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At least 1,261 records · Page 70

Daily Rainfall Estimate by Emissivity Temporal Variation from 10 Satellites

Rainfall retrieval algorithms for passive microwave radiometers often exploit the brightness temperature depression due to ice scattering at high-frequency channels (≥85 GHz) over land. This study presents an alternate method to estimate the daily rainfall amount using the emissivity temporal variation (i.e., Δe) under rain-free conditions at low-frequency channels (19, 24, and 37 GHz). Emissivity is derived from 10 passive microwave radiometers, including the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Microwave Imager (GMI), the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2 (AMSR2), three Special Sensor Microwave Imager/Sounders (SSMIS), the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS), and four Advanced Microwave Sounding Units-A (AMSU-A). Four different satellite combination schemes are used to derive the Δe for daily rainfall estimates. They are all 10 satellites, 5 imagers, 6 satellites with very different equator crossing times, and GMI only. Results show that Δe from all 10 satellites has the best performance with a correlation of 0.60 and RMSE of 6.52 mm, compared with the Integrated Multisatellite Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) Final run product. The 6-satellites scheme has comparable performance with the all-10-satellites scheme. The 5-imagers scheme performs noticeably worse with a correlation of 0.49 and RMSE of 7.28 mm, while the GMI-only scheme performs the worst with a correlation of 0.25 and RMSE of 11.36 mm. The inferior performance from the 5-imagers and GMI-only schemes can be explained by the much longer revisit time, which cannot accurately capture the emissivity temporal variation.

Yalei You↗

Microwave response of snow

Truck-mounted microwave sensors were used to acquire backscattering coefficient and apparent temperature data for snow-covered terrain at 19 frequencies between 1 and 18 GHz and at 35.6 GHz. Passive microwave measurements were made at 10.7, 37, and 94 GHz. The radar backscattering coefficient and radiometric emissivity were evaluated as a function of snow depth, wetness, surface roughness, and other snow parameters. It is shown that volume scattering makes the radar backscattering coefficient to increase and the radiometric emissivity to decrease with increasing snow depth until the snow layer appears electromagnetically semiinfinite in extent. The presence of liquid water in the snowpack results in increased attenuation and reduction in scattering which leads to less backscatter and more emission by the snow volume. It is concluded that microwave sensors have the potential capability for remotely monitoring both the snow equivalent and wetness of snowpacks.

Ulaby, F. T.↗

HEMT Frequency Doubler with Output at 300 GHz

An active frequency doubler in the form of an InP-based monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) containing a high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT) has been demonstrated in operation at output frequencies in the vicinity of 300 GHz. This is the highestfrequency HEMT doubler reported to date, the next-highest-frequency active HEMT doubler having been previously reported to operate at 180 GHz. While the output power of this frequency doubler is less than that of a typical Schottky diode, this frequency doubler is considered an intermediate product of a continuing effort to realize the potential of active HEMT frequency doublers to operate with conversion efficiencies greater than those of passive diode frequency doublers. An additional incentive for developing active HEMT frequency doublers lies in the fact that they can be integrated with amplifiers, oscillators, and other circuitry on MMIC chips. The circuitry of the doubler MMIC (see Figure 1) features grounded coplanar waveguides. Air bridges and vias are used to make contact with the ground plane. The HEMT is biased for Class-A operation (in which current is conducted throughout each cycle of oscillation), which would ordinarily be better suited to linear amplification than to frequency doubling. Ordinarily, class-B operation (in which current is conducted during about half of each cycle of oscillation) would be more suitable for frequency doubling because of the essential nonlinearity of partial-cycle conduction. The reason for the unusual choice of class A was that computational simulations had shown that in this case, the efficiency in class B would be less than in class A. The input matching circuit of this doubler includes transmission lines that afford a good impedance match at the fundamental frequency, plus an open stub to prevent leakage of the second harmonic through the input terminals. The output circuit was designed to suppress the fundamental while providing a good match for the second harmonic.

Samoska, Lorene↗

Preliminary development of digital signal processing in microwave radiometers

Topics covered involve a number of closely related tasks including: the development of several control loop and dynamic noise model computer programs for simulating microwave radiometer measurements; computer modeling of an existing stepped frequency radiometer in an effort to determine its optimum operational characteristics; investigation of the classical second order analog control loop to determine its ability to reduce the estimation error in a microwave radiometer; investigation of several digital signal processing unit designs; initiation of efforts to develop required hardware and software for implementation of the digital signal processing unit; and investigation of the general characteristics and peculiarities of digital processing noiselike microwave radiometer signals.

Stanley, W. D.↗

A perspective on nonlinear, microwave, and quantum photonics with Kerr microcombs

Microresonator Kerr optical frequency combs currently constitute a well-established research area in integrated, nonlinear, and quantum photonics. Furthermore, these systems have found a plethora of technological applications, while serving as an excellent platform to investigate fundamental scientific topics such as light–matter interactions, pattern formation in driven-dissipative systems, or entangled twin-photon generation. We here provide a brief overview of the topic, highlight some of the most recent advances, and discuss a few of the main challenges ahead in this field.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Lithiating magneto-ionics in a rechargeable battery

Magneto-ionics, real-time ionic control of magnetism in solid-state materials, promise ultralow-power memory, computing, and ultralow-field sensor technologies. The real-time ion intercalation is also the key state-of-charge feature in rechargeable batteries. Here, we report that the reversible lithiation/delithiation in molecular magneto-ionic material, the cathode in a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, accurately monitors its real-time state of charge through a dynamic tunability of magnetic ordering. The electrochemical and magnetic studies confirm that the structural vacancy and hydrogen-bonding networks enable reversible lithiation and delithiation in the magnetic cathode. Coupling with microwave-excited spin wave at a low frequency (0.35 GHz) and a magnetic field of 100 Oe, we reveal a fast and reliable built-in magneto-ionic sensor monitoring state of charge in rechargeable batteries. The findings shown herein promise an integration of molecular magneto-ionic cathode and rechargeable batteries for real-time monitoring of state of charge.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

High- Q Microwave Dielectric Resonator for Axion Dark-Matter Haloscopes

The frequency band 1–15 GHz provides exciting prospects for resonant axion haloscopes as indicated by cosmological and astrophysical arguments. Among the challenges currently addressed to reach the required sensitivity, the development of high-quality factor cavities that tolerate multitesla fields plays a central role. We report a three-dimensional resonator based on a right-circular copper cavity with hollow cylinders that confine higher-order modes around the cylinder axis. Its effective volume at 10.3 GHz is 3.4 × 10 − 2 l, and under an 8-T field we measure an internal quality factor of more than nine million. A fine-tuning system limited to approximately 1 -MHz range is tested, useful for understanding the conditions required to run a haloscope with a cavity exceeding the axion quality factor. The cavity parameters we report demonstrate the potential of this unique resonator to probe galactic dark-matter axion at scan rates exceeding 2 MHz/day when the cavity is readout by a quantum-limited receiver.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Electromagnetic Properties of Aluminum-based Bilayers for Kinetic Inductance Detectors

The complex conductivity of a superconducting thin film is related to the quasiparticle density, which depends on the physical temperature and can also be modified by external pair breaking with photons and phonons. This relationship forms the underlying operating principle of Kinetic Inductance Detectors (KIDs), where the detection threshold is governed by the superconducting energy gap. We investigate the electromagnetic properties of thin-film aluminum that is proximitized with either a normal metal layer of copper or a superconducting layer with a lower T-C, such as iridium, in order to extend the operating range of KIDs. Using the Usadel equations along with the Nam expressions for complex conductivity, we calculate the density of states and the complex conductivity of the resulting bilayers to understand the dependence of the pair breaking threshold, surface impedance, and intrinsic quality factor of superconducting bilayers on the relative film thicknesses. The calculations and analyses provide theoretical insights in designing aluminum-based bilayer kinetic inductance detectors for detection of microwave photons and athermal phonons at the frequencies well below the pair breaking threshold of a pure aluminum film.

complex conductivity↗

Electro-optic transduction in silicon via gigahertz-frequency nanomechanics

Interfacing electronics with optical fiber networks is key to the long-distance transfer of classical and quantum information. Piezo-optomechanical transducers enable such interfaces by using gigahertz-frequency acoustic vibrations as mediators for converting microwave photons to optical photons via the combination of optomechanical and piezoelectric interactions. However, despite successful demonstrations, efficient quantum transduction remains out of reach due to the challenges associated with hybrid material integration and increased loss from piezoelectric materials when operating in the quantum regime. Here, we demonstrate an alternative approach in which we actuate 5-GHz phonons in a conventional silicon-on-insulator platform. In our experiment, microwave photons resonantly drive a phononic crystal oscillator via the electrostatic force realized in a charge-biased narrow-gap capacitor. The mechanical vibrations are subsequently transferred via a phonon waveguide to an optomechanical cavity, where they transform into optical photons in the sideband of a pump laser field. Operating at room temperature and atmospheric pressure, we measure a microwave-to-optical photon conversion efficiency of 1.72±0.14×10 −7 in a 3.3 MHz bandwidth. Our results mark a stepping stone towards quantum transduction with integrated devices made from crystalline silicon, which promise efficient high-bandwidth operation and integration with superconducting qubits. Additionally, the lack of need for piezoelectricity or other intrinsic nonlinearities makes our approach applicable to a wide range of materials for potential applications beyond quantum technologies.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Demodulation techniques for use at Goonhilly satellite-communication earth station

As part of the programme of experimental and development work to determine the optimum demodulating techniques for communication satellite systems, three types of demodulators have been investigated at the Goonhilly earth station: 1.A conventional demodulator of the type used in 960-channel telephony or television microwave radio-relay links; 2.A frequency modulation feed-back demodulator in which the deviation of the signal is reduced before it reaches the final discriminator; and 3.A variable-bandwidth 'dynamic-tracking' demodulator in which the resonant frequency of a narrow bandwidth tuned circuit is moved rapidly to follow the nominal instantaneous frequency of the incoming signal. The conventional demodulator will not be discussed in detail here;. however, information is given on two specialized demodulators.

COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITE↗

Passive microwave sensors

Passive microwave sensors based on brightness temperature vs frequency model for various atmospheric conditions, presenting vegetation pictures

Hovis, W.↗

Microwave radiometric systems.

Microwave radiometers measure thermal electromagnetic radiation at frequencies ranging over the entire radio spectrum, from audio to infrared. The temperatures of black-body radiators can be measured with sensitivities better than 0.01 K, and with absolute accuracies better than 0.5 K. Radiometric systems have been built with as many as 400 independent spectral channels. Frequency resolutions range from hertz to gigahertz; and integration times range from microseconds to hours. Radiometric systems have operated reliably on the ground, and in balloons, aircraft, and spacecraft, including the 1962 Mariner 2 planetary probe to Venus.

Barath, F. T.↗

Multichannel VCO needs only one reference

Frequency stabilizing circuit controls output of multichannel microwave oscillator using passband filters and selector logic to eliminate need for separate crystal diode voltage controlled oscillator (VCO).

Masson, R. K.↗

Crossbar switching requirements for future multibeam TDMA communications satellites

Requirements for microwave switching in space, based on a frequency translating satellite are discussed. A 100 x 100 switch with a bandwidth of 2.5 GHz is considered for the more than 70 U.S. metropolitan areas with populations over half of a million. Switch architectures are outlined and switching devices, logic requirements, and reliability are described.

Hoffman, M.↗

Microwave radiometric observations near 19.35, 92 and 183 GHz of precipitation in tropical storm Cora

Observations of rain cells in the remains of a decaying tropical storm were made by Airborne Microwave Radiometers at 19.35,92 and three frequencies near 183 GHz. Extremely low brightness temperatures, as low as 140 K were noted in the 92 and 183 GHz observations. These can be accounted for by the ice often associated with raindrop formation. Further, 183 GHz observations can be interpreted in terms of the height of the ice. The brightness temperatures observed suggest the presence of precipitation sized ice as high as 9 km or more.

Wilheit, T. T.↗