Nanoengineered Field Induced Charge Separation Membranes and Methods of Manufacture Thereof
Kevin C. O’Brien, Jeffery J. Haslam, William L. Bourcier
U.S. Patent 8,696,882 B2
April 15, 2014
According to one embodiment, this device includes a porous membrane having a surface charge and pore configuration characterized by a double layer overlap effect in pores of the membrane. According to another embodiment, the device includes a porous membrane with a surface charge in its pores sufficient enough to impart anion or cation selectivity in the pores. Additional devices, systems, and methods are presented.
High Effective Atomic Number Polymer Scintillators for Gamma Ray Spectroscopy
Nerine Jane Cherepy, Robert Dean Sanner, Stephen Anthony Payne, Benjamin Lee Rupert, Benjamin Walter Sturm
U.S. Patent 8,698,086 B2
April 15, 2014
One scintillator material is designed with a bismuth-loaded aromatic polymer that has an energy resolution of less than about 10 percent at 662 kiloelectronvolts. Another scintillator material includes a bismuth-loaded aromatic polymer that incorporates a fluor and has an energy resolution of less than about 10 percent at 662 kiloelectronvolts. Additional systems and methods are presented.
Method and System for Dual Resolution Translation Stage
John Michael Halpin
U.S. Patent 8,702,080 B2
April 22, 2014
This dual resolution translation stage includes a stage assembly designed to receive an optical element and a low-resolution adjustment device mechanically coupled to the stage assembly. The dual resolution stage also includes an adjustable pivot block mechanically coupled to the stage assembly. The pivot block contains a pivot shaft and a lever arm that swings about the shaft. The dual resolution stage additionally features a high-resolution adjustment device mechanically coupled to the lever arm and the stage assembly.
Nanoporous Carbon Tunable Resistor/Transistor and Methods of Production Thereof Juergen Biener, Theodore F. Baumann, Subho Dasgupta, Horst Hahn
U.S. Patent 8,703,523 B1
April 22, 2014
In one embodiment, a tunable resistor–transistor includes a porous material that is electrically coupled between a source electrode and a drain electrode. The porous material acts as an active channel saturated by an electrolyte solution that is adapted for altering an electrical resistance of the active channel based on an applied electrochemical potential. The active channel comprises nanoporous carbon arranged in a three-dimensional structure. In another embodiment, a method for forming the tunable resistor–transistor includes forming a source electrode, forming a drain electrode, and forming a monolithic nanoporous carbon material that acts as an active channel and selectively couples the source electrode to the drain electrode electrically. In any embodiment, the electrolyte solution saturating the nanoporous carbon active channel is adapted for altering an electrical resistance of the nanoporous carbon active channel based on an applied electrochemical potential.
Active Noise Canceling System for Mechanically Cooled Germanium Radiation Detectors
Karl Einar Nelson, Morgan T. Burks
U.S. Patent 8,704,186 B2
April 22, 2014
This microphonics noise cancellation system improves the energy resolution for mechanically cooled high-purity germanium detector systems. A classical adaptive noise canceling digital processing system using an adaptive predictor is used in a multichannel analyzer to attenuate the microphonics noise source, making the system more deployable.
Fabrication of High Gradient Insulators by Stack Compression
John Richardson Harris, Dave Sanders, Steven Anthony Hawkins, Marcelo Noroña
U.S. Patent 8,709,572 B2
April 29, 2014
Individual layers of a high gradient insulator (HGI) are precut to their final dimensions and stacked to form an assembly that is subsequently pressed into an HGI unit with the desired dimension. Alignment of the individual stacked layers is maintained with a tube that is removed after the stack is hot-pressed. HGIs serve as high-voltage vacuum insulators in energy storage and transmission structures or in such devices as particle accelerators and pulsed-power systems.
High Gradient Lens for Charged Particle Beam
Yu-Jiuan Chen
U.S. Patent 8,710,454 B2
April 29, 2014
These methods enable shaping of a charged-particle beam. A dynamically adjustable electric lens has alternating layers of insulators and conductors with a hollow center. When stacked together, the alternating layers form a high gradient insulator (HGI) tube that allows a charged particle beam to propagate through the tube’s hollow center. Transmission lines are connected to multiple sections of the HGI tube, and one or more voltage sources supply an adjustable voltage value to each transmission. Changing the voltage supplied to each section of the HGI tube will establish the desired electric field across the tube. Functionalities such as focusing, defocusing, acceleration, deceleration, and intensity modulation can be effectuated on a time-varying basis with this method.
RF/Optical Shared Aperture for High Availability Wideband Communication RF/FSO Links
Anthony J. Ruggiero, Hsueh-Yuan Pao, Paul Sargis
U.S. Patent 8,712,246 B2
April 29, 2014
This shared aperture can transmit and receive optical and radio-frequency (RF) signals simultaneously. The technology enables compact wide-bandwidth communications systems with 100 percent availability in clear air turbulence, rain, and fog. The functions of an optical telescope and an RF reflector antenna are combined into a single compact package by installing an RF feed at either focal point of a modified Gregorian telescope.