Saturated Power Research Articles

Lumped-element SNAIL parametric amplifier with two-pole matching network

Broadband impedance-matched Josephson parametric amplifiers are key components for high-fidelity single-shot multi-qubit readout. Nowadays, several types of impedance matched parametric amplifiers have been proposed: the first is an impedance-matched parametric amplifier based on a Klopfenstein taper, and the second is the impedance-matched parametric amplifier based on auxiliary resonators. Here, we present the quantum-limited 3-wave-mixing lumped-element SNAIL parametric amplifier with two-pole impedance matching transformer. A two-pole Chebyshev matching network with shunted resonators is based on parallel-plate capacitors and superconducting planar coil. Operating in a flux-pumped mode, we experimentally demonstrate an average gain of 15 dB across a 600 MHz bandwidth, along with an average saturation power of −107 dBm and quantum-limited noise temperature.

A 132–170 GHz high-gain driving amplifier utilizing asymmetric broadside coupled line in 40-nm CMOS

This paper presents a driving amplifier (DA) utilizing the proposed asymmetric broadside coupled line. In contrast to conventional coupled line, the balun devised with proposed asymmetric coupled line and enhanced wideband balance compensation technique is utilized, thereby achieving wideband impedance matching and mitigating insertion loss. Additionally, the utilization of the lossy over-neutralization technique substantially enhances the power gain of amplifiers operating in the upper millimeter-wave band (150 GHz–300 GHz). The DA is fabricated utilizing a 40-nm CMOS process without aluminum layers. The fabricated amplifier demonstrates a compact total area of 0.135 mm2 (0.031 λ2), with a core area of 0.027 mm2 (0.0061 λ2). It achieves a high gain of 19.4 dB, high power of 11.05 dBm, and high power-added efficiency (PAE) of 11.05% at 160 GHz. Moreover, both the 3-dB power gain bandwidth and the 3-dB saturated power bandwidth extend from 132 GHz to 170 GHz, covering a bandwidth of 38 GHz. This configuration underscores the robust performance of the DA in the upper millimeter-wave band.

High-power and ultra-wide-tunable fiber-type external-cavity diode lasers

High-power and wide-tunable fiber-type external-cavity diode lasers (FTECDLs) are of pivotal importance across various scientific and practical applications, such as polarization lidar, communication, sensing, and spectroscopy. As the output power and tuning characteristics are currently much lower than the saturation power and bandwidth of semiconductor gain media, further improvements conventionally require additional gain media in parallel and external amplifiers, resulting in lower energy efficiency and complex configurations. This study implemented energy manipulation in FTECDLs with a single gain medium, overcoming the mutual restriction between low damage threshold and laser output power. This approach makes it possible to completely exploit the intrinsic performance of the semiconductor gain medium. We demonstrated various FTECDL designs, achieving a maximum tuning range of 226.8 nm, maximum output power of 160 mW, and maximum optical signal-to-noise ratio of 86.3 dB with different configurations. These results are the highest levels ever achieved for E, S, C, L, and U bands. Additionally, the achieved polarization extinction ratio of nearly 38 dB has not been previously reported. Our work provides significant guidance for the design of traveling wave ring cavity (TWRC) lasers, including free-space light semiconductor and solid-state lasers with a TWRC.

Development and Characterization of an Advanced Voltage-Controllable Capacitor Based on AlInGaN/GaN-Si (111) Epitaxy

The AlInGaN/GaN heterojunction epitaxy material with high cutoff frequency and saturated power density has become a very popular candidate for millimeter wave applications in next-generation mobile communication. In this study, an advanced voltage-controllable capacitor based on the AlInGaN/GaN-Si (111) epitaxy was proposed by employing a bi-directional series MIS capacitor structure. The capacitor was fabricated by using a pad area of 40 μm × 40 μm, with a 1 μm distance between the positive and negative electrodes. The test results show that the capacitance is turned on with a saturation capacitance density and a maximum leakage current density of 0.30 fF/μm2 of 0.37 pA/μm2, respectively, for the control voltage from −6.5 V to 6 V. In particular, in the proposed design method, the saturation capacitance required for the practical application can be obtained by simply adjusting the capacitance area. The capacitor showcases characteristics of rapid turn-on and turn-off responses coupled with low loss, underscoring its promising prospects for deployment in RF switching applications.

Heat dissipation enhancement of PiGF converter with vapor chamber radiator for high-brightness laser lighting

Laser illumination is widely believed to have great development potential in high-brightness lighting and display. In order to realize high-power laser illumination, an efficient heat dissipation method was proposed for phosphor-in-glass film (PiGF) color converter. The heat dissipation of PiGF converter was enhanced by the vapor chamber radiator (VC). The VC-PiGF converter demonstrates great optical-thermal performances due to its excellent heat dissipation capability. The maximum luminous flux of VC-PiGF converter (3699.3 lm) is 38.2 % higher than that of traditional fin-PiGF converter (2677.1 lm). The VC-PiGF converter has higher laser power saturation threshold (maximum 34.51 W) than the fin-PiGF converter (maximum 29.12 W). As the laser power is 24.82 W, the operating temperature of VC-PiGF converter (128 °C) is 41.8 % lower than that of fin-PiGF (220 °C). In addition, the VC-PiGF converter exhibits stable optical performances and a low surface temperature with the continuous excitation of 15.78 W for 60 min. The VC-PiGF converter packaged in a lighting module has an excellent outdoor test result. The efficient heat dissipation method with high reliability has great application prospects in high-brightness laser lighting.

Analyze the impact of nonlinear distortions on OFDM-based visible light communication systems

Visible light communication (VLC) has gained attraction for its use in high-speed wireless connectivity leveraging LED lighting elements. Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) is an attractive modulation scheme due to its spectral efficiency and resilience to multipath distortion. However, the nonlinear electro-optic transfer characteristics of optical components introduce signal clipping and quantization noise which corrupt OFDM signals. This paper provides an in-depth analysis of clipping and quantization noise to quantify the impact of LED nonlinearities on OFDM-based VLC system performance. Detailed mathematical models are derived for clipping distortions caused by LED optical power saturation and quantization errors from ADC/DAC finite precision in the modulator and driver circuitry. This analysis is quantified through simulations of the degradations in terms of error vector magnitude (EVM), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) loss, and bit error rate (BER) under varying clipping ratios and quantization bit-depths. The 16-QAM OFDM transmission shows that the LED driver should possess at least 12 dB signal linear dynamic range and 3-bit quantization to restrict SNR penalty within 3 dB. Adaptive tone mapping and digital pre-distortion techniques are examined to compensate for intensity distortions enabling high-speed OFDM transmission over VLC links.

Optimal Control Allocation for Distributed Electric Propulsion in a Series/Parallel Partial Hybrid Powertrain

Abstract The SUbsonic Single Aft eNgine (SUSAN) Electrofan is a NASA concept transport aircraft representative of technology anticipated for a 2040 entry-into-service date. The powertrain consists of a single thrust-producing geared turbofan engine with generators driving a series/parallel partial hybrid power/propulsion system. The architecture includes 16 underwing contrarotating fans, eight on each side. The distributed fans can be used by the flight control system to augment or replace the rudder function. This paper sets up the optimal control problem of setpoint determination for individual wingfans in the distributed propulsion system, accounting for electrical string efficiencies, saturations, and failures. The solution minimizes power consumption while maintaining thrust and torque on the airframe for maneuvering. Additionally, thrust that would have been lost due to temporary fan speed or power saturation is optimally redistributed to maintain overall desired thrust and torque on the aircraft. A simulation of a coordinated turn utilizing the distributed electric propulsion for yaw rate control in a multiple wingfan failure scenario demonstrates the robustness of the powertrain design to failures and helps define its limitations.

Resting-State EEG Alterations of Practice-Related Spectral Activity and Connectivity Patterns in Depression.

Depression presents with altered energy regulation and neural plasticity. Previous electroencephalography (EEG) studies showed that practice in learning tasks increases power in beta range (13-30 Hz) in healthy subjects but not in those with impaired plasticity. Here, we ascertain whether depression presents with alterations of spectral activity and connectivity before and after a learning task. We used publicly available resting-state EEG recordings (64 electrodes) from 122 subjects. Based on Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) scores, they were assigned to either a high BDI (hBDI, BDI > 13, N = 46) or a control (CTL, BDI < 7, N = 75) group. We analyzed spectral activity, theta-beta, and theta-gamma phase-amplitude coupling (PAC) of EEG recorded at rest before and after a learning task. At baseline, compared to CTL, hBDI exhibited greater power in beta over fronto-parietal regions and in gamma over the right parieto-occipital area. At post task, power increased in all frequency ranges only in CTL. Theta-beta and theta-gamma PAC were greater in hBDI at baseline but not after the task. The lack of substantial post-task growth of beta power in depressed subjects likely represents power saturation due to greater baseline values. We speculate that inhibitory/excitatory imbalance, altered plasticity mechanisms, and energy dysregulation present in depression may contribute to this phenomenon.

TFLN-based nondegenerate optical parametric amplifier with high gain, high saturated optical power and linear wavelength tunability

Optical parametric amplifier (OPA) utilizing thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) is a cornerstone in integrated microwave optics and high-speed optical communication due to its outstanding properties, including high gain, low noise figure, and high integration. Here, we proposed a pump-depletion nondegenerate amplifier to discuss the saturated optical power. This OPA exhibits a good performance with high gain (over 30 dB) and high saturated optical power (over 15 dBm). The signal frequency is well separated from idle which reduces the difficulties of separation. Meanwhile, we found that the quasi-phase-matching wavelength can be regulated by temperature to achieve a linear adjustable OPA. Detailed design strategies are provided in this paper to underpin the fabrication of high-performance OPA in integrated optics. This theoretical analysis creates opportunities for performance enhancement in microwave photonic links.

Study of Power Equivalent Continuous Approximation Based on the Recent Consensus Recommendations for Brain Tumor Imaging with Pulsed Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer at 3T.

The quantitative analysis of pulsed-chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) using a full model-based method is computationally challenging, as it involves dealing with varying RF values in pulsed saturation. A power equivalent continuous approximation of B1 power was usually applied to accelerate the analysis. In line with recent consensus recommendations from the CEST community for pulsed-CEST at 3T, particularly recommending a high RF saturation power (B1 = 2.0 µT) for the clinical application in brain tumors, this technical note investigated the feasibility of using average power (AP) as the continuous approximation. The simulated results revealed excellent performance of the AP continuous approximation in low saturation power scenarios, but discrepancies were observed in the z-spectra for the high saturation power cases. Cautions should be taken, or it may lead to inaccurate fitted parameters, and the difference can be more than 10% in the high saturation power cases.

Inverse Class‐E power amplifier with broadband capability at different switch‐off duty ratio

AbstractThe paper explores the investigation of an inverse Class‐E amplifier featuring a series output filter across various switch‐off duty ratios D. Analysis of different duty ratios as a design parameter reveals their impact on peak switch voltage, output power capability, and maximum operating frequency. Notably, it is demonstrated that adjusting the D ratio affects these parameters, with specific emphasis on achieving a maximum normalized switch voltage lower than 2 and an output power capability exceeding 0.1 for D = 0.7. Furthermore, the paper considers both parasitic shunt capacitance and series inductor in the load network, a departure from previous works that solely focused on the series inductor. The proposed circuit is highlighted for its ease of implementation compared with conventional reactance compensation circuits employing parallel resonant circuits, which are challenging to form directly. An innovative approach is introduced to showcase the broadband performance of the inverse Class‐E amplifier. The measured drain efficiency and output power versus input power at 430 MHz are 82% and 45.3 dBm, respectively. A similar performance can be achieved within the frequency range of 380–600 MHz by proper tuning at saturated power. The measurement results demonstrate a maximum high power‐added efficiency (PAE) of 79% and drain efficiency of 82% within this frequency range, accompanied by a gain exceeding 12.0 dB and output power surpassing 44 dBm.

Impact of microwave power on equivalent dose (De) evaluation in ESR dating

ESR (electron spin resonance) spectra of quartz samples irradiated with varying gamma (γ) dose were measured at different microwave power levels (0–200 mW). The microwave power saturation characteristics of Al and E′ centers were systematically investigated, and the mechanisms by which the power saturation characteristics affected equivalent dose (De) fitting results in ESR dating were revealed. The experimental results demonstrated that irradiation reduces the spin-lattice relaxation time, resulting in the inability to intrinsically characterize the number of spins in a series of aliquots when the ESR intensity exhibits significant saturation. The simulation results indicated that changes in spin-lattice relaxation characteristics can cause distortion in the dose response curve (DRC) at high power levels, leading to deviations in De values. A method that uses the slope of the approximate linear regime of the power saturation curve (PSC) as an intrinsic metric of ESR intensity is proposed; this method has been preliminarily validated in both experiments and simulations.

Secure MIMO communication in energy harvesting-assisted NOMA Cognitive Radio Network with jamming under hardware impairment

Energy harvesting (EH)-assisted non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) cognitive radio (CR) networks allow simultaneous transmission of multiple secondary user signals on primary frequency bands with harvested energy, enhancing spectral, spectrum utilization, and energy efficiencies. Although multiple antennas are used for efficient energy transfer and signal transceiving, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication in these networks is facing reliability/security performance degradation due to nonlinear EH, hardware impairment (HWi), and wire-tapping. The paper aims to numerically evaluate the security and reliability of MIMO communication in EH-assisted NOMA CR networks with jamming (MehNOwJ) under such effects. The results indicate that MehNOwJ prevents full outage and achieves optimum performance with proper parameter selection of preset spectral efficiency, power saturation threshold, EH duration, number of antennas of jammer. In addition, the performance improves with an accreting quantity of antennas but experiences saturation. Moreover, MehNOwJ drastically outperforms alternative approaches (MIMO communication in EH-assisted orthogonal multiple access CR network with jamming and MIMO communication in EH-assisted NOMA CR network without jamming), offering insights into the benefits of combining NOMA and jamming techniques.

Application of ZnAl layered double hydroxides for the formulation of stable and safe cosmetic pigments

Purpose This study aims to produce composite pigments, including SHS/ZnAl-LDHs, IDS/ZnAl-LDHs and SNND/ZnAl-LDHs, with improved coloration, enhanced photostability and thermostability and biocompatibility. Design/methodology/approach The chemical structures of the composite pigments were characterized by X-ray diffraction spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Photostability and thermal stability were assessed using ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy and colorimetry. The coverage of the dyes was determined through black-and-white tile testing, and specific RGB values were used to indicate color expressiveness. Finally, a four-color eyeshadow was formulated, and safety tests were conducted via human patch test and cellular assays to confirm the safety and reliability of the samples. Findings The experimental results demonstrate an enhancement in the photo and thermal stability of the SHS/ZnAl-LDHs, IDS/ZnAl-LDHs and SNND/ZnAl-LDHs composites, along with their superior performance in terms of covering power and color saturation. These composite pigments also exhibit high safety, making them well-suited for cosmetic applications. Practical implications The composite pigments based on hydrotalcite can be used in the cosmetic industry without causing any harm to the environment and human health. Originality/value The addition of hydrotalcite enables better application of pigments in cosmetics.

High performance composite phosphor-in-glass film for laser-driven warm white light on patterned sapphire substrate

Phosphor-in-glass film (PiF) based on sapphire substrate (SS) is a promising laser-driven color converter. Herein, by using an optimized silicon borate glass component, high-performance Y3Al5O12:Ce3+ PiFs are successfully prepared on both flat sapphire substrate (FSS) and patterned sapphire substrate (PSS) surfaces. Compared with planar structure of FSS, PSS has a periodic arrangement of conical structures on its surface, which effectively increases the contact area between the PiF and the substrate by approximately 56%, thereby forming a more robust film composite structure. The blue laser light is affected by the structure of PSS and produces a typical diffraction effect, which realizes the dispersion of the convergent beam. This significantly expands the laser spot on PSS-PiF and improves the uniformity of light. The saturation power density of PiF-PSS (6.29 W/mm2) is found to be 91% higher than that of PiF-FSS, while maintaining a high luminous efficiency (220 lm/W) and a low correlated color temperature (4500 K). Finally, the thermal quenching mechanism of PiF with different substrate surface morphologies is compared and analyzed. The present results provide important support for designing the interface structure between SSs and PiF to achieve higher efficiency and higher saturation threshold for warm white light.

Microwave power self-coherent reference measurement based on ensembles of nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond

Microwave detection based on optical detection magnetic resonance technology (ODMR) of nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers is simple and non-invasive. However, in high microwave power ranges, saturation appears and cannot be used for accurate power measurement. The self-coherent reference measurement for high-power microwave based on ODMR of NV centers has been demonstrated. Firstly, by introducing the principle of microwave self-coherent reference, that is, by adjusting the phase difference to achieve power regulation of microwave, a conversion model by phase modulation between enhancement and attenuation of microwave power is introduced. Then, the microwave self-coherent reference measurement is established under combinations of microwave power with different phase settings. Combined with the frequency modulation technology, the sensitivity of measurement is significantly improved from 4.59 nT/Hz1/2 to 67.69 pT/Hz1/2. The maximum measurement range of microwave power can be extended to 2×104 times the initial saturated power of direct measurement with ODMR. The results show that the method efficiently overcomes saturation under the direct measurement of ODMR and provides useful technical assistance for near-field detection, performance monitoring, and problem diagnostics for microwave devices.

An E-plane loaded sine waveguide for G-band traveling wave tube

A new slow wave structure (SWS), named E-plane loaded sine waveguide (EPLSW) SWS is proposed for the development of G-band traveling wave tubes (TWTs). The structure, derived from the sine waveguide (SW) SWS, features staggered rectangular gratings on the two E-planes, intersecting with the sine-shaped gratings. The natural electron beam tunnel lies between these gratings. The EPLSW-SWS offers improved characteristics compared to the conventional SW-SWS. High-frequency simulation studies reveal that the passband of the EPLSW-SWS extends by more than 33 GHz over the SW-SWS under identical dispersion conditions. Additionally, the interaction impedance of EPLSW-SWS surpasses that of the SW-SWS in the frequency range of 195–255 GHz. Further analysis through particle-in-cell (PIC) results presents that when operating at 19.5 kV and 145 mA for the sheet beam current, it attains a maximum saturated power of 132.7W and a 3 dB bandwidth exceeding 50 GHz.

Study on Saturable Absorption Characteristics of Bi2Se3 Topological Insulators with Film Thickness Dependence and Its Laser Application

In our work, a multi-layer topological insulator (TI) Bi2Se3 thin film was prepared by the chemical vapor deposition method (CVD), and its saturable absorption and damage characteristics were experimentally studied. The results show that when the wavelength is 1064 nm, the saturable absorption parameters of TI: Bi2Se3 film, including modulation depth αs, non-saturable loss αns, and saturation power intensity Isat, increase with the increase in film thickness, and the damage threshold is inversely proportional to the film thickness. The thicker the film layer, the lower the damage threshold. Among them, modulation depth αs is up to 51.2%, minimum non-saturable loss αns is 1.8%, maximum saturation power intensity Isat is 560.8 kW/cm2, and the damage threshold is up to 909 MW/cm2. The influence of the controllable thickness of TI: Bi2Se3 film on passive Q-switching and mode-locking performance of laser is discussed and analyzed when TI: Bi2Se3 film is prepared by the CVD method as a saturable absorber (SA). Finally, the performance of TI: Bi2Se3 thin film applied to nanosecond laser isolation at the 1064 nm band is simulated and analyzed. It has the natural advantage of polarization independence, and the maximum isolation can reach 16.4 dB.

Microscale structure optimization of catalyst layer for comprehensive performance enhancement in proton exchange membrane fuel cell

The catalyst layer plays a significant role in promoting the redox reaction of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC). Especially at high current densities, as the oxygen reduction rate increases and more water is produced, the pores of the catalyst layer are easily clogged, thus preventing the oxygen from reaching the reactive sites. In this work, a cathode catalyst layer with micro-grooved structure is proposed to optimize the water-gas transport and output performance of PEMFC. Three-dimensional two-phase numerical simulation results show that the catalyst layer with grooves significantly improves the water-gas transport performance of PEMFC, with a maximum increase of 4.76 % in output performance. Combining the response surface methodology and non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm-II for multi-objective optimization (MOO), the optimal solution corresponding to anode/cathode relative humidity and ionomer volume fraction is confirmed to be 86.73 %, 80.10 %, and 0.2592, respectively. The optimization objectives (oxygen concentration, liquid saturation, and net power density) are improved by 3.88 %, 1.95 %, and 1.79 %, respectively. The differences between the three optimization objectives obtained by numerical simulation verification are only 0.61 %, 0.32 %, and 0.55 %, indicating that the MOO results are reliable and accurate.

Visualization of cristae and mtDNA interactions via STED nanoscopy using a low saturation power probe

Mitochondria are crucial organelles closely associated with cellular metabolism and function. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) encodes a variety of transcripts and proteins essential for cellular function. However, the interaction between the inner membrane (IM) and mtDNA remains elusive due to the limitations in spatiotemporal resolution offered by conventional microscopy and the absence of suitable in vivo probes specifically targeting the IM. Here, we have developed a novel fluorescence probe called HBmito Crimson, characterized by exceptional photostability, fluorogenicity within lipid membranes, and low saturation power. We successfully achieved over 500 frames of low-power stimulated emission depletion microscopy (STED) imaging to visualize the IM dynamics, with a spatial resolution of 40 nm. By utilizing dual-color imaging of the IM and mtDNA, it has been uncovered that mtDNA tends to habitat at mitochondrial tips or branch points, exhibiting an overall spatially uniform distribution. Notably, the dynamics of mitochondria are intricately associated with the positioning of mtDNA, and fusion consistently occurs in close proximity to mtDNA to minimize pressure during cristae remodeling. In healthy cells, >66% of the mitochondria are Class III (i.e., mitochondria >5 μm or with >12 cristae), while it dropped to <18% in ferroptosis. Mitochondrial dynamics, orchestrated by cristae remodeling, foster the even distribution of mtDNA. Conversely, in conditions of apoptosis and ferroptosis where the cristae structure is compromised, mtDNA distribution becomes irregular. These findings, achieved with unprecedented spatiotemporal resolution, reveal the intricate interplay between cristae and mtDNA and provide insights into the driving forces behind mtDNA distribution.