Matching Items (45)
Description
The micromotions (e.g. vibration, rotation, etc.,) of a target induce time-varying frequency modulations on the reflected signal, called the micro-Doppler modulations. Micro-Doppler modulations are target specific and may contain information needed to detect and characterize the target. Thus, unlike conventional Doppler radars, Fourier transform cannot be used for the analysis of these time dependent frequency modulations. While Doppler radars can detect the presence of a target and deduce if it is approaching or receding from the radar location, they cannot identify the target. Meaning, for a Doppler radar, a small commercial aircraft and a fighter plane when gliding at the same velocity exhibit similar radar signature. However, using a micro-Doppler radar, the time dependent frequency variations caused by the vibrational and rotational micromotions of the two aircrafts can be captured and analyzed to discern between them. Similarly, micro-Doppler signature can be used to distinguish a multicopter from a bird, a quadcopter from a hexacopter or a octacopter, a bus from a car or a truck and even one person from another. In all these scenarios, joint time-frequency transforms must be employed for the analysis of micro-Doppler variations, in order to extract the targets’ features.
Due to ample bandwidth, THz radiation provides richer radar signals than the microwave systems. Thus, a Terahertz (THz) micro-Doppler radar is developed in this work for the detection and characterization of the micro-Doppler signatures of quadcopters. The radar is implemented as a continuous-wave (CW) radar in monostatic configuration and operates at a low-THz frequency of 270 GHz. A linear time-frequency transform, the short-time Fourier transform (STFT) is used for the analysis the micro-Doppler signature. The designed radar has been built and measurements are carried out using a quadcopter to detect the micro-Doppler modulations caused by the rotation of its propellers. The spectrograms are obtained for a quadcopter hovering in front of the radar and analysis methods are developed for characterizing the frequency variations caused by the rotational and vibrational micromotions of the quadcopter. The proposed method can be effective for distinguishing the quadcopters from other flying targets like birds which lack the rotational micromotions.
Due to ample bandwidth, THz radiation provides richer radar signals than the microwave systems. Thus, a Terahertz (THz) micro-Doppler radar is developed in this work for the detection and characterization of the micro-Doppler signatures of quadcopters. The radar is implemented as a continuous-wave (CW) radar in monostatic configuration and operates at a low-THz frequency of 270 GHz. A linear time-frequency transform, the short-time Fourier transform (STFT) is used for the analysis the micro-Doppler signature. The designed radar has been built and measurements are carried out using a quadcopter to detect the micro-Doppler modulations caused by the rotation of its propellers. The spectrograms are obtained for a quadcopter hovering in front of the radar and analysis methods are developed for characterizing the frequency variations caused by the rotational and vibrational micromotions of the quadcopter. The proposed method can be effective for distinguishing the quadcopters from other flying targets like birds which lack the rotational micromotions.
ContributorsKashyap, Bharath Gundappa (Author) / Trichopoulos, Georgios C (Thesis advisor) / Balanis, Constantine A (Committee member) / Aberle, James T (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2018
Description
The commercial semiconductor industry is gearing up for 5G communications in the 28GHz and higher band. In order to maintain the same relative receiver sensitivity, a larger number of antenna elements are required; the larger number of antenna elements is, in turn, driving semiconductor development. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a new method of dividing wireless communication protocols (such as the 802.11a/b/g
and cellular UMTS MAC protocols) across multiple unreliable communication links using a new link layer communication model in concert with a smart antenna aperture design referred to as Vector Antenna. A vector antenna is a ‘smart’ antenna system and as any smart antenna aperture, the design inherently requires unique microwave component performance as well as Digital Signal Processing (DSP) capabilities. This performance and these capabilities are further enhanced with a patented wireless protocol stack capability.
and cellular UMTS MAC protocols) across multiple unreliable communication links using a new link layer communication model in concert with a smart antenna aperture design referred to as Vector Antenna. A vector antenna is a ‘smart’ antenna system and as any smart antenna aperture, the design inherently requires unique microwave component performance as well as Digital Signal Processing (DSP) capabilities. This performance and these capabilities are further enhanced with a patented wireless protocol stack capability.
ContributorsJames, Frank Lee (Author) / Reisslein, Martin (Thesis advisor) / Seeling, Patrick (Thesis advisor) / McGarry, Michael (Committee member) / Zhang, Yanchao (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019
Description
To detect and resolve sub-wavelength features at optical frequencies, beyond the diffraction limit, requires sensors that interact with the electromagnetic near-field of those features. Most instruments operating in this modality scan a single detector element across the surface under inspection because the scattered signals from a multiplicity of such elements would end up interfering with each other. However, an alternative massively parallelized configuration, consisting of a remotely interrogating array of dipoles, capable of interrogating multiple adjacent areas of the surface at the same time, was proposed in 2002.
In the present work a remotely interrogating slot antenna inside a 60nm silver slab is designed which increases the signal to noise ratio of the original system. The antenna is tuned to resonance at 600nm range by taking advantage of the plasmon resonance properties of the metal’s negative permittivity and judicious shaping of the slot element. Full-physics simulations show the capability of detecting an 8nm particle using red light illumination. The sensitivity to the λ/78 particle is attained by detecting the change induced on the antenna’s far field signature by the proximate particle, a change that is 15dB greater than the scattering signature of the particle by itself.
To verify the capabilities of this technology in a readily accessible experimental environment, a radiofrequency scale model is designed using a meta-material to mimic the optical properties of silver in the 2GHz to 5GHz range. Various approaches to the replication of the metal’s behavior are explored in a trade-off between fidelity to the metal’s natural plasmon response, desired bandwidth of the demonstration, and
ii
manufacturability of the meta-material. The simulation and experimental results successfully verify the capability of the proposed near-field sensor in sub-wavelength detection and imaging not only as a proof of concept for optical frequencies but also as a potential imaging device for radio frequencies.
In the present work a remotely interrogating slot antenna inside a 60nm silver slab is designed which increases the signal to noise ratio of the original system. The antenna is tuned to resonance at 600nm range by taking advantage of the plasmon resonance properties of the metal’s negative permittivity and judicious shaping of the slot element. Full-physics simulations show the capability of detecting an 8nm particle using red light illumination. The sensitivity to the λ/78 particle is attained by detecting the change induced on the antenna’s far field signature by the proximate particle, a change that is 15dB greater than the scattering signature of the particle by itself.
To verify the capabilities of this technology in a readily accessible experimental environment, a radiofrequency scale model is designed using a meta-material to mimic the optical properties of silver in the 2GHz to 5GHz range. Various approaches to the replication of the metal’s behavior are explored in a trade-off between fidelity to the metal’s natural plasmon response, desired bandwidth of the demonstration, and
ii
manufacturability of the meta-material. The simulation and experimental results successfully verify the capability of the proposed near-field sensor in sub-wavelength detection and imaging not only as a proof of concept for optical frequencies but also as a potential imaging device for radio frequencies.
ContributorsMostafavi, Mahkamehossadat (Author) / Diaz, Rodolfo E (Thesis advisor) / Pan, George W (Committee member) / Aberle, James T (Committee member) / Ning, Cun-Zheng (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2016
Description
Kinetic inductance springs from the inertia of charged mobile carriers in alternating electric fields and it is fundamentally different from the magnetic inductance which is only a geometry dependent property. The magnetic inductance is proportional to the volume occupied by the electric and magnetic fields and is often limited by the number of turns of the coil. Kinetic inductance on the other hand is inversely proportional to the density of electrons or holes that exert inertia, the unit mass of the charge carriers and the momentum relaxation time of these charge carriers, all of which can be varied merely by modifying the material properties. Highly sensitive and broadband signal amplifiers often broaden the field of study in astrophysics. Quantum-noise limited travelling wave kinetic inductance parametric amplifiers offer a noise figure of around 0.5 K ± 0.3 K as compared to 20 K in HEMT signal amplifiers and can be designed to operate to cover the entire W-band (75 GHz – 115 GHz).The research cumulating to this thesis involves applying and exploiting kinetic inductance properties in designing a W-band orthogonal mode transducer, quadratic gain phase shifter with a gain of ~49 dB over a meter of microstrip transmission line. The phase shifter will help in measuring the maximum amount of phase shift ∆ϕ_max (I) that can be obtained from half a meter transmission line which helps in predicting the gain of a travelling wave parametric amplifier. In another project, a microstrip to slot line transition is designed and optimized to operate at 150 GHz and 220 GHz frequencies, that is used as a part of horn antenna coupled microwave kinetic inductance detector proposed to operate from 138 GHz to 250 GHz. In the final project, kinetic inductance in a 2D electron gas (2DEG) is explored by design, simulation, fabrication and experimentation. A transmission line model of a 2DEG proposed by Burke (1999), is simulated and verified experimentally by fabricating a capacitvely coupled 2DEG mesa structure. Low temperature experiments were done at 77 K and 10 K with photo-doping the 2DEG. A circuit model of a 2DEG coupled co-planar waveguide model is also proposed and simulated.
ContributorsSurdi, Harshad (Author) / Mauskopf, Philip (Thesis advisor) / Aberle, James T., 1961- (Committee member) / Trichopoulos, Georgios (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2016
Optical simulation and optimization of light extraction efficiency for organic light emitting diodes
Description
Current organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) suffer from the low light extraction efficiency. In this thesis, novel OLED structures including photonic crystal, Fabry-Perot resonance cavity and hyperbolic metamaterials were numerically simulated and theoretically investigated. Finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method was employed to numerically simulate the light extraction efficiency of various 3D OLED structures. With photonic crystal structures, a maximum of 30% extraction efficiency is achieved. A higher external quantum efficiency of 35% is derived after applying Fabry-Perot resonance cavity into OLEDs. Furthermore, different factors such as material properties, layer thicknesses and dipole polarizations and locations have been studied. Moreover, an upper limit for the light extraction efficiency of 80% is reached theoretically with perfect reflector and single dipole polarization and location. To elucidate the physical mechanism, transfer matrix method is introduced to calculate the spectral-hemispherical reflectance of the multilayer OLED structures. In addition, an attempt of using hyperbolic metamaterial in OLED has been made and resulted in 27% external quantum efficiency, due to the similar mechanism of wave interference as Fabry-Perot structure. The simulation and optimization methods and findings would facilitate the design of next generation, high-efficiency OLED devices.
ContributorsSu, Hang (Author) / Wang, Liping (Thesis advisor) / Li, Jian (Committee member) / Huang, Huei-Ping (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2016
Description
We present fast and robust numerical algorithms for 3-D scattering from perfectly electrical conducting (PEC) and dielectric random rough surfaces in microwave remote sensing. The Coifman wavelets or Coiflets are employed to implement Galerkin’s procedure in the method of moments (MoM). Due to the high-precision one-point quadrature, the Coiflets yield fast evaluations of the most off-diagonal entries, reducing the matrix fill effort from O(N^2) to O(N). The orthogonality and Riesz basis of the Coiflets generate well conditioned impedance matrix, with rapid convergence for the conjugate gradient solver. The resulting impedance matrix is further sparsified by the matrix-formed standard fast wavelet transform (SFWT). By properly selecting multiresolution levels of the total transformation matrix, the solution precision can be enhanced while matrix sparsity and memory consumption have not been noticeably sacrificed. The unified fast scattering algorithm for dielectric random rough surfaces can asymptotically reduce to the PEC case when the loss tangent grows extremely large. Numerical results demonstrate that the reduced PEC model does not suffer from ill-posed problems. Compared with previous publications and laboratory measurements, good agreement is observed.
ContributorsZhang, Lisha (Author) / Pan, George (Thesis advisor) / Diaz, Rodolfo (Committee member) / Aberle, James T., 1961- (Committee member) / Yu, Hongbin (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2016
Description
Articially engineered two-dimensional materials, which are widely known as
metasurfaces, are employed as ground planes in various antenna applications. Due to
their nature to exhibit desirable electromagnetic behavior, they are also used to design
waveguiding structures, absorbers, frequency selective surfaces, angular-independent
surfaces, etc. Metasurfaces usually consist of electrically small conductive planar
patches arranged in a periodic array on a dielectric covered ground plane. Holographic
Articial Impedance Surfaces (HAISs) are one such metasurfaces that are capable of
forming a pencil beam in a desired direction, when excited with surface waves. HAISs
are inhomogeneous surfaces that are designed by modulating its surface impedance.
This surface impedance modulation creates a periodical discontinuity that enables a
part of the surface waves to leak out into the free space leading to far-eld radia-
tion. The surface impedance modulation is based on the holographic principle. This
dissertation is concentrated on designing HAISs with
Desired polarization for the pencil beam
Enhanced bandwidth
Frequency scanning
Conformity to curved surfaces
HAIS designs considered in this work include both one and two dimensional mod-
ulations. All the designs and analyses are supported by mathematical models and
HFSS simulations.
metasurfaces, are employed as ground planes in various antenna applications. Due to
their nature to exhibit desirable electromagnetic behavior, they are also used to design
waveguiding structures, absorbers, frequency selective surfaces, angular-independent
surfaces, etc. Metasurfaces usually consist of electrically small conductive planar
patches arranged in a periodic array on a dielectric covered ground plane. Holographic
Articial Impedance Surfaces (HAISs) are one such metasurfaces that are capable of
forming a pencil beam in a desired direction, when excited with surface waves. HAISs
are inhomogeneous surfaces that are designed by modulating its surface impedance.
This surface impedance modulation creates a periodical discontinuity that enables a
part of the surface waves to leak out into the free space leading to far-eld radia-
tion. The surface impedance modulation is based on the holographic principle. This
dissertation is concentrated on designing HAISs with
Desired polarization for the pencil beam
Enhanced bandwidth
Frequency scanning
Conformity to curved surfaces
HAIS designs considered in this work include both one and two dimensional mod-
ulations. All the designs and analyses are supported by mathematical models and
HFSS simulations.
ContributorsPandi, Sivaseetharaman (Author) / Balanis, Constantine A (Thesis advisor) / Palais, Joseph (Committee member) / Aberle, James T., 1961- (Committee member) / Trichopoulos, Georgios (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017
Description
Fingerprints have been widely used as a practical method of biometrics authentication or identification with a significant level of security. However, several spoofing methods have been used in the last few years to bypass fingerprint scanners, thus compromising data security. The most common attacks occur by the use of fake fingerprint during image capturing. Imposters can build a fake fingerprint from a latent fingerprint left on items such as glasses, doorknobs, glossy paper, etc. Current mobile fingerprint scanning technology is incapable of differentiating real from artificial fingers made from gelatin molds and other materials. In this work, the adequacy of terahertz imaging was studied as an alternative fingerprint scanning technique that will enhance biometrics security by identifying superficial skin traits. Terahertz waves (0.1 – 10 THz) are a non-ionizing radiation with significant penetration depth in several non-metallic materials. Several finger skin features, such as valley depth and sweat ducts, can possibly be imaged by employing the necessary imaging topology. As such, two imaging approaches 1) using quasi-optical components and 2) using near-field probing were investigated. The numerical study is accomplished using a commercial Finite Element Method tool (ANSYS, HFSS) and several laboratory experiments are conducted to evaluate the imaging performance of the topologies. The study has shown that terahertz waves can provide high spatial resolution images of the skin undulations (valleys and ridges) and under certain conditions identify the sweat duct pattern.
ContributorsZheng, Peng (Author) / Trichopoulos, Georgios (Thesis advisor) / Aberle, James T., 1961- (Committee member) / Pan, George (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017
Description
There is an ever-growing need for broadband conformal antennas to not only reduce the number of antennas utilized to cover a broad range of frequencies (VHF-UHF) but also to reduce visual and RF signatures associated with communication systems. In many applications antennas needs to be very close to low-impedance mediums or embedded inside low-impedance mediums. However, for conventional metal and dielectric antennas to operate efficiently in such environments either a very narrow bandwidth must be tolerated, or enough loss added to expand the bandwidth, or they must be placed one quarter of a wavelength above the conducting surface. The latter is not always possible since in the HF through low UHF bands, critical to Military and Security functions, this quarter-wavelength requirement would result in impractically large antennas.
Despite an error based on a false assumption in the 1950’s, which had severely underestimated the efficiency of magneto-dielectric antennas, recently demonstrated magnetic-antennas have been shown to exhibit extraordinary efficiency in conformal applications. Whereas conventional metal-and-dielectric antennas carrying radiating electric currents suffer a significant disadvantage when placed conformal to the conducting surface of a platform, because they induce opposing image currents in the surface, magnetic-antennas carrying magnetic radiating currents have no such limitation. Their magnetic currents produce co-linear image currents in electrically conducting surfaces.
However, the permeable antennas built to date have not yet attained the wide bandwidth expected because the magnetic-flux-channels carrying the wave have not been designed to guide the wave near the speed of light at all frequencies. Instead, they tend to lose the wave by a leaky fast-wave mechanism at low frequencies or they over-bind a slow-wave at high frequencies. In this dissertation, we have studied magnetic antennas in detail and presented the design approach and apparatus required to implement a flux-channel carrying the magnetic current wave near the speed of light over a very broad frequency range which also makes the design of a frequency independent antenna (spiral) possible. We will learn how to construct extremely thin conformal antennas, frequency-independent permeable antennas, and even micron-sized antennas that can be embedded inside the brain without damaging the tissue.
Despite an error based on a false assumption in the 1950’s, which had severely underestimated the efficiency of magneto-dielectric antennas, recently demonstrated magnetic-antennas have been shown to exhibit extraordinary efficiency in conformal applications. Whereas conventional metal-and-dielectric antennas carrying radiating electric currents suffer a significant disadvantage when placed conformal to the conducting surface of a platform, because they induce opposing image currents in the surface, magnetic-antennas carrying magnetic radiating currents have no such limitation. Their magnetic currents produce co-linear image currents in electrically conducting surfaces.
However, the permeable antennas built to date have not yet attained the wide bandwidth expected because the magnetic-flux-channels carrying the wave have not been designed to guide the wave near the speed of light at all frequencies. Instead, they tend to lose the wave by a leaky fast-wave mechanism at low frequencies or they over-bind a slow-wave at high frequencies. In this dissertation, we have studied magnetic antennas in detail and presented the design approach and apparatus required to implement a flux-channel carrying the magnetic current wave near the speed of light over a very broad frequency range which also makes the design of a frequency independent antenna (spiral) possible. We will learn how to construct extremely thin conformal antennas, frequency-independent permeable antennas, and even micron-sized antennas that can be embedded inside the brain without damaging the tissue.
ContributorsYousefi, Tara (Author) / Diaz, Rodolfo E (Thesis advisor) / Cochran, Douglas (Committee member) / Goodnick, Stephen (Committee member) / Pan, George (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017
Description
Electric field imaging allows for a low cost, compact, non-invasive, non-ionizing alternative to other methods of imaging. It has many promising industrial applications including security, safely imaging power lines at construction sites, finding sources of electromagnetic interference, geo-prospecting, and medical imaging. The work presented in this dissertation concerns low frequency electric field imaging: the physics, hardware, and various methods of achieving it.
Electric fields have historically been notoriously difficult to work with due to how intrinsically noisy the data is in electric field sensors. As a first contribution, an in-depth study demonstrates just how prevalent electric field noise is. In field tests, various cables were placed underneath power lines. Despite being shielded, the 60 Hz power line signal readily penetrated several types of cables.
The challenges of high noise levels were largely addressed by connecting the output of an electric field sensor to a lock-in amplifier. Using the more accurate means of collecting electric field data, D-dot sensors were arrayed in a compact grid to resolve electric field images as a second contribution. This imager has successfully captured electric field images of live concealed wires and electromagnetic interference.
An active method was developed as a third contribution. In this method, distortions created by objects when placed in a known electric field are read. This expands the domain of what can be imaged because the object does not need to be a time-varying electric field source. Images of dielectrics (e.g. bodies of water) and DC wires were captured using this new method.
The final contribution uses a collection of one-dimensional electric field images, i.e. projections, to reconstruct a two-dimensional image. This was achieved using algorithms based in computed tomography such as filtered backprojection. An algebraic approach was also used to enforce sparsity regularization with the L1 norm, further improving the quality of some images.
Electric fields have historically been notoriously difficult to work with due to how intrinsically noisy the data is in electric field sensors. As a first contribution, an in-depth study demonstrates just how prevalent electric field noise is. In field tests, various cables were placed underneath power lines. Despite being shielded, the 60 Hz power line signal readily penetrated several types of cables.
The challenges of high noise levels were largely addressed by connecting the output of an electric field sensor to a lock-in amplifier. Using the more accurate means of collecting electric field data, D-dot sensors were arrayed in a compact grid to resolve electric field images as a second contribution. This imager has successfully captured electric field images of live concealed wires and electromagnetic interference.
An active method was developed as a third contribution. In this method, distortions created by objects when placed in a known electric field are read. This expands the domain of what can be imaged because the object does not need to be a time-varying electric field source. Images of dielectrics (e.g. bodies of water) and DC wires were captured using this new method.
The final contribution uses a collection of one-dimensional electric field images, i.e. projections, to reconstruct a two-dimensional image. This was achieved using algorithms based in computed tomography such as filtered backprojection. An algebraic approach was also used to enforce sparsity regularization with the L1 norm, further improving the quality of some images.
ContributorsChung, Hugh Emanuel (Author) / Allee, David R. (Thesis advisor) / Cochran, Douglas (Committee member) / Aberle, James T (Committee member) / Phillips, Stephen M (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017