A novel on chip automatic tuning circuit for Gm ¡V C continuous time filter is presented. The circuit is composed of an integrator, a frequency tuning circuit, and a Q tuning circuit. A 4th order Chebyshev low pass filter is also designed with the tuning circuitry. All circuits are designed by using the parameters of TSMC 0.25um process. The power supplies are ¡Ó2.5V, and the cutoff frequency is 10MHz. The main LPF exhibits passband ripple below 4dB, and stopband attenuation over 70dB. The equilibrium time for tuning circuits is less than 3£gseconds.

This thesis describes a theoretical and experimental investigation of wireless energy transfer between high-Q resonant radiofrequency (RF) oscillators. A model used by Kurs \emph{et al} \cite{Kurs_original} was recast in a form which enabled expression of the results in terms of measurable electrical quantities. This model was tested using circular resonant copper loop antennas at a frequency near 10 MHz. Accurate calculation of the mutual inductance between loops was required in order to predict the loop coupling parameters, and was carried out using a custom-written computer code. Two resonant loop antenna RF oscillators were first used to check that the model predictions were accurate in the two-oscillator case. Based on the success of these tests, the model was extended to the case of three oscillators in two different configurations, the first having two receiving oscillators, and the second having two transmitting oscillators. Model predictions for both configurations were experimentally tested over a range of coil separations and angular inclinations. These experimental tests confirmed the model's applicability in the three-oscillator regime, with significant deviations from the model only being observed when any pair of loops was in very close proximity (i.e. when the separation of loop centers was comparable to the loop diameter). This may have been be due to either nonlinear dielectric losses (due to large amplitude RF electric fields) spoiling the Quality factors Q of the loop antenna resonators, or to increased capacitive coupling between loops at short distances (not included in the current model), or both. Further investigation would be required to definitively establish the origin of the deviation from the model at short distances, but from an engineering point of view accurate modelling of the performance in the "close loop" regime is not critical since the primary purpose of wireless power transfer is to transmit power over a reasonable distance.

Micro-mechanical sensors are typically fabricated both in large numbers and economically using the photolithographic processes that were originally developed in the integrated circuit industry. The magnitude of a change in resonant frequency of a micro-me chanical structure can be used to quantify a change in mass of such a device. Hence, when packaged with integrated measurement, actuation and control electronics, it is possible to deliver a low-cost and small system in a package using fabrication techniq ues that are both mature and widely available. A micro-mechanical resonator has been designed for this project and samples of the prototype resonator were used to investigate various methods for detecting a change in resonant frequency using discrete elec tronic components. The system that has been designed can eventually be integrated with a small micro-mechanical structure to create a mass sensor. Resonators have been fabricated at QinetiQ as part of the Europractice Foundry Access Program and characteri sation of typical devices is described in this thesis. A popular method for controlling the behaviour of resonant micro-mechanical sensors is a force feedback technique designed to increase the effective quality factor of the resonant system. In this thesis, an increase in the effective quality factor of the prototype system has been demonstrated. When the resonator operates in air at atmospheric pressure, an improvement in the effective quality factor of two orders of magnitude was achievable. This meant that it was possible to assess the potential benefits offered by the force feedback technique by testing the various detection schemes that have been implemented at the natural quality factor and also at a high effective quality factor. A prototype control system has been built using simple digital electroni cs, a key component of which is a direct digital frequency synthesis chip used to provide a stable and accurate driving frequency. Methods for determining a change in the resonant frequency of a micro-mechanical resonator using this control system have be en investigated. A method has been developed for determining the magnitude of a shift in resonance when the frequency of the excitation force is fixed. This thesis contains a description of the technique and also results demonstrating the corresponding de tection capability of the prototype sensor.

Στην παρούσα διατριβή χρησιμοποιούνται τα αριθμητικά μοντέλα σύμφωνα με την εργασία των Hussain and Tsopelas [1], για τον υπολογισμό της υπεραντοχής σε μεταλλικά πλαίσια ενώ παράλληλα πραγματοποιούνται παραμετρικές αναλύσεις ώστε να διευκρινισθεί η επίδραση διαφόρων παραμέτρων στην συνολική συμπεριφορά των μεταλλικών πλαισίων. Βασικός στόχος της παρούσας διατριβής αποτελεί η εύρεση της επίδρασης της υπεραντοχής μεταλλικών πλαισίων στον συντελεστή συμπεριφοράς τους μέσω της εξίσωσης q=qo*Rr, σε αντιθέση με την εξίσωση που προτείνεται στον Ε.Α.Κ. 2000, , σε πλαίσια των οποίων οι διατομές έχουν προκύψει μέσω ελαστικής φασματικής ανάλυσης για εδαφική επιτάχυνση 0.24g και 0.36g / The cause of this thesis is the estimation of redundancy at steel moment frames, in the calculation of q factor.

The purpose of this study was to better understand the study behaviors and habits of university undergraduate students. It was designed to determine whether undergraduate students could be grouped based on their self-reported study behaviors and if any grouping system could be determined, whether group membership was related to students’ academic achievement. A total of 152 undergraduate students voluntarily participated in the current study by completing the Study Behavior Inventory instrument. All participants were enrolled in fall semester of 2010 at Florida International University. The Q factor analysis technique using principal components extraction and a varimax rotation was used in order to examine the participants in relation to each other and to detect a pattern of intercorrelations among participants based on their self-reported study behaviors. The Q factor analysis yielded a two factor structure representing two distinct student types among participants regarding their study behaviors. The first student type (i.e., Factor 1) describes proactive learners who organize both their study materials and study time well. Type 1 students are labeled “Proactive Learners with Well-Organized Study Behaviors”. The second type (i.e., Factor 2) represents students who are poorly organized as well as being very likely to procrastinate. Type 2 students are labeled “Disorganized Procrastinators”. Hierarchical linear regression was employed to examine the relationship between student type and academic achievement as measured by current grade point averages (GPAs). The results showed significant differences in GPAs between Type 1 and Type 2 students at the .05 significance level. Furthermore, student type was found to be a significant predictor of academic achievement beyond and above students’ attribute variables including sex, age, major, and enrollment status. The study has several implications for educational researchers, practitioners, and policy makers in terms of improving college students' learning behaviors and outcomes.

This Master’s dissertation focuses on engineering artificial nanostructures, namely, arrays of metamolecules on a substrate (metasurfaces), with the goal to achieve the desired linear and nonlinear optical responses. Specifically, a simple analytical model capable of predicting optical nonlinearity of an individual metamolecule has been developed. The model allows one to estimate the nonlinear optical response (linear polarizability and nonlinear hyperpolarizabilities) of a metamolecule based on the knowledge of its shape, dimensions, and material. In addition, a new experimental approach to measure hyperpolarizability has also been investigated. As another research effort, a 2D plasmonic metasurface with the collective behaviour of the metamolecules known as hybrid plasmonic-Fabry-Perot cavity and surface lattice resonances was designed, fabricated and optically characterized. We experimentally discovered a novel way of coupling the microcavity resonances and the diffraction orders of the plasmonic metamolecule arrays with the low-quality plasmon resonance to generate multiple sharp resonances with the higher quality factors. Finally, we experimentally observed and demonstrated a record ultra-high-Q surface lattice resonance from a plasmonic metasurface. These novel results can be used to render highly efficient nonlinear optical responses relying on high optical field localization, and can serve as the stepping stone towards achieving practical artificial nanophotonic devices with tailored linear and nonlinear optical responses.

No description available.

Yes / In this paper, we present the design of a compact and highly sensitive microwave sensor based on a metamaterial complementary split-ring resonator (CSRR), for liquid characterization at microwave frequencies. The design consists of a two-port microstrip-fed rectangular patch resonating structure printed on a 20 × 28 mm2 Roger RO3035 substrate with a thickness of 0.75 mm, a relative permittivity of 3.5, and a loss tangent of 0.0015. A CSRR is etched on the ground plane for the purpose of sensor miniaturization. The investigated liquid sample is put in a capillary glass tube lying parallel to the surface of the sensor. The parallel placement of the liquid test tube makes the design twice as efficient as a normal one in terms of sensitivity and Q factor. By bending the proposed structure, further enhancements of the sensor design can be obtained. These changes result in a shift in the resonant frequency and Q factor of the sensor. Hence, we could improve the sensitivity 10-fold compared to the flat structure. Subsequently, two configurations of sensors were designed and tested using CST simulation software, validated using HFSS simulation software, and compared to structures available in the literature, obtaining good agreement. A prototype of the flat configuration was fabricated and experimentally tested. Simulation results were found to be in good agreement with the experiments. The proposed devices exhibit the advantage of exploring multiple rapid and easy measurements using different test tubes, making the measurement faster, easier, and more cost-effective; therefore, the proposed high-sensitivity sensors are ideal candidates for various sensing applications. / This work was supported by the Moore4Medical project, funded within ECSEL JU in collaboration with the EU H2020 Framework Programme (H2020/2014–2020) under grant agreement H2020-ECSEL-2019-IA-876190, and the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (ECSEL/0006/2019). This project received funding in part from the DGRSDT (Direction Générale de la Recherche Scientifique et du Développement Technologique), MESRS (Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research), Algeria. This work was also supported by the General Directorate of Scientific Research and Technological Development (DGRSDT)–Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MESRS), Algeria, and funded by the FCT/MEC through national funds and, when applicable, co-financed by the ERDF, under the PT2020 Partnership Agreement under the UID/EEA/50008/2020 project.

This dissertation investigates dissipation in microelectromechanical (MEMS) resonators via detailed analysis and modeling of the energy loss mechanisms and provides a framework toward creating resonant devices with ultra-low dissipation. Fundamental mechanisms underlying acoustic energy loss are explored, the results of which are applied to understanding the losses in resonant MEMS devices. Losses in the materials, which set the ultimate limits of the achievable quality factor of the devices, are examined. Other sources of loss, which are determined by the design of the resonator, are investigated and applied to example resonant MEMS structures. The most critical of these designable loss mechanisms are thermoelastic dissipation (TED) and support (or anchor) loss of acoustic energy through the attachment of the MEMS device to its external environment. The dissipation estimation framework enables prediction of the quality factor of a MEMS resonator, which were accurate within a factor of close to 2 for high-frequency bulk acoustic wave MEMS resonators, and represents a signficant step forward by closing one of the largest outstanding problems in MEMS devices: how to predict the quality factor for a given device. Dissipation mitigation approaches developed herein address the most critical dominant loss mechanisms identified using the framework outlined above. These approaches include design of 1D phononic crystals (PCs) and novel 3D MEMS structures to trap and isolate vibration energy away from the resonator anchors, optimization of resonator geometry to suppress thermoelastic dissipation, and analysis of required levels of surface polish to reduce surface dissipation. Phononic crystals can be used to manipulate the properties of materials. In the case of the 1D PC linear acoustic bandgap (LAB) structures developed here, this manipulation arises from the formation of frequency stop bands, or bandgapwhich convert silicon from a material capable of supporting acoustic waves to a material which rejects acoustic propagation at frequencies in the bandgap. The careful design of these LAB structures is demonstrated to be able to enhance the quality factor and insertion loss of MEMS resonators without significant detrimental effects on the overall device performance.

Thesis (MScEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The purpose of this project is to develop a number of coaxial resonator lters. Firstly, the theoretical model of the lter is discussed, with a Tchebyscheff LC-ladder prototype lter used to derive a generalised bandpass lter. From this, generalised Combline- and Interdigital lters are derived. Following this, various options and limitations in the mechanics of microwave lters are discussed. Results are shown for an in-depth study considering the unloaded quality factor for thirteen di erent resonators. Each resonator is unique in the method of manufacturing, polishing, as well as plating. Utilizing the information obtained from the unloaded quality factor measurements, three coupled coaxial resonator lters, are designed for use in a radar system, namely a sixth order 2125 MHz Combline lter, a sixth order 9250 MHz Interdigital lter and a third order 9250 MHz Interdigital lter. Optimal results were obtained when both resonators and coupled transmission line lters were constructed from aluminium that was wire-cut and then silver electroplated. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die omvang van hierdie projek behels die ontwerp en bou van ko-aksiale resoneerder filters. Eerstens word die teoretiese modellering van die lters bespreek. 'n Tchebyscheff LC-leer prototipe filter word gebruik as basis vir 'n generiese banddeurlaat filter. Die banddeurlaat lter word gebruik om die afgeleide Kamlyn- en Interdigitale filter te de finieer. Hierna volg 'n bespreking aangaande die verskillende moontlikhede in die meganiese vervaardiging van mikrogolf filters. 'n Gedetailleerde studie word gedoen om die onbelaste kwaliteitsfaktore van 13 verskillende resoneerders te bepaal. Elkeen van hierdie resoneerders is uniek in die metode van vervaardiging, polering, asook die platering daarvan. Deur gebruik te maak van die resultate van die onbelaste kwaliteitsfaktore, word drie gekoppelde ko-aksiale resoneerder filters ontwikkel vir die gebruik in 'n radarstelsel, naamlik 'n sesde-orde 2125 MHz Kamlyn lter, 'n sesde orde 9250 MHz Interdigitale filter, asook 'n derde orde 9250 MHz Interdigitale filter. Die beste resultate was gevind toe beide resoneerders en gekoppelde ko-aksiale resoneerder filters vervaardig is uit aluminium wat gedraadsny en silwer geplateer is.