Briefs: Photonics/Optics

Inter-Valence-Subband/Conduction-Band-Transport IR Detectors

Infrared (IR) detectors characterized by a combination of (1) high-quantum-efficiency photoexcitation of inter-valence-subband transitions of charge carriers and (2) high-mobility...

Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems

Miniature Robotic Submarine for Exploring Harsh Environments

The miniature autonomous submersible explorer (MASE) has been proposed as a means of scientific exploration—especially, looking for signs of life—in harsh, relatively...

Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems

Lightweight Exoskeletons With Controllable Actuators

A proposed class of lightweight exoskeletal electromechanical systems would include electrically controllable actuators that would generate torques and forces that, depending on specific...

Briefs: Information Technology

Forensic Analysis Specialists Discover Product Failure Causes Using FEA Software

Engineers use a wide range of tools and techniques to ensure that the designs they create are safe. However, accidents sometimes happen and when they do,...

Briefs: Materials

Using Iron To Treat Chlorohydrocarbon Contaminated Soil

A method of in situ remediation of soil contaminated with chlorinated hydrocarbon solvents involves injection of nanometer-size iron particles. This method should not be confused with a...

Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems

Mechanism for Self-Reacted Friction Stir Welding

A mechanism has been designed to apply the loads (the stirring and the resection forces and torques) in self-reacted friction stir welding. This mechanism differs somewhat from mechanisms used...

Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems

Back Actuators for Segmented Mirrors and Other Applications

Back actuators have been proposed as alternatives to edge actuators considered previously for use in aligning hexagonal segments of lightweight segmented astronomical mirrors...

Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems

Thermally Insulating, Kinematic Tensioned-Fiber Suspension

Figure 1 shows a salt pill and some parts of a thermally insulating, kinematic suspension system that holds the salt pill rigidly in an adiabatic demagnetization refrigerator (ADR)....

Briefs: Physical Sciences

Electron-Spin Filters Based on the Rashba Effect

Semiconductor electron-spin filters of a proposed type would be based on the Rashba effect, which is described briefly below. Electron-spin filters — more precisely, sources of...

Briefs: Physical Sciences

Diffusion-Cooled Tantalum Hot-Electron Bolometer Mixers

A batch of experimental diffusion-cooled hot-electron bolometers (HEBs), suitable for use as mixers having input frequencies in the terahertz range and output frequencies up to about a...

Briefs: Physical Sciences

Improved Position Sensor for Feedback Control of Levitation

An improved optoelectronic apparatus has been developed to provide the position feedback needed for controlling the levitation subsystem of a containerless processing system. As...

Briefs: Physical Sciences

Relative-Motion Sensors and Actuators for Two Optical Tables

Optoelectronic sensors and magnetic actuators have been developed as parts of a system for controlling the relative position and attitude of two massive optical tables that float...

Briefs: Electronics & Computers

Compact Tactile Sensors for Robot Fingers

Compact transducer arrays that measure spatial distributions of force or pressure have been demonstrated as prototypes of tactile sensors to be mounted on fingers and palms of dexterous robot hands....

Briefs: Electronics & Computers

Improved Ion-Channel Biosensors

An effort is underway to develop improved biosensors of a type based on ion channels in biomimetic membranes. These sensors are microfabricated from silicon and other materials compatible with silicon. As...

Briefs: Electronics & Computers

Suspended-Patch Antenna With Inverted, EM-Coupled Feed

An improved suspended-patch antenna has been designed to operate at a frequency of about 23 GHz with linear polarization and to be one of four identical antennas in a rectangular array....

Briefs: Electronics & Computers

System Would Predictively Preempt Traffic Lights for Emergency Vehicles

Two electronic communication-and- control systems have been proposed as means of modifying the switching of traffic lights to give priority to emergency vehicles. Both...

Briefs: Electronics & Computers

Hyperboloid Wire Basket Connector Technology Provides High-Performance Interconnect Solutions

As high-end electronics become more and more pervasive, reliability and the need to minimize failure are top priorities for many manufacturers....

Briefs: Photonics/Optics

Optical Position Encoders for High or Low Temperatures

Optoelectronic pattern-recognition systems (optical encoders)for measuring positions of objects of interest at temperatures well below or well above room temperature are undergoing...

Briefs: Photonics/Optics

Tunable Optical True-Time Delay Devices Would Exploit EIT

Tunable optical true-time delay devices that would exploit electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) have been proposed. Relative to prior true-time delay devices (for example,...