-carrier resonant compensation network for the arrayµMS is established based on the principle of magnetically coupled resonance. The resonant frequency coupling parameter corresponding to each micro-coil of the arrayµMS is determined, and the magnetic field interference between the external coil and its non-resonant micro-coils is eliminated. Therefore, an effective magnetic stimulation threshold for a micro-coil corresponding to the target is determined, and wireless free control of the internal micro-coil array is achieved by using an external transmitting coil.Main results.The passiveµMS array model is designed using a multi-carrier wireless modulation method, and its synergistic modulation of the magnetic stimulation of synaptic plasticity long-term potentiation in multiple hippocampal regions is investigated using hippocampal isolated brain slices.Significance.The results presented in this study could provide theoretical and experimental bases for implantable micro-magnetic device-targeted therapy, introducing an efficient method for diagnosis and treatment of neurological diseases and providing innovative ideas for in-depth application of micro-magnetic stimulation in the neuroscience field.

MmWave Zero Order Resonant Antenna with Patch-Like Radiation Fed by a Butler Matrix for Passive Beamforming.

A small zero-order resonant antenna based on the composite right-left-handed (CRLH) principle is designed and fabricated without metallic vias at 30 GHz to have patch-like radiation. The mirror images of two CRLH structures are connected to design the antenna without via holes. The equivalent circuit, parameter extraction, and dispersion diagram are studied to analyze the characteristics of the CRLH antenna. The antenna was fabricated and experimentally verified. The measured realized gain of the antenna is 5.35 dBi at 30 GHz. The designed antenna is free of spurious resonance over a band width of 10 GHz. A passive beamforming array is designed using the proposed CRLH antenna and the Butler matrix. A substrate integrated waveguide is used to implement the Butler matrix. The CRLH antennas are connected to four outputs of a 4×4 Butler matrix. The scanning angles are 12∘, -68∘, 64∘, and -11∘ for excitations from port 1 to port 4 of the 4×4 Butler matrix feeding the CRLH antenna.