A new method combining terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) with metamaterials detects concentrations of the pesticide carbendazim as low as 5 mg/L, sensitivity about 4 orders of magnitude better than squash THz-TDS. Read more
Development of a synthesizer to support planetary science instrumentation using a CMOS system-on-chip to deliver at least 10 microwatts across the 177–205 GHz lock range while consuming 249 mW of dc power. Read more
The remarkable communications advances we’ll see during the coming year rely on electromagnetic energy in the RV, microwave, mm-wave, and terahertz bands. The coming of 5G will mean mm-waves everywhere, and we may even cut some power cables to harness wireless power transfer. This year’s IMS in Philadelphia will feature state-of-the-art research and the largest […]
KT Corp. (formerly Korea Telecom), the 2018 Winter Olympics Games’ official sponsor, has announced plans for the first big test run of networking technologies that could herald peak download rates up to 100 times as fast as today’s 4G systems, with delays as low as 1 millisecond. KT’s competitors SK Telecom and LG U+ are […]
THZ Imaging Human Corneas In Vivo Two papers from UCLA outline optical design and prototype development and evaluation of a new system of reflection-mode terahertz imaging for early, accurate, non-contact detection and study of corneal diseases in humans. The system reveals corneal-tissue water content and geometry while avoiding the problems caused by direct contact with […]
5G Power, Linearity, and Efficiency Prediction for MIMO Arrays Since MIMO array elements are electromagnetically coupled, the waves fed to the antennas also drive the power amplifier (PA) output ports, creating an apparent variable load at each PA output. Simulation is a powerful tool in understanding how these MIMO systems behave. Such simulators should be […]
Researchers at Chalmers University in Sweden have combined flexibility and terahertz detection into one flexible, graphene-based detector that could lead to new products such as wearable terahertz sensors for medical diagnosis. In research published in the journal Applied Physics Letters, the Chalmers researchers developed a field-effect transistor (FET) built up on a plastic substrate in […]
ANTICOUNTERFEITING Radiated Electromagnetic Emission for Integrated Circuit Authentication Counterfeit integrated circuits are a growing problem with economic and safety implications. Semiconductor makers and embedded-system designers are looking for ways of making sure that chips really are what they purport to be. The authors propose fingerprinting each IC’s electromagnetic radiation emissions using a variability-aware circuit configuration, […]
University of Washington (UW) researchers have developed a low-cost, long-range data-communication system that could make it possible for medical sensors or billions of low-cost “internet of things” objects to connect via radio signals at long distances (up to 2.8 kilometers) and with 1000 times lower required power (9.25 microwatts in an experiment) compared to existing […]
FISH-EYE BEAM-SPLITTER Realizing All-Dielectric Devices from Transformation Electromagnetics A team from Oxford and the University of London fabricated and tested a 2-D generalized Maxwell fish-eye lens has been from all-dielectric polymer/ceramic composite materials. The graded refractive index profile of the lens, discretized into a concentric-ring structure, functioned as a two-way beam splitter. Epoxy composites, with […]
Low modulus, compliant systems of sensors, circuits and radios designed to intimately interface with the soft tissues of the human body are of growing interest, due to their emerging applications in continuous, clinical-quality health monitors and advanced, bioelectronic therapeutics. Although recent research establishes various materials and mechanics concepts for such technologies, all existing approaches involve […]
WPT Ultra-Light Rectenna for Harvesting Next-Generation LTE RF Energy A novel, compact, ultralightweight multiband RF energy harvester fabricated of nested annular slots on a paper substrate to operate in all recently released LTE bands (range 0.79-0.96 GHz; 1.71-2.17 GHz; and 2.5-2.69 GHz). The design features an RF-to-dc conversion efficiency in the range of 5%-16% for […]
Silicon has been the mainstay of chips because silicon possesses a “Goldilocks” band gap of 1.1 electron Volts (eV), which makes it possible to operate integrated circuits at a low voltage, leading to reduced leakage of current. Another key feature of silicon is that it can be used to make a convenient “native” insulator, in […]
NONLINEAR OPTICS Terahertz Quantum Cascade Laser Frequency Combs Quantum cascade lasers have shown tremendous potential for generating frequency combs in the mid-infrared and terahertz regions. Four wave mixing (FWM) is the main comb formation process. Group velocity dispersion (GVD) is the main comb-degradation mechanism. And spatial hole burning (SHB) has a considerable impact on whether […]
As we start looking towards more comprehensive exploration of the Moon and of Mars, the assumption is that we’re working on sending humans to the surface of those worlds. It’s going to be exponentially more difficult and dangerous than sending robots, but that’s what exploration is all about, right? There’s an article in the current […]
ANTENNAS Understanding Phase Noise from Vibrating Antennas Vibrating antennas distort signals. Previous analyses have focused on how physical distortion of the antenna structure changes beam patterns. The vibrational velocity and acceleration also have an effect, however, producing Doppler distortions that contribute heavily to noise at vibration frequencies up to 1000 Hz. CALL FOR PAPERS Substrate […]
