Stories
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Briefs: Photonics/Optics
An analog electronic camera that is part of a metrology system measures the varying direction to a light-emitting diode that serves as a bright point target. In the original application for which...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
Modal Filters for Infrared Interferometry
Modal filters in the ≈10-μm spectral range have been implemented as planar dielectric waveguides in infrared interferometric applications such as searching for Earth-like planets. When looking for a small, dim object (“Earth”) in close proximity to a large, bright object (“Sun”), the...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
This compact, lightweight, dual- frequency antenna feed developed for future soil moisture and sea surface salinity (SSS) missions can benefit future soil and ocean...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
A modified scheme for electron-beam (E-beam) writing used in the fabrication of convex or concave diffraction gratings makes it possible to suppress the ghost diffraction heretofore...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
A mathematical model, and software to implement the model, have been devised to enable numerical simulation of the transport of electric charge in, and the resulting electrical performance...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
Compounds having compositions of Mo3Sb7–xTex (where x = 1.5 or 1.6) have been investigated as candidate thermoelectric materials. These compounds are members of a class of...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
In a proposed alternative to previous approaches to making hot-shoe contacts to the legs of thermoelectric devices, one relies on differential thermal expansion to increase contact...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
Several techniques for manipulating neutral atoms (more precisely, ultracold clouds of neutral atoms) in chip-based magnetic traps and atomic waveguides have been demonstrated. Such traps...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
The figure schematically depicts some alternative designs of proposed compact, lightweight optoelectronic microscopes that would contain no lenses and would generate magnified video images of...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
A method of polarimetric imaging, now undergoing development, involves the use of two photoelastic modulators in series, driven at equal amplitude but at different frequencies. The net...
Briefs: Photonics/Optics
The figure depicts a proposed wide-angle lens that would be especially well suited for an electronic camera in which the focal plane is occupied by an image sensor that has small...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
Magnetic-field-response sensors have been developed for use in measuring levels of fluids under extreme conditions. The sensors work without wire connections or direct physical contact with...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
Direct-Solve Image-Based Wavefront Sensing
A method of wavefront sensing (more precisely characterized as a method of determining the deviation of a wavefront from a nominal figure) has been invented as an improved means of assessing the performance of an optical system as affected by such imperfections as misalignments, design errors, and...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
Volcano Monitor: Autonomous Triggering of 'In-Situ' Sensors
In-situ sensors near volcanoes would be alerted by the Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) craft to take more frequent data readings. This project involves developing a sulfur-dioxide-sensing volcano monitor that will be able to transmit its readings through an Iridium modem. The monitor, when...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
Use of UV Sources for Detection and Identification of Explosives
Measurement of Raman and native fluorescence emission using ultraviolet (UV) sources (<400 nm) on targeted materials is suitable for both sensitive detection and accurate identification of explosive materials. When the UV emission data are analyzed using a combination of Principal...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
A new gradiometer scheme uses middle loops as sensing elements in low-field superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)....
Briefs: Physical Sciences
Within a digital world, the parameters of real-world information (temperature, voltage, current, speed, flow, pressure, distance, etc.) used for process communications and control are...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
An apparatus that includes an array of multiple electrodes has been invented as a means of simultaneously testing multiple materials for their utility as oxygen-reduction catalysts in...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
A photonic instrument is proposed to boost the resolution for ultraviolet/optical/infrared spectral analysis and spectral imaging allowing the detection of narrow...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
Composite Bipolar Plate for Unitized Fuel Cell/Electrolyzer Systems
In a substantial improvement over present alkaline systems, an advanced hybrid bipolar plate for a unitized fuel cell/ electrolyzer has been developed. This design, which operates on pure feed streams (H2/O2 and water, respectively) consists of a porous metallic foil filled with a...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
Quantum-Well Thermophotovoltaic Cells
Thermophotovoltaic cells containing multiple quantum wells have been invented as improved means of conversion of thermal to electrical energy. The semiconductor bandgaps of the quantum wells can be tailored to be narrower than those of prior thermophotovoltaic cells, thereby enabling the cells to convert energy...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
An instrument measures electrical properties of relatively dry soils to determine their liquid water and/or ice contents. Designed as a prototype of instruments for measuring the...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
A method for real-time detection of dust devils at a given location is based on identifying the abrupt, temporary decreases in atmospheric pressure that are characteristic of dust devils...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
It has been proposed to modify the basic structure of an nBn infrared photodetector so that a plain electron-donor-type (n-type) semiconductor contact layer would be replaced by a graded...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
A concept for an ultra-broad-band optical parametric amplifier or oscillator has emerged as a by-product of a theoretical study in fundamental quantum optics. The study was originally...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
Accelerometer systems that would combine the best features of both conventional (e.g., mechanical) accelerometers and atom interferometer accelerometers (AIAs) have been proposed. These...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
In a proposed method of sensing small quantities of molecules of interest, surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy would be further enhanced by means of intermolecular or...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
Particle-Image Velocimeter Having Large Depth of Field
An instrument that functions mainly as a particle-image velocimeter provides data on the sizes and velocities of flying opaque particles. The instrument is being developed as a means of characterizing fluxes of wind-borne dust particles in the Martian atmosphere. The instrument could also...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
An improved generic design has been devised for implementing signal chains involved in readout from complementary metal oxide/semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors and for other readout integrated...
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Webcasts
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