Rockwell Collins, Inc.

Don L Landt

Allen W Jones

David W Cripe

Scott L Patten

Forest P Dixon

James B West

Chenggang Xie

Nathan P Lower

John C Mather

Mark M Mulbrook

Roger A Dana

Scott J Zogg

Bryan S McCoy

Gary E Lehtola

Phillip R Koenig

Eric J Schwendinger

Christopher Kalmar

Oizhou Yao

The present disclosure is directed to optically-tuned electronic components including one or more layers of photosensitive semiconductive materials. In some embodiments, an optically-tuned electronic component includes a plurality of device layers have different bandgap characteristics. One or more selected layers can be optically activated (i.e. made substantially conductive) by illuminating at least a portion of each selected layer with illumination having a wavelength shorter than or substantially equal to the activation wavelength of each selected layer. Accordingly, various parameters can be tuned or a circuit can be switched between alternative paths by providing one or more selected wavelengths of illumination.

Optically-tuned electronic components

A switch comprises two photoconductive semiconductors and two corresponding laser diodes driven by opposing voltage sources. The two photoconductive semiconductors are connected in series between a high and low voltage source with a radio frequency output at a center node between the photoconductive semiconductors. Each photoconductive semiconductor may include one ohmic contact and one schottky contact for superior bandwidth and efficiency.

Photoconductive semiconductor amplifier and switch

A circuit relies on the natural time constant presented to a pulse input signal which drops the signal level to a very low value 'zero state,' less than 0.1 percent of the peak value, before the next pulse arrives. The signal is amplified with a low-noise, wideband, AC-coupled amplifier and split into two equal signals. One of the signals is delayed relative to the other by a fraction of the repetition period and then both signals are input to separate very wideband track-and-hold circuits. Output signals from the track-and-hold circuits are amplified, subtracted and applied to the input of an analog-to-digital converter. The track-and-hold circuits are clocked in such a way that one track-and-hold holds the value at the peak of the signal and the other track-and-hold holds the value at the baseline of the signal, the point when the signal has decayed to the zero state.

Pulse to digital detection circuit

The plasma klystron switching device of the present invention may include a low-dielectric substrate, a plasma cavity internally pressurized by an inert gas, a circuit assembly formed on the first surface of the low-dielectric substrate and enclosed by the plasma cavity, wherein the circuit assembly includes a first electrode and a second electrode configured to form a switching gap, wherein the switching gap is configured to act as a high conductance plasma generation zone during an ON state of the plasma klystron switching device and a low conductance zone during an OFF state of the plasma klystron switching device, an evacuated klystron resonance generator, wherein the klystron resonance generator includes a klystron resonance cavity, wherein the klystron resonance generator includes a coupling aperture configured to RF couple the klystron resonance cavity and the plasma cavity, and a field emitter array configured to energize the klystron resonance generator.

Plasma klystron switch

A distributed power amplifier may include a plurality of switching power amplifier sub-circuits, and a plurality of connection network sub-circuits, each of the plurality connection network sub-circuits having a characteristic impedance, wherein each of the plurality of connection network sub-circuits combines two or more of the plurality of switching power amplifier sub-circuits into a parallel or series configuration, wherein the plurality of switching power amplifier sub-circuits, the plurality of connection network sub-circuits and the characteristic impedance of each of the plurality of connection network sub-circuits are configured to present each of the plurality of switching power amplifier sub-circuits with a substantially equivalent load impedance.

Tapered-impedance distributed switching power amplifier

A power amplifying apparatus includes a first gallium arsenide substrate which may include a photonic power supply laser diode, a diamond substrate formed over the first gallium arsenide substrate, a silicon substrate formed over the diamond substrate, a second gallium arsenide substrate, a gallium nitride switching transistor and a photonic power supply photo diode array.

Monolithic optically-driven high frequency power amplifier

A power digital to analog converter may include a course-resolution digital to analog converter for converting a first segment of binary digits into a first analog output having a first voltage. The power digital to analog converter may also include a fine-resolution digital to analog converter connected in series with the course-resolution digital to analog converter. The fine-resolution digital to analog converter may be configured for converting a second segment of binary digits into a second analog output having a second voltage. The first voltage and the second voltage may be added together to produce an analog output signal representing the binary digits.

Voltage-mode, series-connected, segmented, optically-isolated, power digital-to-analog converter

Tapered-impedance distributed switching power amplifiers

A power amplifying apparatus comprises a base layer hosting a power supply, a core insulating layer, a growth layer, and a high power amplifier layer. The high power amplifier layer hosts a control section, a first drive and amplification section, an electrical (RF) signal to optical signal converter section, a plurality of photolithically defined substrate channels forming embedded optical waveguide structures for optical signal routing, an optical signal to electrical signal converter section, a second drive and amplification section, and at least one high frequency and high breakdown voltage power transistor.

A power amplifier comprising a distributed signal pre-driver, an AM Modulation Driver and a Switch Power Supply driving optically-powered and optically-switched GaN-based switches which are stacked and operated in a complementary fashion and are amplitude modulated using optically-powered and optically-switched charge pumps to produce the modulated rail voltages which in turn produces the desired AM signal modulation controlled by a high-speed feedback. The optically-coupled, isolated switching elements, OCIS, provide inherent isolation between switching devices and between stacked, switching devices and ground thus enabling true switch behavior of each switching element which is independent of the other elements and independent of the voltage conditions on the switched terminals. In the preferred embodiment most of the devices are formed using Aluminum-Gallium-Nitride/Gallium-Nitride HEMTs on a monolithic microwave integrated circuit device.

Device and system for implementing optically sourced isolated switch elements

A protection circuit includes a diode chip, and a switching device integrated with the diode chip, the switching device being isolated, optically triggered, optically powered, and the diode chip connected between a high side terminal of the switching device and an input to a first inverting amplifier, the diode chip further supplying a current when an overvoltage occurs between a drain and a source of the switching device.

Fast react protection circuit for switched mode power amplifiers

A power amplifier architecture includes a plurality of non-linear optically driven power amplifier modules. The plurality of non-linear optically driven power amplifier modules are selectively connectable utilizing a programmable algorithm for combining at least two modules of the plurality of non-linear optically driven power amplifier modules in a time sequence yielding a piecewise approximation of a continuous waveform. The power amplifier architecture further includes at least one RF drive selectively connected to at least one of the plurality of non-linear optically driven power amplifier modules via an optical signal link generating a separate drive signal for each of the plurality of non-linear optically driven power amplifier modules.

High power DAC power amplifier

In some embodiments, a microwave switch element may include one or more of the following features: (a) an electrically isolated input capable of receiving an input, (b) an amplifier electrically coupled to the input and to an active device, (c) a power source magnetically coupled to the amplifier.

Microwave switching element

A composite plate comprising CNT bundles with high thermal conductivity is formed by the method comprising preparing a CNT growth substrate, depositing a CNT growth catalyst on the CNT growth substrate, preparing a wafer with etched through via arrays, placing the wafer with the etched through via arrays over the CNT growth substrate with the CNT growth catalyst, growing CNT bundles in the etched through via arrays on the wafer over the CNT growth substrate with the CNT growth catalyst in a CVD chamber to form a wafer matrix CNT composite structure; and removing the CNT growth substrate from the wafer matrix CNT composite structure. The formed composite plate comprising CNT bundles with high thermal conductivity has improved CTE silicon match, has a more effective thermal conductivity than a silicon matrix or Cu or Cu alloy substrate, and contains nanotubes that remain vertical.

Composite plate comprising carbon nanotube bundles with high thermal conductivity and method for making the same

An impedance matching transformer is disclosed. The transformer includes a conductive ground plane and a dielectric substrate disposed upon the conductive ground plane. The dielectric substrate has a first end and a second end. The dielectric substrate may be of a unitary construction. A conductive current path is disposed upon the dielectric substrate. The height of the dielectric substrate at the second end is greater than the height of the dielectric substrate at the first end.

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Palo, IA, United States of America

Don L Landt