1,028 research outputs found
Design and simulation of zipping variable capacitors
Variable capacitors are essential for building tunable RF systems. We present here the design and simulation of novel zipping variable capacitors with a high permittivity dielectric layer. Two modelling techniques are presented: finite element simulation and variational analysis. A capacitance ratio greater than 40 can be obtained for a 100”m x 25”m device which has a high permittivity dielectric layer (Δr = 200). By shaping either the top electrode beam or the bottom electrode, continuously variable capacitance is achieved at low bias voltages
Difference frequency generation by quasi-phase matching in periodically intermixed semiconductor superlattice waveguides
Wavelength conversion by difference frequency generation is demonstrated in domain-disordered quasi-phase-matched waveguides. The waveguide structure consisted of a GaAs/AlGaAs superlattice core that was periodically intermixed by ion implantation. For quasi-phase-matching periods of 3.0â3.8 μm, degeneracy pump wavelengths were found by second-harmonic generation experiments for fundamental wavelengths between 1520 and 1620 nm in both type-I and type-II configurations. In the difference frequency generation experiments, output powers up to 8.7 nW were generated for the type-I phase matching interaction and 1.9 nW for the type-II interaction. The conversion bandwidth was measured to be over 100 nm covering the C, L, and U optical communications bands, which agrees with predictions
Analysis of optimised micro-generator architectures for self-powered ubiquitous computers
Accepted versio
First order quantum phase transitions
Quantum phase transitions have been the subject of intense investigations in
the last two decades [1]. Among other problems, these phase transitions are
relevant in the study of heavy fermion systems, high temperature
superconductors and Bose-Einstein condensates. More recently there is
increasing evidence that in many systems which are close to a quantum critical
point (QCP) different phases are in competition. In this paper we show that the
main effect of this competition is to give rise to inhomogeneous behavior
associated with quantum first order transitions. These effects are described
theoretically using an action that takes into account the competition between
different order parameters. The method of the effective potential is used to
calculate the quantum corrections to the classical functional. These
corrections generally change the nature of the QCP and give rise to interesting
effects even in the presence of non-critical fluctuations. An unexpected result
is the appearance of an inhomogeneous phase with two values of the order
parameter separated by a first order transition. Finally, we discuss the
universal behavior of systems with a weak first order zero temperature
transition in particular as the transition point is approached from finite
temperatures. The thermodynamic behavior along this line is obtained and shown
to present universal features.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures. Invited talk at ICM2006, Kyoto. To appear in JMM
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