Matching Items (20)
Filtering by

Clear all filters

151685-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
A proposed visible spectrum nanoscale imaging method requires material with permittivity values much larger than those available in real world materials to shrink the visible wavelength to attain the desired resolution. It has been proposed that the extraordinarily slow propagation experienced by light guided along plasmon resonant structures is a

A proposed visible spectrum nanoscale imaging method requires material with permittivity values much larger than those available in real world materials to shrink the visible wavelength to attain the desired resolution. It has been proposed that the extraordinarily slow propagation experienced by light guided along plasmon resonant structures is a viable approach to obtaining these short wavelengths. To assess the feasibility of such a system, an effective medium model of a chain of Noble metal plasmonic nanospheres is developed, leading to a straightforward calculation of the waveguiding properties. Evaluation of other models for such structures that have appeared in the literature, including an eigenvalue problem nearest neighbor approximation, a multi- neighbor approximation with retardation, and a method-of-moments method for a finite chain, show conflicting expectations of such a structure. In particular, recent publications suggest the possibility of regions of invalidity for eigenvalue problem solutions that are considered far below the onset of guidance, and for solutions that assume the loss is low enough to justify perturbation approximations. Even the published method-of-moments approach suffers from an unjustified assumption in the original interpretation, leading to overly optimistic estimations of the attenuation of the plasmon guided wave. In this work it is shown that the method of moments approach solution was dominated by the radiation from the source dipole, and not the waveguiding behavior claimed. If this dipolar radiation is removed the remaining fields ought to contain the desired guided wave information. Using a Prony's-method-based algorithm the dispersion properties of the chain of spheres are assessed at two frequencies, and shown to be dramatically different from the optimistic expectations in much of the literature. A reliable alternative to these models is to replace the chain of spheres with an effective medium model, thus mapping the chain problem into the well-known problem of the dielectric rod. The solution of the Green function problem for excitation of the symmetric longitudinal mode (TM01) is performed by numerical integration. Using this method the frequency ranges over which the rod guides and the associated attenuation are clearly seen. The effective medium model readily allows for variation of the sphere size and separation, and can be taken to the limit where instead of a chain of spheres we have a solid Noble metal rod. This latter case turns out to be the optimal for minimizing the attenuation of the guided wave. Future work is proposed to simulate the chain of photonic nanospheres and the nanowire using finite-difference time-domain to verify observed guided behavior in the Green's function method devised in this thesis and to simulate the proposed nanosensing devices.
ContributorsHale, Paul (Author) / Diaz, Rodolfo E (Thesis advisor) / Goodnick, Stephen (Committee member) / Aberle, James T., 1961- (Committee member) / Palais, Joseph (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
152193-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
Global Positioning System (GPS) is a navigation system widely used in civilian and military application, but its accuracy is highly impacted with consequential fading, and possible loss of communication due to multipath propagation and high power interferences. This dissertation proposes alternatives to improve the performance of the GPS receivers to

Global Positioning System (GPS) is a navigation system widely used in civilian and military application, but its accuracy is highly impacted with consequential fading, and possible loss of communication due to multipath propagation and high power interferences. This dissertation proposes alternatives to improve the performance of the GPS receivers to obtain a system that can be reliable in critical situations. The basic performance of the GPS receiver consists of receiving the signal with an antenna array, delaying the signal at each antenna element, weighting the delayed replicas, and finally, combining the weighted replicas to estimate the desired signal. Based on these, three modifications are proposed to improve the performance of the system. The first proposed modification is the use of the Least Mean Squares (LMS) algorithm with two variations to decrease the convergence time of the classic LMS while achieving good system stability. The results obtained by the proposed LMS demonstrate that the algorithm can achieve the same stability as the classic LMS using a small step size, and its convergence rate is better than the classic LMS using a large step size. The second proposed modification is to replace the uniform distribution of the time delays (or taps) by an exponential distribution that decreases the bit-error rate (BER) of the system without impacting the computational efficiency of the uniform taps. The results show that, for a BER of 0.001, the system can operate with a 1 to 2 dB lower signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) when an exponential distribution is used rather than a uniform distribution. Finally, the third modification is implemented in the design of the antenna array. In this case, the gain of each microstrip element is enhanced by embedding ferrite rings in the substrate, creating a hybrid substrate. The ferrite rings generates constructive interference between the incident and reflected fields; consequently, the gain of a single microstrip element is enhanced by up to 4 dB. When hybrid substrates are used in microstrip element arrays, a significant enhancement in angle range is achieved for a given reflection coefficient compared to using a conventional substrate.
ContributorsRivera-Albino, Alix (Author) / Balanis, Constantine A (Thesis advisor) / Tepedelenlioğlu, Cihan (Committee member) / Kiaei, Sayfe (Committee member) / Aberle, James T (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
152106-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
There is a pervasive need in the defense industry for conformal, low-profile, efficient and broadband (HF-UHF) antennas. Broadband capabilities enable shared aperture multi-function radiators, while conformal antenna profiles minimize physical damage in army applications, reduce drag and weight penalties in airborne applications and reduce the visual and RF signatures of

There is a pervasive need in the defense industry for conformal, low-profile, efficient and broadband (HF-UHF) antennas. Broadband capabilities enable shared aperture multi-function radiators, while conformal antenna profiles minimize physical damage in army applications, reduce drag and weight penalties in airborne applications and reduce the visual and RF signatures of the communication node. This dissertation is concerned with a new class of antennas called Magneto-Dielectric wire antennas (MDWA) that provide an ideal solution to this ever-present and growing need. Magneto-dielectric structures (μr>1;εr>1) can partially guide electromagnetic waves and radiate them by leaking off the structure or by scattering from any discontinuities, much like a metal antenna of the same shape. They are attractive alternatives to conventional whip and blade antennas because they can be placed conformal to a metallic ground plane without any performance penalty. A two pronged approach is taken to analyze MDWAs. In the first, antenna circuit models are derived for the prototypical dipole and loop elements that include the effects of realistic dispersive magneto-dielectric materials of construction. A material selection law results, showing that: (a) The maximum attainable efficiency is determined by a single magnetic material parameter that we term the hesitivity: Closely related to Snoek's product, it measures the maximum magnetic conductivity of the material. (b) The maximum bandwidth is obtained by placing the highest amount of μ" loss in the frequency range of operation. As a result, high radiation efficiency antennas can be obtained not only from the conventional low loss (low μ") materials but also with highly lossy materials (tan(δm)>>1). The second approach used to analyze MDWAs is through solving the Green function problem of the infinite magneto-dielectric cylinder fed by a current loop. This solution sheds light on the leaky and guided waves supported by the magneto-dielectric structure and leads to useful design rules connecting the permeability of the material to the cross sectional area of the antenna in relation to the desired frequency of operation. The Green function problem of the permeable prolate spheroidal antenna is also solved as a good approximation to a finite cylinder.
ContributorsSebastian, Tom (Author) / Diaz, Rodolfo E (Thesis advisor) / Pan, George (Committee member) / Aberle, James T., 1961- (Committee member) / Kozicki, Michael (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
151299-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
Asymptotic and Numerical methods are popular in applied electromagnetism. In this work, the two methods are applied for collimated antennas and calibration targets, respectively. As an asymptotic method, the diffracted Gaussian beam approach (DGBA) is developed for design and simulation of collimated multi-reflector antenna systems, based upon Huygens principle and

Asymptotic and Numerical methods are popular in applied electromagnetism. In this work, the two methods are applied for collimated antennas and calibration targets, respectively. As an asymptotic method, the diffracted Gaussian beam approach (DGBA) is developed for design and simulation of collimated multi-reflector antenna systems, based upon Huygens principle and independent Gaussian beam expansion, referred to as the frames. To simulate a reflector antenna in hundreds to thousands of wavelength, it requires 1E7 - 1E9 independent Gaussian beams. To this end, high performance parallel computing is implemented, based on Message Passing Interface (MPI). The second part of the dissertation includes the plane wave scattering from a target consisting of doubly periodic array of sharp conducting circular cones by the magnetic field integral equation (MFIE) via Coiflet based Galerkin's procedure in conjunction with the Floquet theorem. Owing to the orthogonally, compact support, continuity and smoothness of the Coiflets, well-conditioned impedance matrices are obtained. Majority of the matrix entries are obtained in the spectral domain by one-point quadrature with high precision. For the oscillatory entries, spatial domain computation is applied, bypassing the slow convergence of the spectral summation of the non-damping propagating modes. The simulation results are compared with the solutions from an RWG-MLFMA based commercial software, FEKO, and excellent agreement is observed.
ContributorsWang, Le, 1975- (Author) / Pan, George (Thesis advisor) / Yu, Hongyu (Committee member) / Aberle, James T., 1961- (Committee member) / Diaz, Rodolfo (Committee member) / Kitchen, Jennifer (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
153434-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
A new loop configuration capable of reducing power radiation magnitudes lower than conventional loops has been developed. This configuration is demonstrated for the case of two coaxial loops of 0.1 meter radius coupled via the magnetic reactive field. Utilizing electromagnetism theory, techniques from antenna design and a new near field

A new loop configuration capable of reducing power radiation magnitudes lower than conventional loops has been developed. This configuration is demonstrated for the case of two coaxial loops of 0.1 meter radius coupled via the magnetic reactive field. Utilizing electromagnetism theory, techniques from antenna design and a new near field design initiative, the ability to design a magnetic field has been investigated by using a full wave simulation tool. The method for realization is initiated from first order physics model, ADS and onto a full wave situation tool for the case of a non-radiating helical loop. The exploration into the design of a magnetic near field while mitigating radiation power is demonstrated using an real number of twists to form a helical wire loop while biasing the integer twisted loop in a non-conventional moebius termination. The helix loop setup as a moebius loop convention can also be expressed as a shorted antenna scheme. The 0.1 meter radius helix antenna is biased with a 1MHz frequency that categorized the antenna loop as electrically small. It is then demonstrated that helical configuration reduces the electric field and mitigates power radiation into the far field. In order to compare the radiated power reduction performance of the helical loop a shielded loop is used as a baseline for comparison. The shielded loop system of the same geometric size and frequency is shown to have power radiation expressed as -46.1 dBm. The power radiated mitigation method of the helix loop reduces the power radiated from the two loop system down to -98.72 dBm.
ContributorsMoreno, Fernando (Author) / Diaz, Rodolfo (Thesis advisor) / Aberle, James T., 1961- (Committee member) / Kozicki, Michael (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2015
153006-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
The ability to monitor electrophysiological signals from the sentient brain is requisite to decipher its enormously complex workings and initiate remedial solutions for the vast amount of neurologically-based disorders. Despite immense advancements in creating a variety of instruments to record signals from the brain, the translation of such neurorecording instrumentation

The ability to monitor electrophysiological signals from the sentient brain is requisite to decipher its enormously complex workings and initiate remedial solutions for the vast amount of neurologically-based disorders. Despite immense advancements in creating a variety of instruments to record signals from the brain, the translation of such neurorecording instrumentation to real clinical domains places heavy demands on their safety and reliability, both of which are not entirely portrayed by presently existing implantable recording solutions. In an attempt to lower these barriers, alternative wireless radar backscattering techniques are proposed to render the technical burdens of the implant chip to entirely passive neurorecording processes that transpire in the absence of formal integrated power sources or powering schemes along with any active circuitry. These radar-like wireless backscattering mechanisms are used to conceive of fully passive neurorecording operations of an implantable microsystem. The fully passive device potentially manifests inherent advantages over current wireless implantable and wired recording systems: negligible heat dissipation to reduce risks of brain tissue damage and minimal circuitry for long term reliability as a chronic implant. Fully passive neurorecording operations are realized via intrinsic nonlinear mixing properties of the varactor diode. These mixing and recording operations are directly activated by wirelessly interrogating the fully passive device with a microwave carrier signal. This fundamental carrier signal, acquired by the implant antenna, mixes through the varactor diode along with the internal targeted neuropotential brain signals to produce higher frequency harmonics containing the targeted neuropotential signals. These harmonics are backscattered wirelessly to the external interrogator that retrieves and recovers the original neuropotential brain signal. The passive approach removes the need for internal power sources and may alleviate heat trauma and reliability issues that limit practical implementation of existing implantable neurorecorders.
ContributorsSchwerdt, Helen N (Author) / Chae, Junseok (Thesis advisor) / Miranda, Félix A. (Committee member) / Phillips, Stephen (Committee member) / Towe, Bruce C (Committee member) / Balanis, Constantine A (Committee member) / Frakes, David (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2014
153050-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
Horn antennas have been used for over a hundred years. They have a wide variety of uses where they are a basic and popular microwave antenna for many practical applications, such as feed elements for communication reflector dishes on satellite or point-to-point relay antennas. They are also widely utilized as

Horn antennas have been used for over a hundred years. They have a wide variety of uses where they are a basic and popular microwave antenna for many practical applications, such as feed elements for communication reflector dishes on satellite or point-to-point relay antennas. They are also widely utilized as gain standards for calibration and gain measurement of other antennas.

The gain and loss factor of conical horns are revisited in this dissertation based on

spherical and quadratic aperture phase distributions. The gain is compared with published classical data in an attempt to confirm their validity and accuracy and to determine whether they were derived based on spherical or quadratic aperture phase distributions. In this work, it is demonstrated that the gain of a conical horn antenna obtained by using a spherical phase distribution is in close agreement with published classical data. Moreover, more accurate expressions for the loss factor, to account for amplitude and phase tapers over the horn aperture, are derived. New formulas for the design of optimum gain conical horns, based on the more accurate spherical aperture phase distribution, are derived.

To better understand the impact of edge diffractions on aperture antenna performance, an extensive investigation of the edge diffractions impact is undertaken in this dissertation for commercial aperture antennas. The impact of finite uncoated and coated PEC ground plane edge diffractions on the amplitude patterns in the principal planes of circular apertures is intensively examined. Similarly, aperture edge diffractions of aperture antennas without ground planes are examined. Computational results obtained by the analytical model are compared with experimental and HFSS-simulated results for all cases studied. In addition, the impact of the ground plane size, coating thickness, and relative permittivity of the dielectric layer on the radiation amplitude in the back region has been examined.

This investigation indicates that the edge diffractions do impact the main forward lobe pattern, especially in the E plane. Their most significant contribution appears in far side and back lobes. This work demonstrates that the finite edge contributors must be considered to obtain more accurate amplitude patterns of aperture antennas.
ContributorsAboserwal, Nafati Abdasallam (Author) / Balanis, Constantine A (Thesis advisor) / Aberle, James T (Committee member) / Pan, George (Committee member) / Tepedelenlioğlu, Cihan (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2014
151252-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
Semiconductor device scaling has kept up with Moore's law for the past decades and they have been scaling by a factor of half every one and half years. Every new generation of device technology opens up new opportunities and challenges and especially so for analog design. High speed and low

Semiconductor device scaling has kept up with Moore's law for the past decades and they have been scaling by a factor of half every one and half years. Every new generation of device technology opens up new opportunities and challenges and especially so for analog design. High speed and low gain is characteristic of these processes and hence a tradeoff that can enable to get back gain by trading speed is crucial. This thesis proposes a solution that increases the speed of sampling of a circuit by a factor of three while reducing the specifications on analog blocks and keeping the power nearly constant. The techniques are based on the switched capacitor technique called Correlated Level Shifting. A triple channel Cyclic ADC has been implemented, with each channel working at a sampling frequency of 3.33MS/s and a resolution of 14 bits. The specifications are compared with that based on a traditional architecture to show the superiority of the proposed technique.
ContributorsSivakumar, Balasubramanian (Author) / Farahani, Bahar Jalali (Thesis advisor) / Garrity, Douglas (Committee member) / Bakkaloglu, Bertan (Committee member) / Aberle, James T., 1961- (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
151253-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
Multiport antennas offer greater design flexibility than traditional one-port designs. An antenna array is a special case of a multiport antenna. If the antenna's inter-element spacing is electrically small, the antenna is capable of achieving superdirectivity. Superdirective antenna arrays are known to be narrow band and have low radiation resistance

Multiport antennas offer greater design flexibility than traditional one-port designs. An antenna array is a special case of a multiport antenna. If the antenna's inter-element spacing is electrically small, the antenna is capable of achieving superdirectivity. Superdirective antenna arrays are known to be narrow band and have low radiation resistance which leads to low radiation efficiency and high VSWR. However, by increasing the self-impedance of the antenna elements, the radiation resistance is increased but the bandwidth remains narrow. A design methodology is developed using the ability to superimpose electric fields and multi-objective optimization to design antenna feed networks. While the emphasis in this dissertation is on antenna arrays and superdirectivity, the design methodology is general and can be applied to other multiport antennas. The design methodology is used to design a multiport impedance-matching network and optimize both the input impedance and radiation pattern of a two-port superdirective antenna array. It is shown that the multiport impedance-matching network is capable of improving the input impedance of the antenna array while maintaining high directionality. The antenna design is critical for the methodology to improve the bandwidth and radiation characteristics of the array. To double the bandwidth of the two-port impedance matched superdirective antenna array, a three-port Yagi-Uda antenna design is demonstrated. The addition of the extra antenna element does not increase the footprint of the antenna array. The design methodology is then used to design a symmetrical antenna array capable of steering its main beam in two directions.
ContributorsArceo, Diana (Author) / Balanis, Constantine A (Thesis advisor) / Aberle, James T., 1961- (Committee member) / Moeller, Karl (Committee member) / Palais, Joseph (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
155969-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
Scattering from random rough surface has been of interest for decades. Several

methods were proposed to solve this problem, and Kirchho approximation (KA)

and small perturbation method (SMP) are among the most popular. Both methods

provide accurate results on rst order scattering, and the range of validity is limited

and cross-polarization scattering coecient is

Scattering from random rough surface has been of interest for decades. Several

methods were proposed to solve this problem, and Kirchho approximation (KA)

and small perturbation method (SMP) are among the most popular. Both methods

provide accurate results on rst order scattering, and the range of validity is limited

and cross-polarization scattering coecient is zero for these two methods unless these

two methods are carried out for higher orders. Furthermore, it is complicated for

higher order formulation and multiple scattering and shadowing are neglected in these

classic methods.

Extension of these two methods has been made in order to x these problems.

However, it is usually complicated and problem specic. While small slope approximation

is one of the most widely used methods to bridge KA and SMP, it is not easy

to implement in a general form. Two scale model can be employed to solve scattering

problems for a tilted perturbation plane, the range of validity is limited.

A new model is proposed in this thesis to deal with cross-polarization scattering

phenomenon on perfect electric conducting random surfaces. Integral equation

is adopted in this model. While integral equation method is often combined with

numerical method to solve the scattering coecient, the proposed model solves the

integral equation iteratively by analytic approximation. We utilize some approximations

on the randomness of the surface, and obtain an explicit expression. It is shown

that this expression achieves agreement with SMP method in second order.
ContributorsCao, Jiahao (Author) / Pan, George (Thesis advisor) / Balanis, Constantine A (Committee member) / Cochran, Douglas (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017