Jeffrey S. Kallman

Frequency limitations of the two-point central difference differentiation algorithm

A two-point central difference algorithm is often used to calculate the derivative of a function. This estimate is only valid over a limited frequency range. Therefore, the algorithm can be modeled as an ideal differentiator in series with a low-pass filter. The filter cutoff frequency is a function of the time between the points. We discuss the accuracy and limitations of using this algorithm on human saccadic eye movement data. To calculate the velocity of saccadic eye movements the algorithm should have a cutoff frequency of 74 Hz or above.

Laser diode to single-mode fiber ball lens coupling efficiency: full-wave calculation and measurements.

We show that the coupling efficiency from a laser diode (LD) to an optical fiber through a ball lens can be calculated accurately using the exact solution to Maxwells equations for the scattering of a beam from a dielectric sphere. Our calculated results agree closely with coupling measurements from an asymmetric LD for two different ball lenses.

Weighted least-squares criteria for electrical impedance tomography

Methods are developed for the design of electrical impedance tomographic reconstruction algorithms with specified properties. Assuming a starting model with constant conductivity or some other specified background distribution, an algorithm with the following properties is found. (1) The optimum constant for the starting model is determined automatically. (2) The weighted least-squares error between the predicted and measured power dissipation data is as small as possible. (3) The variance of the reconstructed conductivity from the starting model is minimized. (4) Potential distributions with the largest volume integral of gradient squared have the least influence on the reconstructed conductivity, and therefore distributions most likely to be corrupted by contact impedance effects are deemphasized. (5) Cells that dissipate the most power during the current injection tests tend to deviate least from the background value. For a starting model with nonconstant conductivity, the reconstruction algorithm has analogous properties.

Rapidly Reconfigurable All-Optical Universal Logic Gates

We present designs and simulations for a highly cascadable, rapidly reconfigurable, all-optical, universal logic gate. We will discuss the gates expected performance, e.g. speed, fanout, and contrast ratio, as a function of the device layout and biasing conditions. The gate is a three terminal on-chip device that consists of: (1) the input optical port, (2) the gate selection port, and (3) the output optical port. The device can be built monolithically using a standard multiple quantum well graded index separate confinement heterostructure laser configuration. The gate can be rapidly and repeatedly reprogrammed to perform any of the basic digital logic operations by using an appropriate analog electrical or optical signal at the gate selection port. Specifically, the same gate can be selected to execute one of the 2 basic unary operations (NOT or COPY), or one of the 6 binary operations (OR, XOR, AND, NOR, XNOR, or NAND), or one of the many logic operations involving more than two inputs. The speed of the gate for logic operations as well as for reprogramming the function of the gate is primarily limited to the small signal modulation speed of a laser, which can be on the order of tens of GHz. The reprogrammable nature of the universal gate offers maximum flexibility and interchangeability for the end user since the entire application of a photonic integrated circuit built from cascaded universal logic gates can be changed simply by adjusting the gate selection port signals.

Electrical and optical gain lever effects in InGaAs double quantum-well diode lasers

In multisection laser diodes, the amplitude or frequency modulation (AM or FM) efficiency can be improved using the gain lever effect. To study gain lever, InGaAs double quantum-well (DQW) edge-emitting lasers have been fabricated with integrated passive waveguides and dual sections providing a range of split ratios from 1:1 to 9:1. Both the electrical and the optical gain lever have been examined. An electrical gain lever with greater than 7-dB enhancement of AM efficiency was achieved within the range of appropriate dc biasing currents, but this gain dropped rapidly outside this range. We observed a 4-dB gain in the optical AM efficiency under nonideal biasing conditions. This value agreed with the measured gain for the electrical AM efficiency under similar conditions. We also examined the gain lever effect under large signal modulation for digital logic switching applications. To get a useful gain lever for optical gain quenched logic, a long control section is needed to preserve the gain lever strength and a long interaction length between the input optical signal and the lasing field of the diode must be provided. The gain lever parameter space has been fully characterized and validated against numerical simulations of a semi-3-D hybrid beam propagation method (BPM) model for the coupled electron-photon rate equation. We find that the optical gain lever can be treated using the electrical injection model, once the absorption in the sample is known.

Ball lens reflections by direct solution of Maxwell’s equations

We calculate ball lens reflections, using the exact solution of Maxwells equations for the scattering of a beam from a dielectric sphere. Our results are consistent to within 1 dB with measurements of backreflection to a single-mode fiber. We also calculate backreflection to an astigmatic spot laser diode.

Improved Brightness of the ATA Injector

with an A-K gap of about 13 cm. There was no grid used during the experiment. The cathode was surrounded by a Pierce correcting shroud and the typical gap voltage was about 2.5 MeV. Our initial tests of the field emission cathodes were done using a woven carbon yarn that was laced through a fine mesh screen and then trimmed to a uniform height. Using these “tufted” cathodes, it was easy to vary the number of emission sites per square centimeter. We also varied the geometry of these cathodes by giving the screen a slight convex shape so that the center of the cathode was about 1 cm closer to the anode plane than the edge of the cathode.

Linear electronic dispersion and finite-difference time-domain calculations: a simple approach (integrated optics)

It is shown how the novel application of a simple causality argument simplifies significantly the incorporation of linear electronic dispersion into the finite-difference time-domain equations of motion. In particular, linear dispersion adds a single simple recursive term to the standard Yee equations. >

Predicting Final Eye Position Halfway Through a Saccade

When the visual environment is to be changed during a saccadic eye movement, it is useful to predict the final eye position before the eye comes to rest. We have built a microcomputer-based instrument to make such predictions. Two techniques were used: one based on the saccadic peak-velocity versus magnitude relationship, and the second based on peak-velocity occurring in the middle of the saccade. The second technique has been tailored to take advantage of the differences between temporal and nasal saccades. Depending on saccade duration, final eye position was predicted 4 to 60 ms before the end of the saccade.

System-Independent Characterization of Materials Using Dual-Energy Computed Tomography

We present a new decomposition approach for dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) called SIRZ that provides precise and accurate material description, independent of the scanner, over diagnostic energy ranges (30 to 200 keV). System independence is achieved by explicitly including a scanner-specific spectral description in the decomposition method, and a new X-ray-relevant feature space. The feature space consists of electron density, ρe, and a new effective atomic number, Ze, which is based on published X-ray cross sections. Reference materials are used in conjunction with the system spectral response so that additional beam-hardening correction is not necessary. The technique is tested against other methods on DECT data of known specimens scanned by diverse spectra and systems. Uncertainties in accuracy and precision are less than 3% and 2% respectively for the (ρe, Ze) results compared to prior methods that are inaccurate and imprecise (over 9%).