California Institute of Technology

Stephanie D Leifer

Andrey B Matsko

Winston A Saunders

Wei Zhang

Disclosed herein is a pulse repetition rate multiplier including a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) including cascading Mach-Zehnder interferometers (MZIs). An input may be connected to one end of the PIC and an output may be connected to the other end of the PIC such that a signal from the input runs through the cascading MZIs and out the output. The input may be configured to receive an input pulsed signal and the output may be configured to output a repetition rate multiplied signal. Advantageously, using a PIC as opposed to an optical fiber-based pulse rate multiplier allows for accurate fabrication of a pulse repetition rate multiplier configured to accept higher frequency pulsed signals.

Planar photonic waveguide optical pulse rate multiplier

Fullerene propellants, which are stable carbon cage structures composed of even numbers of carbon atoms in the range of about 32 to 200 atoms, particularly a combination of conveniently obtainable C.sub.60 and C.sub.70, may be carried in solid form in a spacecraft, sublimated to produce the appropriate molecular propellant such as C.sub.60 or C.sub.70, which may then be ionized by DC discharge or RF radiation to efficiently produce specific impulses in the range above 1000 lbf -s/lbm.

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Pasadena, CA, United States of America

Stephanie D Leifer