Can frequency diversity provide performance gains for WSNs at 2.4GHz for the fire hydrant to above ground channel

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) which utilise IEEE 802.15.4 technology offer the potential for low cost deployment and maintenance compared with conventional wired sensor networks, enabling effective and efficient condition monitoring of aged civil engineering infrastructure. We will address wireless propagation for a below to above ground scenario where one of the wireless nodes is located in a below ground fire hydrant chamber to permit monitoring of the local water distribution network. Frequency Diversity (FD) is one method that can be used to combat the damaging effects of multipath fading and so improve the reliability of radio links. However, no quantitative investigation concerning the potential performance gains from the use of FD at 2.4GHz is available for the outlined scenario. In this paper, we try to answer this question by performing accurate propagation measurements using modified and calibrated off-the-shelf 802.15.4 based sensor nodes. These measurement results are also compared with those obtained from simulations that employ our Modified 2D Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD) approach. ©2009 IEEE.

Frequency diversity measurements at 2.4 GHz for wireless sensor networks deployed in tunnels

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) which utilise IEEE 802.15.4 technology operate primarily in the 2.4 GHz globally compatible ISM band. However, the wireless propagation channel in this crowded band is notoriously variable and unpredictable, and it has a significant impact on the coverage range and quality of the radio links between the wireless nodes. Therefore, the use of Frequency Diversity (FD) has potential to ameliorate this situation. In this paper, the possible benefits of using FD in a tunnel environment have been quantified by performing accurate propagation measurements using modified and calibrated off-the-shelf 802.15.4 based sensor motes in the disused Aldwych underground railway tunnel. The objective of this investigation is to characterise the performance of FD in this confined environment. Cross correlation coefficients are calculated from samples of the received power on a number of frequency channels gathered during the field measurements. The low measured values of the cross correlation coefficients indicate that applying FD at 2.4 GHz will improve link performance in a WSN deployed in a tunnel. This finding closely matches results obtained by running a computational simulation of the tunnel radio propagation using a 2D Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD) method. ©2009 IEEE.

Propagation of an arbitrary elliptically polarized few-cycle ultrashort laser pulse in resonant two-level quantum systems

We investigate the propagation of an arbitrary elliptically polarized few-cycle ultrashort laser pulse in resonant two-level quantum systems using an iterative predictor-corrector finite-difference time-domain method. It is shown that when the initial effective area is equal to 2 pi, the effective area will remain invariant during the course of propagation, and a complete Rabi oscillation can be achieved. However, for an elliptically polarized few-cycle ultrashort laser pulse, polarization conversion can occur. Eventually, the laser pulse will evolve into two separate circularly polarized laser pulses with opposite helicities.

Propagation of a few-cycle laser pulse in a V-type three-level system

Propagation of a few-cycle laser pulse in a V-type three-level system (fine structure levels of rubidium) is investigated numerically. The full three-level Maxwell-Bloch equations without the rotating wave approximation and the standing slowly varying envelope approximation are solved by using a finite-difference time-domain method. It is shown that, when the usual unequal oscillator strengths are considered, self-induced transparency cannot be recovered and higher spectral components can be produced even for small-area pulses. (c) 2005 Pleiades Publishing, Inc.

Polarization evolution of a few-cycle ultrashort laser pulse propagating in a degenerate three-level medium

The propagation of an arbitrary polarized few-cycle ultrashort laser pulse in a degenerate three-level medium is investigated by using an iterative predictor-corrector finite-difference time-domain method. It is found that the polarization evolution of the ultrashort laser pulse is dependent not only on the initial atomic coherence of the medium but also on the polarization condition of the incident laser pulse. When the initial effective area is equal to 2 pi, complete linear-to-circular and circular-to-linear polarization conversion of few-cycle ultrashort laser pulses can be achieved due to the quantum interference effects between the two different transition paths.

Polarization-dependent Talbot effect

The term "polarization-dependent Talbot effect" means that the Talbot self-imaging intensity of a high-density grating is different for TE and TM polarization modes. Numerical simulations with the finite-difference time-domain method show that the polarization dependence of the Talbot images is obvious for gratings with period d between 2 lambda and 3 lambda. Such a polarization-dependent difference for TE and TM polarization of, a high-density grating of 630 lines/mm (corresponding to d/lambda = 2.5) is verified through experiments with the scanning near-field optical microscopy technique, in which a He-Ne laser is used as its polarization is changed from the TE mode to the TM mode. The polarization-dependent Talbot effect should help us to understand more clearly the diffraction behavior of a high-density grating in nano-optics and contribute to wide application of the Talbot effect. (c) 2006 Optical Society of America.

Talbot effect of a grating with different kinds of flaws

The Talbot effect of a grating with different kinds of flaws is analyzed with the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. The FDTD method can show the exact near-field distribution of different flaws in a high-density grating, which is impossible to obtain with the conventional Fourier transform method. The numerical results indicate that if a grating is perfect, its Talbot imaging should also be perfect; if the grating is distorted, its Talbot imaging will also be distorted. Furthermore, we evaluate high-density gratings by detecting the near-field distribution with the scanning near-field optical microscopy technique. Experimental results are also given. (c) 2005 Optical Society of America.

FDTD analysis of Talbot effect of a high density grating

Talbot effect of a grating with different flaws is analyzed with the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. The FDTD method can show the exact near-field distribution of different flaws in a high-density grating, which is impossible to obtain with the conventional Fourier transform method. The numerical results indicate that if a grating is perfect, its Talbot imaging should also be perfect; if the grating is distorted, its Talbot imaging would also be distorted. Furthermore, we can evaluate high density gratings by detecting the near-field distribution.

Phase interpretation for polarization-dependent near-field images of high-density gratings

It has been described that the near-field images of a high-density grating at the half self-imaging distance could be different for TE and TM polarization states. We propose that the phases of the diffraction orders play an important role in such polarization dependence. The view is verified through the coincidence of the numerical result of finite-difference time-domain method and the reconstructed results from the rigorous coupled-wave analysis. Field distributions of TE and TM polarizations are given numerically for a grating with period d = 2.3 lambda, which are verified through experiments with the scanning near-field optical microscopy technique. The concept of phase interpretation not only explains the polarization dependence at the half self-imaging distance of gratings with a physical view, but also, it could be widely used to describe the near-field diffraction of a variety of periodic diffractive optical elements whose feature size comparable to the wavelength. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Absolute left-handed behaviors in a triangular elliptical-rod photonic crystal

In this paper we theoretically study the left-handed behaviors in a two-dimensional triangular photonic crystal made of elliptical rods in air. An absolute left-handed region is found in the second photonic band by using the plane wave expansion method to analyze the photonic band structure and equifrequency contours. Typical left-handed behaviors such as negative refraction, flat superlensing and plano-concave lensing are demonstrated by the finite-difference time-domain simulations. These behaviors are also compared with the quasi-negative refraction and the resulted focusing effects in a square-lattice two-dimensional photonic crystal. (c) 2005 Optical Society of America

Subwavelength imaging with two symmetrical interfaces by dielectric-tube photonic crystals

As distinct from coated photonic crystals, in this paper we propose a novel one that is made of dielectric tubes arranged in a close-packet square lattice. Without metallic cores, this structure is low-loss and convenient to fabricate. A left-handed frequency region is found in the second band by dispersion characteristic analysis. Without inactive modes for the transverse electric mode, negative refraction and subwavelength imaging are demonstrated by the finite-difference time-domain simulations with two symmetrical interfaces, i.e. Gamma X and Gamma M.

Optical near-field simulation of Sb thin film thermal lens and its application in optical recording

Using the finite-difference-time-domain method, the near-field optical distribution and properties of Sb thin film thermal lens are calculated and simulated. The results show as follows. Within the near-field distance to the output plane of thermal lens, the spot size is approximately 100 nm, and its intensity is greatly enhanced, which is higher than that of incident light. The spot shape gradually changes from ellipse to round at the distance of more than 12 nm to the output plane. The above-simulated results are further demonstrated by the static optical recording experiment. (C) 2005 American Institute of Physics.

Rigorous transmittance analysis of a sub-wavelength Sb thin film lens

We quantitatively analysed the factors contributing to the optical transmission enhancement of a sub-wavelength Sb thin film lens, using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. The results show that the transmission enhancement of the dielectric with a Gaussian distributed refractive index loaded in a sub-wavelength circular hole is not only due to the high refractive index dielectric, but also due to the specific distributions of refractive index. It is the first study about the effects of the refractive index distribution on the transmission of a sub-wavelength aperture. This kind of lens has practical applications in the very small aperture lasers and for near-field optical storage and lithography.

超分辨近场结构中二元共晶合金掩膜的工作机制

超分辨近场结构(super-RENS)技术通过在传统光盘结构中插入掩膜结构而实现近场超分辨,是目前最具实用化前景的超高密度光存储技术之一,其中掩膜层的近场光学特性是决定其光存储性能的关键。利用三维时域有限差分法(3D-FDTD)对合金掩膜的近场光强分布进行了数值仿真和分析,提出二元共晶合金薄膜在激光作用下形成的规则微结构可能是以其作为掩膜层的超分辨近场结构光盘产生较高信噪比(SNR)的原因。

A large-area photolithography technique based on surface plasmons leakage modes

An atomic force microscope (AFM) assisted surface plasmons leakage radiation photolithography technique has been numerically demonstrated by using two-dimensional finite-difference time-domain (2D-FDTD) method. With the aid of a metallic AFM tip, particular characteristic of the Kretstchmann configuration to excite surface plasmons (SPs) is utilized to achieve large-area patterns with high spatial resolution and contrast, the photoresist could be exposed with low power laser due to the remarkable local field enhancement at the metal/dielectric interface and the resonant localized SPs modes near the tip. Good tolerance on the film thickness and incident angle has been obtained, which provides a good practicability for experiments. This photolithography technique proposed here can realize large-area, high-resolution, high-contrast, nondestructive, arbitrary-structure fabrication of nanoscale devices. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.