A 4.3 GHz BiCMOS VCO with multiple 360° variable phase outputs using the vector sum method

A 4.3 GHz voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) with multiple independently tunable phase outputs is presented. The VCO is realized by coupling two LC oscillators together in order to obtain quadrature signals and is tunable between 4.12 and 4.74 GHz. The variable phase outputs are achieved by varying the amplitudes of the in-phase and quadrature signals independently and then combining these signals together. By using multiple Gilbert cells as variable gain amplifiers (VGAs), multiple tunable phase outputs are achieved with the use of only one quadrature VCO. The VGAs are controlled using a custom non-linear digital-toanalog converter. The entire circuit is designed using a 3.3 V SiGe BiCMOS process. A maximum phase noise of -108.17 dBc/Hz was measured over the entire tuning range at a 1 MHz offset. The outputs of the VCO can be used as local oscillators that achieve phase shifting during radio frequency up or down conversion.Armscor S. A. Ltd and the Business Unit: Defence, Peace, Safety and Security (DPSS), Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), South Africa.http://www.springerlink.com/content/0925-1030ai201

Microwave Oscillations of a Nanomagnet Driven by a Spin-Polarized Current

We describe direct electrical measurements of microwave-frequency dynamics in individual nanomagnets that are driven by spin transfer from a DC spin-polarized current. We map out the dynamical stability diagram as a function of current and magnetic field, and we show that spin transfer can produce several different types of magnetic excitations, including small-angle precession, a more complicated large-angle motion, and a high-current state that generates little microwave signal. The large-angle mode can produce a significant emission of microwave energy, as large as 40 times the Johnson-noise background.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figure

Measurements of the Correlation Function of a Microwave Frequency Single Photon Source

At optical frequencies the radiation produced by a source, such as a laser, a black body or a single photon source, is frequently characterized by analyzing the temporal correlations of emitted photons using single photon counters. At microwave frequencies, however, there are no efficient single photon counters yet. Instead, well developed linear amplifiers allow for efficient measurement of the amplitude of an electromagnetic field. Here, we demonstrate how the properties of a microwave single photon source can be characterized using correlation measurements of the emitted radiation with such detectors. We also demonstrate the cooling of a thermal field stored in a cavity, an effect which we detect using a cross-correlation measurement of the radiation emitted at the two ends of the cavity.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Observation of unidirectional backscattering-immune topological electromagnetic states

One of the most striking phenomena in condensed-matter physics is the quantum Hall effect, which arises in two-dimensional electron systems subject to a large magnetic field applied perpendicular to the plane in which the electrons reside. In such circumstances, current is carried by electrons along the edges of the system, in so-called chiral edge states (CESs). These are states that, as a consequence of nontrivial topological properties of the bulk electronic band structure, have a unique directionality and are robust against scattering from disorder. Recently, it was theoretically predicted that electromagnetic analogues of such electronic edge states could be observed in photonic crystals, which are materials having refractive-index variations with a periodicity comparable to the wavelength of the light passing through them. Here we report the experimental realization and observation of such electromagnetic CESs in a magneto-optical photonic crystal fabricated in the microwave regime. We demonstrate that, like their electronic counterparts, electromagnetic CESs can travel in only one direction and are very robust against scattering from disorder; we find that even large metallic scatterers placed in the path of the propagating edge modes do not induce reflections. These modes may enable the production of new classes of electromagnetic device and experiments that would be impossible using conventional reciprocal photonic states alone. Furthermore, our experimental demonstration and study of photonic CESs provides strong support for the generalization and application of topological band theories to classical and bosonic systems, and may lead to the realization and observation of topological phenomena in a generally much more controlled and customizable fashion than is typically possible with electronic systems

Terahertz communications for 5G and beyond

A brief discussion about the exclusive properties and applications of terahertz technology is provided in this chapter. The frequency spectrum terahertz (THz) is also discussed. The applications of terahertz in the field of sensors and terahertz for communications are covered. State-of-the-art literature starting from the early to the latest research conducted is provided and analyzed in terms of the performance of terahertz systems. Terahertz, known as Tera waves or T-waves rather than submillimeter wave, has approximately a fraction of a wavelength less than 30 μm. T-wave is heavily used in sensing and imaging applications, and has no ionization hazards and is an excellent candidate frequency band to defeat the multipaths interference problems for pulse communications. The lower quantum energy of T-waves identifies its potential applications toward near-field imaging, telecommunications, spectroscopy, and sensing, including medical diagnoses and security screening. Identification of DNA signatures including complex real-time molecular dynamics through dielectric resonance is a good example of terahertz spectroscopy instruments nowadays. This concluding chapter will not only address the practical applications of terahertz communications, but also identify the research challenges that lie ahead in terms of terahertz antenna desig

Theory and numerical modelling of parity-time symmetric structures in photonics: introduction and grating structures in one dimension

A class of structures based on PT PT-symmetric Bragg gratings in the presence of both gain and loss is studied. The basic concepts and properties of parity and time reversal in one-dimensional structures that possess idealised material properties are given. The impact of realistic material properties on the behaviour of these devices is then investigated. Further extension to include material non-linearity is used to study an innovative all-optical memory device