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The objectives of this work were to investigate, design and implement beam steering antenna arrays for mobile and wireless applications using the genetic algorithm (GA) and particle swarm optimisation (PSO) techniques as optimisation design tools. Several antenna designs were implemented and tested: initially, a printed dipole antenna integrated with a duplex RF switch used for mobile base station antenna beam steering was investigated. A coplanar waveguide (CPW) to coplanar strip (CPS) transition was adopted to feed the printed dipole. A novel RF switch circuit, used to control the RF signal fed to the dipole antenna and placed directly before it, was proposed. The measured performance of the RF switch was tested and the results confirmed its viability. Then two hybrid coupled PIN diode phase shifters, using Branchline and Rat-Race ring coupler structures, were designed and tested. The generation of four distinct phase shifts was implemented and studied. The variations of the scattering parameters were found to be realistic, with an acceptable ±2 phase shift tolerance. Next, antenna beam steering was achieved by implementing RF switches with ON or OFF mode functions to excite the radiating elements of the antenna array. The switching control process was implemented using a genetic algorithm (GA) method, subject to scalar and binary genes. Anti-phase feeding of radiating elements was also investigated. A ring antenna array with reflectors was modelled and analysed. An antenna of this type for mobile base stations was designed and simulation results are presented. Following this, a novel concept for simple beam steering using a uniform antenna array operated at 2.4 GHz was designed using GA. The antenna is fed by a single RF input source and the steering elements are reactively tuned by varactor diodes in series with small inductors. The beam-control procedure was derived through the use of a genetic algorithm based on adjusting the required reactance values to obtain the optimum solution as indicated by the cost function. The GA was also initially used as an optimisation tool to derive the antenna design from its specification. Finally, reactive loading and time modulated switching techniques are applied to steer the beam of a circular uniformly spaced antenna array having a source element at its centre. Genetic algorithm (GA) and particle swarm optimisation (PSO) processes calculate the optimal values of reactances loading the parasitic elements, for which the gain can be optimised in a desired direction. For time modulated switching, GA and PSO also determine the optimal on and off times of the parasitic elements for which the difference in currents induced optimises the gain and steering of the beam in a desired direction. These methods were demonstrated by investigating a vertically polarised antenna configuration. A prototype antenna was constructed and experimental results compared with the simulations. Results showed that near optimal solutions for gain optimisation, sidelobe level reduction and beam steering are achievable by utilising these methods. In addition, a simple switching process is employed to steer the beam of a horizontally polarised circular antenna array. A time modulated switching process is applied through Genetic Algorithm optimisation. Several model examples illustrate the radiation beams and the switching time process of each element in the array.

Libyan Ministry of Higher Education. / The full text will be available at the end of the embargo: 28th Nov 2024 / Subtitle: Simulation and Measurement of Reconfigurable Antennas for Cognitive Radio, UWB Applications, Investigation of Antenna Gain and Efficiency, Frequency Tuneable Range, Antenna Radiation Performance and Antenna Design Optimization using Parametric Studies as well as using MIMO antenna for wireless body area networks

Le champ biomédical n’a pas échappé à l’évolution de la technologie, elle cherche aussi à intégrer plusieurs fonctions dans un espace restreint. Un des points forts du développement est la massification de points de service, afin d'obtenir un diagnostic rapide des maladies. Le diagnostique aux premières étapes de son évolution permettra réduire considérablement les coûts associés aux traitements des patients. Le présent document exprimera une alternative à l'évolution de la technologie des biocapteurs qui sont basés sur le phénomène optique appelé résonance par plasmons de surface. Ce projet de recherche vise l’étude de l’intégration monolithique des deux tiers des composants principaux qui conforment normalement à ce type de biocapteurs optiques. Tandis que d'autres projets de recherche ont centré leurs travaux sur l’intégration de la surface de réaction et le détecteur, notre travail a pris en compte l’intégration de la source de lumière et la surface de réaction biologique. Deux types de sources ont été employés au moment de faire la conception, l’étude de matériaux, la fabrication et la caractérisation de la performance de notre dispositif. La première source a employé des puits quantiques à l’intérieur d’une gaufre de GaAs qui nécessitait un pompage optique pour son fonctionnement. La deuxième source a eu une gaufre commerciale employée pour la fabrication des diodes d’émission lumineuse verticale, qui a dû être excitée par un courant électrique. On a découvert que les deux types de sources sont complémentaires. La source avec des puits quantiques a démontré une amélioration de la performance en comparaison à notre système commercial de référence. La deuxième source a démontré la faisabilité d’intégration monolithique en permettant se rapprocher à la fabrication d’un prototype commercial. La porte reste donc ouverte pour la poursuite du développement de cette technologie en cherchant un nouveau système employant ces deux sources, mais usant de meilleures caractéristiques.

The project contains adventurous research, with an aim to understand and design a planar Gunn diode with a novel integrated circuit configuration to extract the 2nd harmonic. This will potentially enhance the Gunn diode as a high frequency source towards frequencies in excess of 600 GHz. The RF performance from the above integrated circuit was achieved by design and simulation of radial and diamond stub resonators, which were used to short the fundamental oscillation frequency while allowing the second harmonic frequency to pass through to the load. The diamond stub resonator is a new configuration offering a number of advantages which include a higher loaded quality factor and occupies 55% less chip area than a comparable radial stub resonator. The designed novel circuits with integrated planar Gunn diode were fabricated using microwave monolithic integrated circuits (MMIC) technology at the James Watt Nanofabrication centre in Glasgow University. Full DC and microwave characterisation of the diodes and integrated circuits with diodes was carried out using a semiconductor analyser, network analyser (10 MHz to 110GHz) and spectrum analyser (10 MHz to 125GHz). The microwave measurements were carried out at the high frequency RF laboratories in Glasgow University. Both GaAs and InP based Gunn diodes were characterised and RF characterisation work showed that higher fundamental frequencies could be obtained from Gunn diodes fabricated on InGaAs on a lattice matched InP substrate. Planar Gunn diodes with an anode to cathode spacing of 4 microns giving a fundamental frequency of oscillation of 60 GHz were fabricated as an integrated circuit with coplanar waveguide (CPW) circuit elements to extract the second harmonic. A second harmonic frequency of 120 GHz with an RF output power of -14.11 dBm was extracted with very good fundamental frequency suppression. To the authors knowledge this was the first time second harmonic frequencies have been extracted from a planar Gunn diode technology. Aluminium gallium arsenide (AlGaAs) planar Gunn diodes were also designed with an integrated series inductor to match the diode at the fundamental frequency to obtain higher RF output powers. Devices with a 1 micron anode to cathode separation gave the highest fundamental oscillation frequency of 121 GHz the highest reported for a GaAs based Gunn diode and with an RF output power of -9 dBm. These circuits will have potential applications in secure communications, terahertz imaging etc.

The usage of conventional energy applications generates disproportionate emissions of greenhouse gases and the consumption of part of the energy resources available in the world. It has become an important problem which has serious effects on the climatic change. Therefore, it is crucial to reduce these emissions as much as possible. To be able to achieve this, renewable energy technologies must be used instead of conventional energy applications. Solar Photovoltaic (PV) technologies do not release greenhouse gas emissions directly and can save more than 30 million tonnes of carbon per exajoule of electricity generated relative to a natural gas turbine running at 45% efficiency. Shadowing is one of the most important aspects that affects the performance of PV systems. Consequently, many investigations through this topic are being done in order to develop new technologies which mitigate the impact of shadowing during PV production. In order to minimise the impact of shadowing it is desired to be able to predict the performance of a system with PV-modules during shadowing. In this thesis a simulation program for calculating the IV-curve for series connected PV-modules during partial shadowing has been developed and experimentally validated. PV systems modelling and simulation in LTspice environment has been presented and validated by means of a comparative analysis with the experimental results obtained in a set of tests performed in the laboratory of Gävle University. Experimental measurements were carried out in two groups. The first group corresponds with the experiments done in the string of six modules with bypass diodes while the measurements of the second group have been performed on a single PV module at HIG University. The simulation results of both groups demonstrated a remarkable agreement with the experimental data, which means that the model designed at LTspice supposes a very useful tool that can be used to study the performance of PV systems. This tool contributes to the investigations in this topic and it aims to benefit future installations providing a better knowledge of the shading problem. The master’s thesis shows an in-depth description of the required method to design a PV cell, a PV module and a PV array using LTspice IV and the input parameters as well as the needed tests to adjust the models. Moreover, it has been carried out a pedagogical study describing the effect that different shadow configurations have in the performance of solar cells. This study facilitates the understanding of the performance of PV modules under different shadowing effects. Lastly, it has also been discussed the benefits of installing some newer technologies, like DC-DC optimizers or module inverters, to mitigate the shadowing effects. The main conclusion about this topic has been that although most of the times the output power will be increased with the use of optimizers sometimes the optimizer does not present any benefits.

Thesis (MSc (Physics))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / In the presented study a diode laser was characterised and used for spec- troscopy, measuring the resonance lines of atomic rubidium. The characteristics of diode lasers and external cavity diode lasers (ECDL) for the purposes of ab- sorption spectroscopy were investigated and an experimental setup for tunable diode laser spectroscopy using an ECDL was developed. In external cavity diode lasers, the advantages of low cost, small size and e ciency of a diode laser is combined with tunability and a narrow frequency bandwidth. The ECDL was applied in experimental setups for absorption spectroscopy and saturated ab- sorption spectroscopy. Measurement of the absorption of atomic rubidium's D2 line near 780 nm is discussed. The Doppler broadened, as well as the Doppler free spectrum of the ne and hyper ne structure of the D2 line were measured and is discussed. Finer control of the ECDL's stability and frequency, using a servo circuit, were investigated and tested. An overview is given of laser cool- ing and trapping of neutral rubidium atoms, which is the main application the ECDL were developed for.

In this thesis, novel regimes of mode locking in quantum dot semiconductor laser diodes have been investigated by exploiting the unique features offered by quantum dots. Using an unconventional approach, the role of excited state transitions in the quantum dots was exploited as an additional degree of freedom for the mode locking of experimental quantum dot lasers. For the first time, passive mode locking via ground (1260nm) or excited state (1190nm) was demonstrated in a quantum dot laser. Picosecond pulses were generated at a repetition rate of 21GHz and 20.5GHz, for the ground and excited states respectively, with average powers in excess of 25mW. Switching between these two states in the mode-locking regime was achieved by changing the electrical biasing conditions, thus providing full control of the operating spectral band. A novel regime for mode locking in a quantum-dot laser was also investigated, where the simultaneous presence of cw emission in the excited-state band at high injection current levels, dramatically reduced the duration of the pulses generated via the ground state, whilst simultaneously boosting its peak power. This represents a radically different trend from the one typically observed in mode-locked lasers. From this investigation, it was concluded that the role of the excited state can not be neglected in the generation of ultrashort pulses from quantum-dot lasers. Stable passive mode locking of a quantum-dot laser over an extended temperature range (from 20ºC to 80ºC) was also demonstrated at relatively high output average powers. It was observed that the pulse duration and the spectral width decreased significantly as the temperature was increased up to 70ºC. The process of carrier escape in the absorber was identified as the main contributing factor that led to a decrease in the absorber recovery time as a function of increasing temperature which facilitated a decrease in the pulse durations. These results are shown to open the way for the ultimate deployment of ultra stable and uncooled mode-locked semiconductor diode lasers.

The use of photonic crystals for light extraction from light-emitting diodes (LEDs) gives the possibility to shape the farfield emission pattern. This is of particular interest for étendue-limited LED applications that require a more directional farfield than state- of-the-art Lambertian emitters. However, the application of a photonic crystal in a LED results in directional emission only if the photonic crystal and the distribution of guided modes in the LED are tuned correctly. In this thesis, red- and blue-emitting thin-film PhC-LEDs in the AlGaInP and InGaN material systems were modelled, designed, fabricated and characterized. The first experimental results show that light extraction with photonic crystals from AlGaInP thin-film LEDs several microns thick is neither directional nor more efficient than state-of-the-art LEDs with a rough surface structure. Directional light extraction for AlGaInP PhC-LEDs is for the first time demonstrated in much thinner devices where the photonic crystal light extraction of guided modes is combined with the resonant-cavity effect. In an attempt to approach the ideal PhC-LED, strong photonic crystal farfield shaping is demonstrated in InGaN thin-film LEDs of sub-micron thickness. Analysis of their spectral farfields unexpectedly shows that high order diffraction contributes significantly to the light extraction efficiency if the mode absorption is sufficiently low. It is also demonstrated that directional photonic crystal light extraction is possible in InGaN thin-film LEDs several microns thick. The directionality stems from the modulation of the spontaneous emission caused by the proximity of the active region to the bottom mirror. Two new concepts for enhanced light extraction and high directionality are presented: Photonic crystals with two dominating lattice constants are found to outperform conventional photonic crystal LEDs. An alternative approach is the dielectric PhC-LED - FDTD simulations show that the high extraction efficiency of LEDs with surface roughness is combined with the higher directionality of photonic crystal light extraction.

Le travail de cette thèse se place dans un contexte de modélisation et de simulation numérique du transport d'électrons dans un nano-composant. Ce transport est décrit en mécanique quantique à l'aide de systèmes de Schrödinger-Poisson. La majeure partie du travail se concentre sur le cas de la diode à effet tunnel résonnant (RTD) dont les puits quantiques donnent lieu à des résonances de l'Hamiltonien mis en jeu.<br />Dans une première partie, nous proposons des méthodes numériques pour la simulation de RTD. Pour résoudre le problème de Shrödinger-Poisson -- en une variable d'espace et en domaine non borné -- qui correspond, nous proposons une méthode de référence valide pour un maillage fin en fréquence autour des résonances. Le travail est motivé par l'écriture d'un algorithme permettant de retrouver les résultats de la méthode de référence en s'affranchissant de la contrainte de raffinement en fréquence qui rend les temps de calcul excessifs. Nous proposons une méthode consistant en la décomposition des fonctions d'onde en une partie non résonnante et une partie résonnante, la dernière nécessitant un calcul précis du mode résonnant et de la valeur de la résonance. En régime stationnaire, la totalité de l'information résonnante est captée sans avoir à raffiner le maillage en fréquence. La principale nouveauté a été d'adapter cette méthode en régime instationnaire.<br />Dans une deuxième partie, nous comparons notre algorithme de référence à l'algorithme de Bonnaillie-Noël, Nier et Patel basé sur un modèle réduit obtenu en réalisant la limite semi-classique h tend vers 0 et intéressant par son temps de calcul. En régime stationnaire, la comparaison a permis de vérifier l'existence de certaines branches de la courbe courant/tension de la RTD prévues par le modèle réduit. Dans le cas de deux puits, nous avons utilisé notre algorithme instationnaire dans une région de la différence de potentiel où un croisement des énergies résonnantes associées à chaque puits se produit donnant une évidence numérique de l'occurrence de phénomènes de battement de la charge d'un puits à l'autre.<br />En vue d'obtenir des modèles réduits similaires à celui étudié dans la deuxième partie, on réalise, dans une troisième partie, l'étude asymptotique d'un système de Schrödinger-Poisson stationnaire considéré sur un domaine borné inclus dans R^d, d<=3, avec un potentiel extérieur décrivant un puits quantique. L'Hamiltonien du système est composé de contributions -- le puits du potentiel extérieur plus un terme non linéaire répulsif -- qui s'étendent sur des échelles de longueurs différentes dont le rapport est donné en fonction du paramètre semi-classique h destiné à tendre vers 0. Avec une fonction de distribution en énergie qui force les particules à rester dans le puits quantique, la limite h tend vers 0 dans le système non linéaire conduit à différents comportements asymptotiques dont l'analyse nécessite une renormalisation spectrale et dépendant de la dimension d'espace d=1, 2 ou 3.