A high-Tc 4-bit periodic threshold analog-to-digital converter

Using ramp-type Josephson junctions a 4-bit periodic threshold ADC has been designed, fabricated and tested. Practical design constraints will be discussed in terms of noise immunity, flux flow, available technology, switching speed etc. In a period of four years we fabricated about 100 chips in order to bring the technology to an acceptable level and to test various designs and circuit layouts. This resulted in a basic comparator that is rather insensitive to the stray field generated by the analog input signal or variations in mask alignment during fabrication. The input signal is fed into the comparators using a resistive divider network. Full functionality at low frequencies has been demonstrate

Ramp Type HTS Josephson Junctions with PrBaCuGaO Barriers

Ramp type Josephson junctions have been fabricated using DyBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-/spl delta// as electrode material and PrBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3-x/Ga/sub x/O/sub 7-/spl delta// with x=0, 0.10 and 0.40 as junction barriers. Barrier thickness lie between 6-30 nm. Several junctions without barrier were made in order to find ways to minimize the damage of the ramp interface. In total about 40 chips were fabricated each containing several junctions and their I-V characteristics measured for various temperatures down to 4.2 K. Only those junctions showing clear RSJ-like curves were selected to be analyzed. In some cases we also measured I/sub c/ as a function of a small applied field and obtained a clear Fraunhofer pattern, but there is a tendency to flux trapping as evidenced by LTSEM. It was found at 4.2 K that the critical current density J/sub c/ scales with the specific resistance R/sub n/A as J/sub c/=C/sub bar/(R/sub n/A)/sup -m/ (m=1.8/spl plusmn/0.5). The barrier material dependent constant C/sub bar/ increases with x, whereas, for a given d, J/sub c/ is constant and R/sub n/A increase

A solution concentration dependent transition from self-stratification to lateral phase separation in spin-cast PS:d-PMMA thin films

Thin films with a rich variety of different nano-scale morphologies have been produced by spin casting solutions of various concentrations of PS:d-PMMA blends from toluene solutions. During the spin casting process specular reflectivity and off-specular scattering data were recorded and ex situ optical and atomic force microscopy, neutron reflectivity and ellipsometry have all been used to characterise the film morphologies. We show that it is possible to selectively control the film morphology by altering the solution concentration used. Low polymer concentration solutions favour the formation of flat in-plane phase-separated bi-layers, with a d-PMMA-rich layer underneath a PS-rich layer. At intermediate concentrations the films formed consist of an in-plane phase-separated bi-layer with an undulating interface and also have some secondary phase-separated pockets rich in d-PMMA in the PS-rich layer and vice versa. Using high concentration solutions results in laterally phase-separated regions with sharp interfaces. As with the intermediate concentrations, secondary phase separation was also observed, especially at the top surface

QCD Predictions for the Transverse Energy Flow in Deep-Inelastic Scattering in the Small x HERA Regime

The distribution of transverse energy, $E_T$, which accompanies deep-inelastic electron-proton scattering at small $x$, is predicted in the central region away from the current jet and proton remnants. We use BFKL dynamics, which arises from the summation of multiple gluon emissions at small $x$, to derive an analytic expression for the $E_T$ flow. One interesting feature is an $x^{-\epsilon}$ increase of the $E_T$ distribution with decreasing $x$, where $\epsilon = (3\alpha_s/\pi)2\log 2$. We perform a numerical study to examine the possibility of using characteristics of the $E_T$ distribution as a means of identifying BFKL dynamics at HERA.Comment: 16 pages, REVTEX 3.0, no figures. (Hardcopies of figures available on request from Professor A.D. Martin, Department of Physics, University of Durham, DH1 3LE, England.) Durham preprint : DTP/94/0

An HTS Quasi-One junction SQUID-based periodic threshold comparator for a 4-bit superconductive flash A/D converter

An all high-Tc periodic threshold comparator for application in a 4-bit superconductive A/D converter has been realized and tested. The theoretical threshold curve of the comparator is calculated and compared to the measured results. Furthermore, the thermal noise immunity and the influence of flux-flow are considered, resulting in practical design constraints for the comparator circui

Southern Hemisphere automated supernova search

The Perth Astronomy Research Group has developed an automated supernova search program, using the 61 cm Perth–Lowell reflecting telescope at Perth Observatory in Western Australia, equipped with a CCD camera. The system is currently capable of observing about 15 objects per hour, using 3 min exposures, and has a detection threshold of 18th–19th magnitude. The entire system has been constructed using low‐cost IBM‐compatible computers. Two original discoveries (SN 1993K, SN 1994R) have so far been made during automated search runs. This paper describes the hardware and software used for the supernova search program, and shows some preliminary results from the search system

Optimal prediction for moment models: Crescendo diffusion and reordered equations

A direct numerical solution of the radiative transfer equation or any kinetic equation is typically expensive, since the radiative intensity depends on time, space and direction. An expansion in the direction variables yields an equivalent system of infinitely many moments. A fundamental problem is how to truncate the system. Various closures have been presented in the literature. We want to study moment closure generally within the framework of optimal prediction, a strategy to approximate the mean solution of a large system by a smaller system, for radiation moment systems. We apply this strategy to radiative transfer and show that several closures can be re-derived within this framework, e.g. $P_N$, diffusion, and diffusion correction closures. In addition, the formalism gives rise to new parabolic systems, the reordered $P_N$ equations, that are similar to the simplified $P_N$ equations. Furthermore, we propose a modification to existing closures. Although simple and with no extra cost, this newly derived crescendo diffusion yields better approximations in numerical tests.Comment: Revised version: 17 pages, 6 figures, presented at Workshop on Moment Methods in Kinetic Gas Theory, ETH Zurich, 2008 2 figures added, minor correction

Path Planning for Reconfigurable Rovers in Planetary Exploration

This paper introduces a path planning algorithm that takes into consideration different locomotion modes in a wheeled reconfigurable rover. Power consumption and traction are estimated by means of simplified dynamics models for each locomotion mode. In particular, wheel-walking and normaldriving are modeled for a planetary rover prototype. These models are then used to define the cost function of a path planning algorithm based on fast marching. It calculates the optimal path, in terms of power consumption, between two positions, providing the most appropriate locomotion mode to be used at each position. Finally, the path planning algorithm was implemented in V-REP simulation software and a Martian area was used to validate it. Results of this contribution also demonstrate how the use of these locomotion modes would reduce the power consumption for a particular area.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

High-Tc ramp-type Josephson junctions on MgO substrates for Terahertz applications

The authors successfully fabricated high-Tc ramp-type junctions with PrBa2Cu3-xGaxO7-δ (PBCGO: x=0.1, 0.4) barriers on MgO substrates. The junctions showed resistively shunted Josephson junction (RSJ)-like I-V curves with thermally and voltage activated conductivity. The IcRn products for these junctions scaled very well with the Ga-doping. Maximum response of the junctions for 100-GHz millimeter-wave irradiation could be observed up to 12 mV corresponding to 6 THz. Using far infrared laser radiation, we confirmed a terahertz (THz) response of these junctions. These results show promise for THz-wave applications of ramp-type Josephson junctions

Redundancy Strategies for a High Splitting Optically Amplified Passive Optical Network

Copyright IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. However, permission to reprint/republish this material for advertising or promotional purposes or for creating new collective works for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or to reuse any copyrighted component of this work in other works must be obtained from the IEEE.High splitting, optically amplified, passive optical networks (SuperPONs) are investigated in terms of redundancy provision and protection mechanisms. Options for redundancy, including the important special case of dual homing, are detailed, and it is determined as to which of these options (duplication of the feeder and first distribution section, and N+1 protection of the optical amplifiers in the amplified splitter) would be required to be provided to all attached users to facilitate appropriate availability of the basic telephony service. The distributed amplified splitter dual homing solution is found to outperform the single amplified splitter solution in terms of its survivability. The protection mechanisms necessary to automatically switch to the redundant provision are discussed and it is seen that with the aid of suitable regular precautionary procedures protection switching can generally be provided rapidly (<50 ms). Finally, an availability, and cost versus availability, study confirms the aforementioned redundancy assessment for fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) implementations, but shows fiber-to-the-curb (FTTC) as needing additional redundancyPeer reviewe