Thomas M Higgins

US Patent:

56442769, Jul 1, 1997

Filed:

May 29, 1996

Appl. No.:

8/654949

Inventors:

Dana J. Sturzebecher - Tinton Falls NJ
Michael T. Cummings - Howell NJ
Thomas P. Higgins - Tinton Falls NJ
James R. DeMarco - Howell NJ

Assignee:

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army - Washington DC

International Classification:

H01P 306

US Classification:

333236

Abstract:

A composite structure including stacked layers of dielectric material hav a center conductor in the form of a cylindrical via which is surrounded by an annular dielectric region and an outer ground plane comprised of contiguous pairs of generally circular ground plane segments where each pair of ground plane segments are separated by a pair of spaces or gaps therebetween and wherein the gaps of adjoining layers are mutually oriented by a predetermined angle of rotation, preferably 90. degree.

US Patent:

53029186, Apr 12, 1994

Filed:

Jun 1, 1993

Appl. No.:

8/071412

Inventors:

Dana J. Sturzebecher - Tinton Falls NJ
Thomas P. Higgins - Tinton Falls NJ
Afshin S. Daryoush - Shaker Heights OH

Assignee:

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army - Washington DC

International Classification:

H03B 518
H03C 322
H03L 7093
H03L 724

US Classification:

331 10

Abstract:

A fundamental or subharmonic optically injection locked oscillator is coupled to a phase locked loop circuit. The injection locked oscillator has two single stage HEMT amplifiers with parallel feedback from the drain of a second transistor to a gate of a first transistor. A feedback resonant network controls the oscillator frequency. A microwave/millimeter wave source modulates a laser diode and the signal from the laser diode is then transmitted via an optical fiber to a PIN photodetector diode. The signal from the photodetector diode is injected into the oscillator at an nth subharmonic of the oscillator frequency. The feedback network may consist of a microstrip gap resonator with two tuning varactors at the ends of the resonator. The phase locked loop includes a balanced mixer used as a phase detector to compare the nth harmonic of the signal from the photodetector diode to the sampled output of the oscillator. The output of the mixer is applied to the varactor diodes after being filtered, and a voltage reference is added to the filtered signal to prebias the varactor diodes to the desired frequency of operation.

US Patent:

58303014, Nov 3, 1998

Filed:

Feb 12, 1997

Appl. No.:

8/799730

Inventors:

Dana J. Sturzebecher - Tinton Falls NJ
Michael T. Cummings - Howell NJ
Thomas P. Higgins - Tinton Falls NJ
James R. DeMarco - Howell NJ

Assignee:

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army - Washington DC

International Classification:

B32B 3112
B32B 3126
H01D 306

US Classification:

156 8916

Abstract:

A composite structure including stacked layers of dielectric material hav a center conductor in the form of a cylindrical via which is surrounded by an annular dielectric region and an outer ground plane comprised of contiguous pairs of generally circular ground plane segments where each pair of ground plane segments are separated by a pair of spaces or gaps therebetween and wherein the gaps of adjoining layers are mutually oriented by a predetermined angle of rotation, preferably 90. degree.

US Patent:

51626578, Nov 10, 1992

Filed:

Nov 6, 1991

Appl. No.:

7/788630

Inventors:

Dana J. Sturzebecher - Tinton Falls NJ
Arthur Paolella - Howell NJ
Thomas P. Higgins - Tinton Falls NJ

Assignee:

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army - Washington DC

International Classification:

G02B 2700

US Classification:

250551

Abstract:

An optical controlled attenuator circuit for controlling a microwave varie attenuator. The optical controlled attenuator circuit includes, a light source, a control connected to the light source, an optic fiber having an end coupled to the light source, a field effect transistor coupled to a second end of the optic fiber, a first inverting amplifier coupled to the field effect transistor, a second non-inverting amplifier coupled to the first amplifier means, a third non-inverting amplifier coupled to the second amplifier, a fourth inverting amplifier means also coupled to the second amplifier, and a microwave variable attenuator having first and second inputs respectively coupled to the fourth inverting amplifier and to the third non-inverting amplifier means and having an RF input and an RF output.

US Patent:

52238024, Jun 29, 1993

Filed:

Apr 1, 1992

Appl. No.:

7/862617

Inventors:

James F. Harvey - Tinton Falls NJ
Robert A. Lux - Toms River NJ
Thomas P. Higgins - Tinton Falls NJ
Arthur Paolella - Howell NJ
Dana J. Sturzebecher - Tinton Falls NJ

Assignee:

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army - Washington DC

International Classification:

H03B 706

US Classification:

331177R

Abstract:

An optically controlled resonant tunnel diode oscillator assembly having a esonant tunnel diode (RTD) which, when voltage biased, oscillates at a free running frequency; an optical signal delivery system, such as a light intensity modulator connected to optical fibers; and other oscillator circuitry which one skilled in the art could readily adapt to the concepts of the present invention. In operation, the free running oscillation of the RTD can be frequency modulated or can be intensity locked to the intensity modulated optical signal delivered via the optical signal delivery system.

US Patent:

53472357, Sep 13, 1994

Filed:

Nov 2, 1992

Appl. No.:

7/970191

Inventors:

Thomas P. Higgins - Tinton Falls NJ
Dana J. Sturzebecher - Tinton Falls NJ

Assignee:

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army - Washington DC

International Classification:

G01J 500

US Classification:

331 66

Abstract:

An optically controlled oscillator circuit having an oscillator field eff transistor (FET) and having a separate light sensing quench FET. The optically controlled oscillator circuit includes, a light source, a control connected to the light source, an optic fiber having an end coupled to the light source, a quench field effect transistor (FET) coupled to a second end of the optic fiber, an oscillator FET, each FET being a GaAs multi-finger FET having drains and sources and gates, and a circuit connected in series circuit through the drains and sources of the quench FET and oscillator FET across a source of positive voltage.

US Patent:

53732618, Dec 13, 1994

Filed:

Jan 21, 1993

Appl. No.:

7/981658

Inventors:

Thomas P. Higgins - Tinton Falls NJ
Dana J. Sturzebecher - Tinton Falls NJ
Arthur Paolella - Howell NJ

Assignee:

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army - Washington DC

International Classification:

H03B 508
H03B 512
H03B 518
G02B 636

US Classification:

331 66

Abstract:

The coupling of optical signals to the active region of a FET having a wide source to drain spacing via an optical fiber and material having an index of refraction matching that of the fiber or the FET so as to increase the locking range when the FET is part of an oscillator circuit or to increase the change in the electrical gain of the FET caused by a change in the optical energy if the FET is an amplifier.

US Patent:

54283264, Jun 27, 1995

Filed:

Dec 29, 1993

Appl. No.:

8/175335

Inventors:

Muhammad A. Mizan - Ocean NJ
Thomas P. Higgins - Tinton Falls NJ
Dana J. Sturzebecher - Tinton Falls NJ

Assignee:

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army - Washington DC

International Classification:

H01P 710

US Classification:

3332191

Abstract:

The dielectric resonator assembly includes a housing having interior surfaces defining a resonant cavity and a dielectric resonator within the cavity. The dielectric resonator is a ceramic having a high dielectric constant and generates pulses at a desired frequency of oscillation. A pedestal supports the dielectric resonator within the resonant cavity so that it spaces the resonator apart from each of the interior surfaces of the cavity. The assembly also includes a transmission line for transmitting the pulses which pass through at least one of the interior surfaces and has an interior portion spaced apart from the remaining interior surfaces of the cavity. The interior portion of the transmission line is positioned proximate to and in magnetically coupled relationship with the dielectric resonator.