Abstract:
A rectifying circuit includes, in part, first and second NMOS transistors, an impedance matching network, and an RF block circuit. The source and gate terminals of the first NMOS transistor respectively receive the ground potential and a biasing voltage. The second NMOS transistor has a gate terminal coupled to the drain terminal of the first NMOS transistor, a drain terminal coupled to the gate terminal of the first NMOS transistor, and a source terminal receiving the ground potential. The impedance matching network is disposed between the antenna and the drain terminals of the first and second NMOS transistors. The RF block circuit is coupled between the drain terminals of the first and second NMOS transistors and the output terminal of the rectifying circuit. The RF block circuit is adapted to prevent the RF signal from flowing into the output terminal of the rectifying circuit.
Abstract:
A sparse optical phased array transmitter/receiver includes, in part, a multitude of transmitting/receiving elements that are sparsely positioned. Accordingly, the transmitting/receiving elements are not uniformly distributed at equal distance intervals along a one-dimensional, two-dimensional, or a three-dimensional array. The positions of the transmitting/receiving elements may or may not conform to an ordered pattern.
Abstract:
An opto-electrical oscillator includes, in part, first and second optical phase modulators, a coupler, an optical-to-electrical signal conversion circuit, and a control circuit. The first optical phase modulator modulates the phase of a first optical signal in response to a first feedback signal to generate a first phase modulated signal. The second optical phase modulator modulates the phase of a second optical signal in response to a second feedback signal to generate a second phase modulated signal. The first and second optical signals travel through first and second optical paths respectively and are generated from the same optical source. The optical-to-electrical signal conversion circuit receives an optical signal from the coupler and in response generates an electrical signal applied to the control circuit. The output signals of the control circuit cause the first and second feedback signals to be out of phase.
Abstract:
A wireless laser power transfer system includes, in part, a transmitter and a receiver that form a wireless link. The transmitter, includes, in part, a first communication system, at least a first source of laser beam, and a controller adapted to vary power and direction of the laser beam and further to modulate the laser beam. The receiver includes, in part, a communication system adapted to establish a wireless link with the first communication system, at least a first photo-voltaic cell, and a controller adapted to demodulate and detect the power of the modulated laser beam received by the first photo-voltaic cell from the first source of laser beam. The system optionally includes at least a second source of laser beam controlled by the transmitter controller. The system optionally further includes a second photo-voltaic cell. The transmitter controller is further adapted to cause the second laser beam to strike the second photo-voltaic cell.
Abstract:
A phased array includes, in part, M×N photonic chips each of which includes, in part, an array of transmitters and an array of receivers. At least one of M and/or N is an integer greater than one. The transmitter arrays in each pair of adjacent photonics chips are spaced apart by a first distance and the receiver arrays in each pair of adjacent photonics chips are spaced apart by a second distance. The first and second distances are co-prime numbers. Optionally, at least a second subset of the M×N photonic chips is formed by rotating a first subset of the M×N photonic chips.
Abstract:
An optical phased array includes, in part, a multitude of optical signal emitters and a multitude of optical signal phase/delay elements each associated with and disposed between a different pair of the optical signal emitters. Each optical signal phase/delay element is adapted to cause a phase/delay shift between the optical signals emitted from its associated pair of optical signal emitters. Each optical signal phase/delay element is optically a ring resonator that includes a p-i-n junction. By varying the bias applied to the p-i-n junction, the phase/delay generated by the ring resonator is varied. Furthermore, each optical signal emitter is optionally an optical grating having a multitude of grooves. The groove lengths of the optical gratings are optionally selected so as to increase along the direction of travel of the input optical signal through the optical phase array.
Abstract:
A space-based solar power station, a power generating satellite module and/or a method for collecting solar radiation and transmitting power generated using electrical current produced therefrom is provided. Power transmitters can be coordinated as a phased array and the power generated by the phased array is transmitted to one or more power receivers to achieve remote wireless power generation and delivery. In many embodiments, a reference signal is distributed within the space-based solar power station to coordinate the phased array. In several embodiments, determinations of the relative locations of the antennas in the array are utilized to evaluate the phase shift and/or amplitude modulation to apply the reference signal at each power transmitter.
Abstract:
An integrated optical linewidth reduction system detects/estimates the phase noise of an incoming optical signal and subtracts the detected phase noise from the phase noise of the incoming signal. A first coupler/splitter of the linewidth reduction system may split the incoming signal into first and second optical signals travelling through first and second optical paths. A second coupler/splitter may split the second optical signal into third and fourth optical signals travelling through third and fourth optical paths. The third optical path has a longer propagation delay than the fourth optical path. Two different coupling ratios of the third and fourth optical signals are used to generate an electrical signal representative of the phase noise of the incoming signal. A phase detector/estimator estimates the phase noise from the electrical signal. A phase modulator subtracts the detected/estimated phase noise from the phase noise of the incoming signal.
Abstract:
A method of generating a DC power from incident RF waves, includes, in part, measuring the amount of power being received by a device generating the DC power, and controlling the phases of the RF waves being transmitted by a multitude of RF transmitters in accordance with the measured power. A programmable test load is optionally used at the device to measure the received power. The device optionally includes, an antenna, an RF-to-DC converter to generate the DC power, an impedance matching/transformation circuit, and an RF load/matching circuit.
Abstract:
A device includes, in part, an antenna adapted to receive an RF signal that includes modulated data, a splitter/coupler adapted to split the received RF signal, a receiver adapted to demodulate the data from a first portion of the RF signal, and a power recovery unit adapted to convert to a DC power a second portion of the RF signal. The splitter/coupler is optionally adjustable to split the RF signal in accordance with a value that may be representative of a number of factors, such as the target data rate, the DC power requirement of the device, and the like. The device optionally includes a switch and/or a power combiner adapted to deliver all the received RF power to the receiver depending on any number of operation conditions of the device or the device's distance from an RF transmitting device.