Analysis and equalization of data-dependent jitter

Data-dependent jitter limits the bit-error rate (BER) performance of broadband communication systems and aggravates synchronization in phase- and delay-locked loops used for data recovery. A method for calculating the data-dependent jitter in broadband systems from the pulse response is discussed. The impact of jitter on conventional clock and data recovery circuits is studied in the time and frequency domain. The deterministic nature of data-dependent jitter suggests equalization techniques suitable for high-speed circuits. Two equalizer circuit implementations are presented. The first is a SiGe clock and data recovery circuit modified to incorporate a deterministic jitter equalizer. This circuit demonstrates the reduction of jitter in the recovered clock. The second circuit is a MOS implementation of a jitter equalizer with independent control of the rising and falling edge timing. This equalizer demonstrates improvement of the timing margins that achieve 10/sup -12/ BER from 30 to 52 ps at 10 Gb/s

Sub-10ps Monolithic and Low-power Photodetector Readout

Recent advances in photon detectors have resulted in high-density imaging arrays that offer many performance and cost advantages. In particular, the excellent transit time spread of certain devices show promise to provide tangible benefits in applications such as Positron Emission Tomography (PET). Meanwhile, high-density, high-performance readout techniques have not kept on pace for exploiting these developments. Photodetector readout for next generation high event rate particle identification and time-resolved PET requires a highly-integrated, low-power, and cost-effective readout technique. We propose fast waveform sampling as a method that meets these criteria and demonstrate that sub-10ps resolution can be obtained for an existing device.Comment: 12 pages, 20 figures, submitted to NIM

Revised Masses and Densities of the Planets around Kepler-10

Determining which small exoplanets have stony-iron compositions is necessary for quantifying the occurrence of such planets and for understanding the physics of planet formation. Kepler-10 hosts the stony-iron world Kepler-10b, and also contains what has been reported to be the largest solid silicate-ice planet, Kepler-10c. Using 220 radial velocities (RVs), including 72 precise RVs from Keck-HIRES of which 20 are new from 2014 to 2015, and 17 quarters of Kepler photometry, we obtain the most complete picture of the Kepler-10 system to date. We find that Kepler-10b (R_p = 1.47 R_⊕) has mass 3.72 ± 0.42 M_⊕ and density 6.46 ± 0.73 g cm^(-3). Modeling the interior of Kepler-10b as an iron core overlaid with a silicate mantle, we find that the iron core constitutes 0.17 ± 0.11 of the planet mass. For Kepler-10c (R_p = 2.35 R_⊕) we measure mass 13.98 ± 1.79 M_⊕ and density 5.94 ± 0.76 g cm^(-3), significantly lower than the mass computed in Dumusque et al. (17.2 ± 1.9 M_⊕). Our mass measurement of Kepler-10c rules out a pure stony-iron composition. Internal compositional modeling reveals that at least 10% of the radius of Kepler-10c is a volatile envelope composed of hydrogen–helium (0.2% of the mass, 16% of the radius) or super-ionic water (28% of the mass, 29% of the radius). However, we note that analysis of only HIRES data yields a higher mass for planet b and a lower mass for planet c than does analysis of the HARPS-N data alone, with the mass estimates for Kepler-10 c being formally inconsistent at the 3σ level. Moreover, dividing the data for each instrument into two parts also leads to somewhat inconsistent measurements for the mass of planet c derived from each observatory. Together, this suggests that time-correlated noise is present and that the uncertainties in the masses of the planets (especially planet c) likely exceed our formal estimates. Transit timing variations (TTVs) of Kepler-10c indicate the likely presence of a third planet in the system, KOI-72.X. The TTVs and RVs are consistent with KOI-72.X having an orbital period of 24, 71, or 101 days, and a mass from 1 to 7 M_⊕

Astrophysical Insights into Radial Velocity Jitter from an Analysis of 600 Planet-search Stars

Radial velocity (RV) detection of planets is hampered by astrophysical processes on the surfaces of stars that induce a stochastic signal, or "jitter," which can drown out or even mimic planetary signals. Here, we empirically and carefully measure the RV jitter of more than 600 stars from the California Planet Search sample on a star by star basis. As part of this process, we explore the activity–RV correlation of stellar cycles and include appendices listing every ostensibly companion-induced signal we removed and every activity cycle we noted. We then use precise stellar properties from Brewer et al. to separate the sample into bins of stellar mass and examine trends with activity and with evolutionary state. We find that RV jitter tracks stellar evolution and that in general, stars evolve through different stages of RV jitter: the jitter in younger stars is driven by magnetic activity, while the jitter in older stars is convectively driven and dominated by granulation and oscillations. We identify the "jitter minimum"—where activity-driven and convectively driven jitter have similar amplitudes—for stars between 0.7 and 1.7 M⊙ and find that more-massive stars reach this jitter minimum later in their lifetime, in the subgiant or even giant phases. Finally, we comment on how these results can inform future RV efforts, from prioritization of follow-up targets from transit surveys like TESS to target selection of future RV surveys

Microwave techniques and applications for semiconductor quantum dot mode-locked lasers

Semiconductor mode-locked lasers (MLLs) are important as compact and cost-effective sources of picosecond or sub-picosecond optical pulses with moderate peak powers. They have potential use in various fields including optical interconnects for clock distribution at an inter-chip/intra-chip level as well as high bit-rate optical time division multiplexing (OTDM), diverse waveform generation, and microwave signal generation. However, there are still several challenges to conquer for engineering applications. Semiconductor MLLs sources have generally not been able to match the noise performance and pulse quality of the best solid-state mode-locked lasers. For improving the characteristics of semiconductor mode-locked lasers, research on both the material/device design and stabilization mechanism is necessary. In this dissertation, by extending the net-gain modulation phasor approach based on a microwave photonics perspective, a convenient, yet powerful analytical model is derived and experimentally verified for the cavity design of semiconductor two-section passive MLLs. This model will also be useful in designing the next generation quantum dot (QD) MLL capable of stable operation from 20°C to 100°C for optical interconnects applications. The compact optical generation of microwave signals using a monolithic passive QD MLL is investigated. Relevant equations for the efficient conversion of electrical to optical to electrical (EOE) energy are derived and the device principles are described. In order to verify the function of a QD MLL as an RF signal generator, the integration with a rectangular patch antenna system is also studied. Furthermore, combined with the reconfigurable function, the multi-section QD MLL will be a promising candidate of the compact, efficient RF signal source in wireless, beam steering, and satellite communication applications. The noise performance is a key element for semiconductor MLLs in OTDM communications. The external stabilization methods to improve the timing stability in passive MLLs have been studied and an all-microwave measurement technique has also been developed to determine the pulse-to-pulse rms timing jitter. Compared to the conventional optical cross-correlation technique, the new method provides an alternative and simple approach to characterize the timing jitter in a passive MLL. The average pulse-to-pulse rms timing jitter is reduced to 32 fs/cycle under external optical feedback stabilization

An Infrastructure IP for On-Chip Clock Jitter Measurement

Abstrac

Models predicting the performance of IC component or PCB channel during electromagnetic interference

This dissertation is composed of three papers, which cover the prediction of the characteristics of jitter due to crosstalk and due to simultaneous switching noise, and covers susceptibility of delay locked loop (DLL) to electromagnetic interference. In the first paper, an improved tail-fit de-convolution method is proposed for characterizing the impact of deterministic jitter in the presence of random jitter. A Wiener filter de-convolution method is also presented for extracting the characteristics of crosstalk induced jitter from measurements of total jitter made when the crosstalk sources were and were not present. The proposed techniques are shown to work well both in simulations and in measurements of a high-speed link. In the second paper, methods are developed to predict the statistical distribution of timing jitter due to dynamic currents drawn by an integrated circuit (IC) and the resulting power supply noise on the PCB. Distribution of dynamic currents is found through vectorless methods. Results demonstrate the approach can rapidly determine the average and standard deviation of the power supply noise voltage and the peak jitter within 5~15% error, which is more than sufficient for predicting the performance impact on integrated circuits. In the third paper, a model is developed to predict the susceptibility of a DLL to electromagnetic noise on the power supply. With the proposed analytical noise transfer function, peak to peak jitter and cycle to cycle jitter at the DLL output can be estimated, which can be use to predict when soft failures will occur and to better understand how to fix these failures. Simulation and measurement results demonstrate the accuracy of the DLL delay model. --Abstract, page iv

Detecting and locating electronic devices using their unintended electromagnetic emissions

Electronically-initiated explosives can have unintended electromagnetic emissions which propagate through walls and sealed containers. These emissions, if properly characterized, enable the prompt and accurate detection of explosive threats. The following dissertation develops and evaluates techniques for detecting and locating common electronic initiators. The unintended emissions of radio receivers and microcontrollers are analyzed. These emissions are low-power radio signals that result from the device\u27s normal operation. In the first section, it is demonstrated that arbitrary signals can be injected into a radio receiver\u27s unintended emissions using a relatively weak stimulation signal. This effect is called stimulated emissions. The performance of stimulated emissions is compared to passive detection techniques. The novel technique offers a 5 to 10 dB sensitivity improvement over passive methods for detecting radio receivers. The second section develops a radar-like technique for accurately locating radio receivers. The radar utilizes the stimulated emissions technique with wideband signals. A radar-like system is designed and implemented in hardware. Its accuracy tested in a noisy, multipath-rich, indoor environment. The proposed radar can locate superheterodyne radio receivers with a root mean square position error less than 5 meters when the SNR is 15 dB or above. In the third section, an analytic model is developed for the unintended emissions of microcontrollers. It is demonstrated that these emissions consist of a periodic train of impulses. Measurements of an 8051 microcontroller validate this model. The model is used to evaluate the noise performance of several existing algorithms. Results indicate that the pitch estimation techniques have a 4 dB sensitivity improvement over epoch folding algorithms --Abstract, page iii