Transient Circuit Research Articles

Development of Biodegradable Substrates and Synaptic Transistors for Next‐Generation Transient Electronics

AbstractUbiquitous electronic gadgets in lives have led to an increase in electronic waste (e‐waste), posing a threat to the environment and ecology that must be addressed. This work demonstrates the use of gelatin, a natural protein, for development of flexible biodegradable substrates and synaptic transistors using the same material as gate dielectric. The fabricated p‐channel transistors exhibit high electrical stability and exceptional synaptic characteristics through spike timing dependent plasticity (STDP), spike voltage dependent plasticity (SVDP), and spike number dependent plasticity (SNDP), respectively upon variation of post‐synaptic current (PSC) with time, amplitude, and number of stimuli. These devices exhibit pulse paired facilitation (PPF) with relaxation time constants in the range of ≈10 ms and regulating modulation amplitude of 1 greatly resembling a biological synapse. Study on the variability among distinct devices and over multiple cycles demonstrate outstanding repeatability of synaptic plasticity. The devices showcase significant PSC values with almost linear SNDP, while consuming an ultralow power of ≈11.7 fJ. Excellent stability is observed when subjected to multiple bending sequences. Complete dissolution of these devices in aqueous environments in an hour without any alteration to temperature or pH confirms excellent biodegradability of these devices leading toward transient neuromorphic circuits and systems that adhere to the concepts of circular economy.

A transient neurohormonal circuit controls hatching in fish.

Hatching is a critical event in the life history of oviparous species. The decision to hatch is often carefully timed to coincide with favorable conditions that will improve survival through early life stages. However, how the relevant cues are relayed to trigger hatching remains unknown. In this work, we show that thyrotropin-releasing hormone (Trh) is the neuroendocrine activator of hatching in zebrafish. To elicit hatching, Trh neurons form a transient circuit that deposits the peptide into the embryo's circulation. Trh also activates hatching in a distantly related fish species that separated more than 200 million years ago. Our results reveal an evolutionarily conserved neuroendocrine circuit that controls a major life event in oviparous fish species.

Disintegration of Thin Liquid Metal Films Engendered by Aluminum Corrosion

AbstractLiquid metals (LMs) illustrate a fantastic future. Thus, great endeavors are made to earn a comprehensive understanding of this fluid and carve it into a niche. Herein, by revisiting the combination of Ga‐based LMs and aluminum (Al), a new phenomenon, namely the disintegration of LM films on encountering water, is identified. Deviating from previous investigations where the LM generally took the form of bulk puddles, the LM‐Al slurry is spread as thin films here. In this case, Al debris embedded in the LM matrix hydrolyzes and therefore can exert disjoining pressure strong enough to split the thin film into countless tiny LM droplets. Based on this mechanism, transient circuits independent of substrate decomposition are realized. Furthermore, taking advantage of the portfolio strategy of pure LM and the LM‐Al slurry, novel concepts of flood warning and information storage and encryption are demonstrated. Integrating these functions all in one demonstrates the versatility of the disintegration of thin LM films engendered by Al corrosion, which provides a scientific insight into ephemeral art and makes the Ga─Al combination more illuminating.

A Study of High Transient Response Low Dropout Linear Regulator Chips

Abstract. With the rapid development of the microelectronics industry in the world, electronic products are being updated more and more quickly. This has created a growing large market demand for power management chips. Low drop-out linear regulators have become one of the most widely used types of power management chips due to their advantages of high stability, low drop-out voltage, and fast response. This paper is a data collection study and comparison of improvement methods based on high transient response low drop-out linear regulators. It describes the basic principles of LDOs as well as the principles, advantages and disadvantages of different improvement methods. It was found that the method of shortening the overshoot and undershoot durations by constructing transient enhancement circuits was the best in terms of performance among the following research methods. The stability of capacitor-less LDO is harder to control. Using compensation circuits to improve stability will increase circuit complexity. The capacitor-coupled current mirror method has a longer startup time, because it takes some time for it to reach homeostasis. The high complexity and energy consumption of the dual feedback loop structure makes the circuit costly.

Preliminary study on temperature distribution and pyroelectric current of LiNbO3 heated by nanosecond pulse laser

In order to reduce the volume of compact neutron generators, a lot of investigations are carried out on generating high voltages by heating pyroelectric crystals with external heating. Laser irradiation is an effective non-contact heating method. Different laser parameters determine the crystal's temperature distribution, impacting the accelerating electric field. A preliminary study on the temperature distribution and pyroelectric current response of LiNbO3 heated by nanosecond pulse laser is presented, including both direct heating and heating with Cu and Ti disks adhered to the crystal. A two-dimensional transient heat transfer and circuit model is constructed in COMSOL. To validate the simulation model of temperature field distribution, FLIR thermal camera is utilized to measure the temperature in laser spot center experimentally. The experimental results coincide with simulations, which prove that the simulation model can predict temperature field distribution of the pyroelectric crystal effectively. This study can benefit the optimization of laser parameters for modulating high-quality deuterium ion acceleration fields.

A 0.91-[formula omitted]A-quiescent-current capacitor-less LDO with sub-threshold transient enhancement and bulk-driven feed-forward supply ripple cancellation

This paper presents a capacitor-less low-dropout (OCL-LDO) regulator that features a low quiescent current for low power applications. To enhance the transient response of proposed OCL-LDO, a sub-threshold transient enhancement circuit including a transient signal input stage, a current subtractor, and a current amplifier is suggested. Meanwhile, a circuit made up of a bulk-driven ripple feed-forward circuit and a ripple introduction circuit is developed in order to improve PSR of the OCL-LDO. The proposed OCL-LDO is fabricated in 0.18 μm standard CMOS process and has an active area of 0.053 mm2. Based on measurement results, the proposed OCL-LDO has a maximum load current of 100 mA at 1.2 V input and 1 V output, and a minimum quiescent current of 0.91 μA. The overshoot voltage and undershoot voltage are 199 mV and 204 mV, respectively. PSR of the OCL-LDO is −71.8 dB at 1 KHz when the load current is 100 mA. Furthermore, the OCL-LDO exhibits a load regulation of 11.1 μV/mA and a line regulation of 1.05 mV/V.

Halide perovskite photovoltaics for in-sensor reservoir computing

As intelligent electronics get laden with multimodal sensors, the data transfer and computation increase their energy expenditure. Consequently, researchers aim to develop efficient computing paradigms or integrate energy harvesting from ambient sources. Halide perovskites possess unique photophysics and coupled ionic-electronic dynamics that actualise memory devices for brain-inspired computing. Synergising the computing capability with their conventional light harvesting efficacy could aptly address the aforementioned problem. In a novel approach, the transient open circuit voltage (VOC) of a methylammonium lead bromide-based solar cell was exploited to serve as a self-powered volatile short-term memory for optoelectronic in-sensor reservoir computing. The origin of the memory is attributed to the influence of mobile ions on the carrier generation and recombination in the device. The system's versatility and task specificity were shown by engineering the volatility of the memory. The benchmarking task of MNIST handwritten digit recognition was performed with the highly reproducible and robust transformation of optical inputs into unique reservoir states. To demonstrate the high nonlinearity, second-order time-series prediction (NARMA2) was performed. Finally, an exemplary cardiac health-monitoring application was showcased by monolithic reading and processing of a physiological time series known as photoplethysmography (PPG) to identify atrial fibrillation with increased computational efficiency.

A Transient-Enhanced Capacitorless LDO Design

Abstract This paper introduces a capacitor-less low drop-out voltage regulator (LDO) designed for fast transient response. Traditional capacitor-less LDOs often suffer from suboptimal transient responses, leading to unstable outputs during load transitions. To address this challenge, the circuit employs voltage rise and fall suppression circuits to mitigate voltage spikes. It utilizes slew rate enhancement techniques to improve the transient response characteristics of the LDO. Miller compensation is applied to achieve phase margin compensation with a smaller capacitor area. Simulation outcomes indicate that within the voltage range of 2.2 V to 3.3 V, the circuit provides a stable output voltage of 1.8 V while accommodating a peak load current of 100 mA. When the load current undergoes a step change between 1 mA and 100 mA, the transient enhancement circuit reduces the undershoot of the output voltage by 58 mV, a decrease of 39%, with a response time of 1.13 μs. The overshoot amplitude is reduced by 212 mV, a decrease of 70.6%, with a response time of 1.21 μs.

Transient forward harmonic adjoint sensitivity analysis

AbstractThis paper presents a transient forward harmonic adjoint sensitivity analysis (TFHA), which is a combination of a transient forward circuit analysis with a harmonic balance-based adjoint sensitivity analysis. TFHA provides sensitivities of quantities of interest from time-periodic problems with many design parameters, as used in the design process of power-electronics devices. The TFHA shows advantages in applications where the harmonic balance-based adjoint sensitivity analysis or finite difference approaches for sensitivity analysis perform poorly. In contrast to existing methods, the TFHA can be used in combination with arbitrary forward solvers, i.e., general transient solvers.

Modeling and simulation of three-phase IGBT full-bridge inverter circuit based on FPGA

The field of motor drive makes extensive use of electronic power modeling and simulation of three-phase IGBT full-bridge inverter circuits. The accuracy and computational efficiency of these models have a direct impact on the dependability of the motor control system. The majority of earlier research focused solely on static processes of turning on and off in IGBTs, disregarding the transient proesses that occur when three-phase IGBT full-bridge inverter circuits are switched at high frequencies. This has an impact on the circuits' accuracy in real-time simulation. Therefore, this paper proposes and builds a field-programmable logic gate array (FPGA)-based steady-state and transient dual-phase three-phase IGBT full-bridge inverter circuit model for the static and transient characteristics of the insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) element in the circuit. Depending on whether or not the switching states of the six IGBTs in the three-phase IGBT full-bridge inverter circuit are altered, the simulation process is split into steady state and transient phases. In the steady state phase with large step size, the circuit is discretized using the binary L/C approach. In the transient phase, the transient process is divided into several small-step-long time domains. Real-time simulation waveforms are generated by interleaving and combining the multistage fitting method's solution of the circuit's transient waveforms at tiny step lengths with the steady state phase. Finally, in order to demonstrate the accuracy of the circuit model in this work, the simulation results of the two-stage three-phase IGBT full-bridge inverter circuit model based on FPGA are compared with those of the conventional ideal model for waveform comparison and data analysis.

A green approach to synthesis of Ag-doped CeO2 nanorods embedded reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite for excellent photocatalytic and antimicrobial activity

In this paper, the Ag-doped cerium oxide nanorods embedded reduced graphene oxide (Ag@CeO2/rGO) nanocomposite was synthesized via Punica Granatum peel extract for for photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) and 4-nitrophenol (4-NP). The microstructural results confirmed the successful decoration of Ag-doped CeO2 nanorods on rGO matrix. The photocatalytic properties, including photocatalytic degradation, charge transfer kinetics and photocurrent generation, are systematically investigated using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), photocurrent transient response (PCTR) and open circuit voltage decay (OCVD). The results of photocatalytic dye degradation measurements indicated that Ag@CeO2/rGO nanocomposite is more effective than pristine CeO2 to degrade the MB dye, and the degradation rate reached 100 % in 60 min. The decomposition of MB with Ag@CeO2/rGO nanostructure followed first-order reaction kinetics with a reaction rate constant (Ka) of 0.0198 min−1. The EIS and OCVD measurements revealed that the Ag doping and incorporation of rGO could suppress the recombination probability in CeO2 by the separation of photo-generated electron–hole pairs, which leads to the enhanced photocurrent generation and photocatalytic activity. The photocurrent density of Ag@CeO2/rGO, CeO2/rGO and pristine CeO2 are 215, 167.4 and 98.8 mAcm−2, respectively.

The transient discharge circuit analysis of single-turn coil

Single-turn coil (STC) is a destructive pulse magnet aiming at a 100–300 T ultra-high magnetic field. A transient discharge circuit model considering the coupling of electromagnetic diffusion and conductor deformation is proposed, and the transient coil impedance characteristics are investigated. The results show that the coil resistance first decreases and then increases due to electromagnetic diffusion and temperature rise, respectively, while the coil inductance always increases because of the conductor’s outward motion. By comparison, the simulation results are consistent with the experimental data, and the correctness of the model is validated.

Faulty line detection for cross‐line same‐phase successive ground faults in distribution network based on transient characteristics

AbstractCurrently, theoretical analysis of single‐phase grounding (SPG) faults in low‐current grounding systems has reached a high level of refinement, and the corresponding detection methods have matured. However, there is a significant lack of research on successive grounding (SG) faults, particularly in the area of detecting cross‐line same‐phase successive grounding (CSSG) faults in arc suppression coil grounding systems. To address these issues, a novel faulty line detection method based on transient characteristics of CSSG is proposed. Firstly, a transient equivalent circuit is established, and the characteristics of transient zero‐sequence current (ZSC) are theoretically analysed. Secondly, variational mode decomposition (VMD) is employed to extract low and high‐frequency information from intrinsic mode functions (IMFs). Subsequently, a fault initiation criterion based on kurtosis theory and the Teager‐Kaiser energy operator (TKEO) is proposed, which can accurately detect the occurrence time of secondary faults. Finally, a method for faulty line detection based on cross‐correlation distance (CCD) and transient energy (TE) is proposed. The results of PSCAD simulation under different conditions and field test affirm the accuracy of the analysis and the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Low power consumption and fast response of low dropout regulator design

A low power consumption and fast response low voltage difference linear regulator circuit is designed for on-chip SOC circuit to achieve low power consumption, fast response, and high stability. The internal design mainly includes a low power bandgap reference circuit, a light and heavy load detection circuit, and a transient enhancement circuit. The circuit is designed with 0.35 μm BCD technology, and the layout design is completed. The VIN is from 2.5 V to 5 V, the VOUT from 2.5 V to 3.3 V, and the maximum load is 250 mA. The simulation results show that the static current is 2.6 μA at normal temperature with no load. When the load jumps, the overshoot is 44 mV and the recovery time is 52 μs, meeting the design requirements of low power consumption and fast response.

Temperature Field Calculation and Thermal Circuit Equivalent Analysis of 110 kV Core Cable Joint

In order to indirectly calculate the core temperature of a cable joint, an equivalent transient thermal circuit model of single-core cable joint by considering axial heat dissipation is proposed. Firstly, the temperature field of the middle joint of a 110 kV single-core cable is calculated by finite element method. Based on the heat dissipation path of the core, an improved equivalent thermal circuit model is proposed. The axial heat dissipation of the cable joint core is simplified to a thermal resistance and the temperature rise of the cable body core, the temperature calculation of the cable joint transient process is realized. Compared with the results of finite element simulation, the steady-state temperature errors of the thermal circuit model are within 1 °C, while the maximum temperature errors of the transient process shall not exceed 3 °C, which proves the validity of the model. This method can provide reference for temperature inversion and the dynamic current-carrying capacity prediction of cable joints.

A Fast Transient Response Capacitor-Less LDO with Transient Enhancement Technology.

This paper proposes a fast transient load response capacitor-less low-dropout regulator (CL-LDO) for digital analog hybrid circuits in the 180 nm process, capable of converting input voltages from 1.2 V to 1.8 V into an output voltage of 1 V. The design incorporates a rail-to-rail input and push-pull output (RIPO) amplifier to enhance the gain while satisfying the requirement for low power consumption. A super source follower buffer (SSFB) with internal stability is introduced to ensure loop stability. The proposed structure ensures the steady-state performance of the LDO without an on-chip capacitor. The auxiliary circuit, or transient enhancement circuit, does not compromise the steady-state stability and effectively enhances the transient performance during sudden load current steps. The proposed LDO consumes a quiescent current of 47 µA and achieves 25 µV/mA load regulation with a load current ranging from 0 to 20 mA. The simulation results demonstrate that a settling time of 0.2 µs is achieved for load steps ranging from 0 mA to 20 mA, while a settling time of 0.5 µs is attained for load steps ranging from 20 mA to 0 mA, with an edge time of 0.1 µs.

Calculation Method and Characteristic Analysis for Fault Current of Permanent Magnet Direct-Drive Wind Power System considering Positive and Negative Sequence Decomposition

In view of the fact that the influence of positive and negative sequence decomposition, which is widely used in positive and negative sequence decoupling control in control system, on the fault current calculation process is not deeply considered in the existing transient analysis methods of permanent magnet direct-drive wind farm short circuit current, this paper proposes a transient short circuit current calculation model that takes into account positive and negative sequence decomposition. The influence of the transient characteristics of positive and negative sequence decomposition on the control system is studied, and the mechanism of its action on the transient change of short circuit current is revealed. The positive and negative sequence decoupling processes of the circuit equation are modified, and the characteristics of the coupling equation are analyzed. The difference in the converter output voltage between the circuit equation and the control equation and the depth of its influence on the calculation process is revealed. On the basis of quantifying the difference at the converter output voltage, the circuit equation and the control equation are combined to form a short-circuit current calculation model with positive and negative sequence decomposition, which accurately characterizes the transient characteristics of fault current under different voltage drops and effectively improves the accuracy of the calculation results.

LR-MPIBS: A LoRa-Based Maritime Position-Indicating Beacon System

Human marine activities are becoming increasingly frequent. The adverse marine environment has led to an increase in man overboard incidents, resulting in significant losses of life and property. After a drowning accident, the accurate location information of the drowning victim can help improve the success rate of rescue. In this paper, we explore a LoRa-based Maritime Position-Indicating Beacon System (LR-MPIBS). A low-power drowning detection circuit is designed in LR-MPIBS to detect drowning accidents in a timely manner after a person falls into the water. The instantaneous high current of the LoRa RF can lower the supply voltage and cause other modules to work abnormally. A fast current transient response circuit is proposed to solve the problem. LR-MPIBS includes a power ripple suppression circuit that can reduce the measurement errors and operational abnormalities caused by power ripple interference. We explore the impedance matching law of LoRa RF circuits through simulation experiments to improve the quality of LoRa communication. A data processing algorithm for personnel drift trajectory is proposed to alleviate the challenges caused by the raw positioning data with large deviations and high communication cost. The experimental results show that LR-MPIBS can automatically start and actively alarm within 3 s after a person falls into the water. The positioning cold start time is less than 50 s. The performance of communication distance is more than 5 km. The endurance of LR-MPIBS is 25 h (with a 30 s communication cycle).

The warming-up effects of quantum-dot light emitting diodes: A reversible stability issue related to shell traps.

The aging phenomenon is commonly observed in quantum-dot light emitting diodes (QLEDs), involving complex chemical or physical processes. Resolving the underlying mechanism of these aging issues is crucial to deliver reliable electroluminescent devices in future display applications. Here, we report a reversible positive aging phenomenon that the device brightness and efficiency significantly improve after device operation, but recover to initial states after long-time storage or mild heat treatment, which can be termed as warming-up effects. Steady and transient equivalent circuit analysis suggest that the radiative recombination current dramatically increases but electron leakage from the quantum dots (QDs) to hole transport layer becomes more accessible during the warming-up process. Further analysis discloses that the notable enhancement of device efficiency can be ascribed to the filling of shell traps in gradient alloyed QDs. This work reveals a distinct positive aging phenomenon featured with reversibility, and further guidelines would be provided to achieve stable QLED devices in real display applications.

Frequency-hopping wave engineering with metasurfaces

Wave phenomena can be artificially engineered by scattering from metasurfaces, which aids in the design of radio-frequency and optical devices for wireless communication, sensing, imaging, wireless power transfer and bio/medical applications. Scattering responses vary with changing frequency; conversely, they remain unchanged at a constant frequency, which has been a long-standing limitation in the design of devices leveraging wave scattering phenomena. Here, we present metasurfaces that can scatter incident waves according to two variables—the frequency and pulse width—in multiple bands. Significantly, these scattering profiles are characterized by how the frequencies are used in different time windows due to transient circuits. In particular, by using more than one frequency with coupled transient circuits, we demonstrate variable scattering profiles in response to unique frequency sequences, which can break a conventional linear frequency concept and markedly increase the available frequency channels in accordance with a factorial number of frequencies used. Our proposed concept, which is analogous to frequency hopping in wireless communication, advances wave engineering in electromagnetics and related fields.