RF & Microwave Electronics

Ultrafast Beam-Steering Breakthrough at Sandia Labs

The ability to control light using a semiconductor device could allow low-power, relatively inexpensive sources like LEDs or flashlight bulbs to replace more powerful laser beams in new technologies.

Lunar Surface Navigation System

Scientists have developed a novel concept for a lunar navigation system based on the reverse-ephemeris technique.

Laser Attack Blinds Autonomous Vehicles, Deleting Pedestrians and Confusing Cars

Research reveals that expertly timed lasers shined at an approaching LIDAR system can create a blind spot in front of the vehicle.

A Laser That Could Reshape the Landscape of Integrated Photonics

This technology will pave the way for new applications of integrated semiconductor lasers in LiDAR.

Automated RF Interference Mitigation System

Innovators from the NASA Glenn Research Center developed a software-based automated RFI mitigation system to increase communication reliability.

Energy-Saving Technique for Faster Communication Systems

Researchers have developed a technique that will allow for faster communication systems and better energy-saving electronics.

Robot Overcomes Uncertainty to Retrieve Buried Objects

A new robotic system fuses visual information and radio-frequency signals to efficiently find hidden items buried under a pile of objects.

A Laser-Focused Approach to LiDAR

Traditional time-of-flight LiDAR has many drawbacks that make it difficult to use in many 3D vision applications.

More Reliable Doppler LiDAR for Autonomous Navigation

The LiDAR sensor utilizes Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) technique to determine the distance to the target and the velocity between the sensor and target.

Making Measurements with a Fine-Toothed Comb

Enter the frequency comb, a Nobel Prize-winning device and the result of decades of research from NIST and others. The comb generates a billion pulses of light per second, which bounce back and forth inside an optical cavity.

5G Strobe Light: NIST Imaging System Spotlights the Tiny Mechanical Hearts at the Core of Every Cellphone

The new NIST instrument captures waves in action by relying on a device known as an optical interferometer.

Pulsed 2-Micron Laser Transmitter

The design produces a compact, efficient, long-lifetime laser transmitter as needed for use in space, while also having potential applications as an airborne or ground-based wind measurement tool.

5G Strobe Light: NIST Imaging System Spotlights the Tiny Mechanical Hearts at the Core of Every Cellphone

Inside every cellphone lies a tiny mechanical heart, beating several billion times a second. These micromechanical resonators play an...

Terahertz Energy Focused by Credit Card-Sized Device to Generate High-Resolution Images

Researchers have created a device that enables them to electronically steer and focus a beam of terahertz electromagnetic energy with extreme precision....

Inkjet Printing of Metamaterials

Metamaterials that manipulate microwave energy can be fabricated using low-cost inkjet printing.

Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar

The high-bandwidth, high-resolution ISAR technology can be used to study subsurface structures.

New Device Modulates Visible Light with the Smallest Footprint and Lowest Power Consumption

Columbia researchers are reducing both the size and the power consumption of a visible-spectrum phase modulator, from one millimeter to 10 microns.

Wirelessly Power Multiple Wearable Devices Using a Single Source

Researchers successfully demonstrated the use of the human body as a medium for transmitting and harvesting energy to power wearables.

Sound Waves Transport Droplets for Rewritable Lab-on-a-Chip Devices

Vibrating transducers create tunnels in a thin layer of oil to transport droplets across a chip without leaving a trace behind.

Light Helps Autonomous Vehicles Better Scan for Nearby Fast-Moving Objects

Mechanical control and modulation of light on a silicon chip could enhance LiDAR.

High-Definition Millimeter-Wave Body Scanner

In an airport, the scanner could eliminate the need for passengers to remove shoes at the checkpoint, speeding the screening process.

High-Sensitivity Microwave Radiation Sensor

Better detection of microwave radiation will enable improved thermal imaging, electronic warfare, radio communications, and radar.

Getting NASA Data to the Ground With Lasers

The Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) will usher in a new era of laser communications.

Agile RFID Antenna System

Applications include manufacturing/assembly line tracking, industrial transportation and logistics, and healthcare.

Camera Captures Images of Interior of Solid Objects

The camera combines lasers, computers, and terahertz waves to see “unseen” details.

Compact 3D LiDAR Imaging System

A silicon chip provides a low-cost solution to help machines see the world clearly.

Far-Infrared Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detector (FIR MKID) Array

This technology improves the detection of low-power far-infrared (FIR) signals.