Laboratoire d'électronique, systèmes de communication et microsystèmes

Among the main vibration-to-electricity conversion systems, resonant harvesters suffer from a series of strong limits like their narrow frequency response and poor output power at small scale. Most of all, realistic vibration sources are variable in time and abundant at relatively low frequencies. Nonlinear vibration harvesters, on the other hand, are more attractive, thanks to their large bandwidth response and flexibility to convert kinetic energy of the natural frequency of the sources. In particular, bistable oscillators have been proven to show higher global performances when excited by random vibrations. In this paper, such an approach is investigated for piezoelectric beams by exerting an increasing axial compression. An advantage of this technique is the absence of magnetic forces to create bistable dynamics. A thin piezoelectric axially loaded beam is theoretically modelled and experimentally investigated under wideband random vibrations. In the buckled configuration, the device exhibits superior power generation over a large interval of resistive load, with gains up to more than a factor of ten compared to the unbuckled state. The numerical model and experimental results are in good qualitative agreement.

We experimentally demonstrate the high-sensitivity optical monitoring of a micromechanical resonator and its cooling by active control. Coating a low-loss mirror upon the resonator, we have built an optomechanical sensor based on a very high-finesse cavity (30 000). We have measured the thermal noise of the resonator with a quantum-limited sensitivity at the 10(-19) m/sqrt[Hz] level, and cooled the resonator down to 5 K by a cold-damping technique. Applications of our setup range from quantum optics experiments to the experimental demonstration of the quantum ground state of a macroscopic mechanical resonator.

This paper presents major results and comparisons of radio spectrum utilization measurements that have been carried out in three different locations in Europe, namely in the suburb of the city of Brno in the Czech Republic and in the suburb and the city of Paris in France during years 2008 and 2009

This paper presents a novel silicon-based and batch-processed MEMS electrostatic transducer for harvesting and converting the energy of vibrations into electrical energy without using an electret layer. Effective conversion from the mechanical-to-electric domains of 61 nW on a 60 MΩ resistive load, under a vibration level of 0.25 g at 250 Hz, has been demonstrated. Rigorous analysis of the efficiency of the harvester is presented, covering issues related with mechanical and electrical operation. Various schemes for the conditioning electronics are discussed and the harvested power measurements using a dc/dc converter are explained in detail. The paper concludes with a comparison with previous electrostatic transducers based on a new simple factor of merit.

This brief addresses the problem of the optimal control and scheduling of networked control systems over limited bandwidth deterministic networks. Multivariable linear systems subject to communication constraints are modeled in the mixed logical dynamical (MLD) framework. The translation of the MLD model into the mixed integer quadratic programming (MIQP) formulation is described. This formulation allows the solving of the optimal control and scheduling problem using efficient branch and bound algorithms. Advantages and drawbacks of online and offline scheduling algorithms are discussed. Based on this discussion, a computationally efficient online scheduling algorithm, which can be seen as a compromise, is presented and its performance is evaluated. Finally, this algorithm, called optimal pointer placement (OPP) scheduling algorithm, is applied to the control and scheduling of a car suspension system.

A 2.45-GHz rectifying antenna (rectenna) using a compact dual circularly polarized (DCP) patch antenna with an RF-dc power conversion part is presented. The DCP antenna is coupled to a microstrip line by an aperture in the ground plane and includes a bandpass filter for harmonic rejections. It exhibits a measured bandwidth of 2100 MHz (10 dB return loss) and a 705-MHz CP bandwidth (3 dB axial ratio). The maximum efficiency and dc voltage are respectively equal to 63% and 2.82 V over a resistive load of 1600 Ω for a power density of 0.525 mW/cm <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sup> .

Metasurface absorbing material, which obtains near‐unity electromagnetic absorption through subwavelength artificial structure, plays an important role in the area of stealth and shielding technology, biological imaging, etc. However, they usually suffer from narrow bandwidth and only work on planar surfaces. Here, for the first time, this study demonstrates a soft water‐resonator‐based metasurface, which functions as an active absorbing material across an ultrabroadband range of Ku, K, and Ka bands. Distinct from conventional metallic metasurface, the water‐resonator‐based metasurface absorbs the microwave by dielectric magnetic resonance and periodic grating effect, which has a perfect absorptivity of ≈99% and an absorption bandwidth (absorptivity higher than 90%) that covers 78.9% of the central frequency. Furthermore, near‐unity absorption is maintained when the soft metasurface material is bent into different curvatures, promising high potential applications for antennas in reducing side lobe radiation, eliminating wall reflection in anechoic chambers, antiradar detection, and stealth.

The first analytical model of Body Area Network channels is presented. The formulation includes the body morphology and the characteristics of the human tissues. The studied transmission paths are along curved parts like the waist or the head. The model is derived from the diffraction theory describing the attenuation of creeping waves along a circular path on a lossy dielectric surface. The model is validated by measurements performed with Planar Inverted-F Antennas on human subjects.

International audience

Water contamination remains a pressing global concern, necessitating the development of effective and sustainable water treatment solutions. Zinc oxide (ZnO) has garnered significant attention for its potential applications in photocatalysis due to its unique properties and versatile nature. This review synthesizes recent research findings on the advancement in ZnO-based photocatalysts for water treatment, encompassing synthesis methods, structure modifications for photocatalytic efficiency enhancement, toxicity assessments, and applications in diverse water treatment processes. By critically analyzing the strategies to enhance the photocatalytic performance of ZnO and its role in addressing water pollution challenges, this review provides valuable insights into the evolving landscape of ZnO-based photocatalysts for achieving efficient and environmentally friendly water treatment systems. This review emphasizes the transformative potential of ZnO-based photocatalysts in revolutionizing water treatment methodologies and underscores the importance of continued research and innovation in harnessing ZnO’s capabilities for sustainable water purification.

International audience

The electrode material is a key element in the design of long-term neural implants and neuroprostheses. To date, the ideal electrode material offering high longevity, biocompatibility, low-noise recording and high stimulation capabilities remains to be found. We show that 3D-nanostructured boron doped diamond (BDD), an innovative material consisting in a chemically stable material with a high aspect ratio structure obtained by encapsulation of a carbon nanotube template within two BDD nanolayers, allows neural cell attachment, survival and neurite extension. Further, we developed arrays of 20-μm-diameter 3D-nanostructured BDD microelectrodes for neural interfacing. These microelectrodes exhibited low impedances and low intrinsic recording noise levels. In particular, they allowed the detection of low amplitude (10-20 μV) local-field potentials, single units and multiunit bursts neural activity in both acute whole embryonic hindbrain-spinal cord preparations and long-term hippocampal cell cultures. Also, cyclic voltammetry measurements showed a wide potential window of about 3 V and a charge storage capacity of 10 mC.cm(-2), showing high potentiality of this material for neural stimulation. These results demonstrate the attractiveness of 3D-nanostructured BDD as a novel material for neural interfacing, with potential applications for the design of biocompatible neural implants for the exploration and rehabilitation of the nervous system.

A study of an ultrawideband frequency-modulated continuous-wave radar with an extended frequency sweep from 0.5 to 8 GHz is presented. It has been applied to through-the-wall human detection. This work presents the modeling of wall attenuation followed by real measurements. The radar system is presented, and trials of human being tracking are shown. This radar will enable large stand-off distance capabilities and dasiadasiain-depthpsilapsila building detection.

Triboelectric nanogenerators have attracted wide attention due to their promising capabilities of scavenging the ambient environmental mechanical energy. However, efficient energy management of the generated high-voltage for practical low-voltage applications is still under investigation. Autonomous switches are key elements for improving the harvested energy per mechanical cycle, but they are complicated to implement at such voltages higher than several hundreds of volts. This paper proposes a self-sustained and automatic hysteresis plasma switch made from silicon micromachining, and implemented in a two-stage efficient conditioning circuit for powering low-voltage devices using triboelectric nanogenerators. The hysteresis of this microelectromechanical switch is controllable by topological design and the actuation of the switch combines the principles of micro-discharge and electrostatic pulling, without the need of any power-consuming control electronic circuits. The experimental results indicate that the energy harvesting efficiency is improved by two orders of magnitude compared to the conventional full-wave rectifying circuit.

Abstract Optical spectroscopy has a broad scientific basis in chemistry, physics, and material science, with diverse applications in medicine, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and environmental monitoring. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometers and tunable laser spectrometers (TLS) are key devices for measuring optical spectra. Superior performance in terms of sensitivity, selectivity, accuracy, and resolution is required for applications in gas sensing. This review deals with gas measurement based on either direct optical absorption spectroscopy or photoacoustic spectroscopy. Both approaches are applicable to FTIR spectroscopy or TLS. In photoacoustic spectroscopy, cantilever‐based photoacoustic spectroscopy is focused due its high performance. A literature survey is conducted revealing the recent technological advances. Theoretical fundamental detection limits are derived for TLS and FTIR, considering both direct absorption and photoacoustic spectroscopies. A theoretical comparison reveals which technology performs better. The minimum normalized absorption coefficient and normalized noise equivalent absorption coefficient appear as key parameters for this comparison. For TLS‐based systems, direct absorption spectroscopy is found to be the best for lower laser power and longer path length. For FTIR‐based systems, direct absorption is found to be the best for low temperature sources, higher spectrometer throughput, faster mirror velocity, and longer gas cells.

A rigorous method for analyzing building construction materials, using finite-element techniques and an expansion of fields in Floquet's modes, is presenteded in this paper. It allows us to precisely study the electromagnetic properties of buildings walls in terms of transmission and reflection characteristics, which can be useful in the design of wireless communication systems. First, we present the influence of the wall's parameters, namely, its thickness, the square side length, and the steel diameter of a concrete grid. The influence of the angle of arrival of the incident wave and the effect of considering the diffused field on the electromagnetic properties are then presented.

Abstract The integration of microactuators within a silicon photonic chip gave rise to the field of optical micro‐electro‐mechanical systems (MEMS) that was originally driven by the telecommunication market. Following the latter's bubble collapse in the beginning of the third millennium, new directions of research with considerable momentum appeared focusing on the realization and applications of miniaturized instrumentation in biology, chemistry, physics and materials science. At the heart of these applications light interferometry is a key optical phenomenon, in which miniaturized scanning interferometers are the manipulating optical devices. Monolithic free‐space optical interferometers realized on a silicon chip take advantage of the recent progress in the microfabrication technology that is enabling accurate control of the etching depth, the aspect ratio, the verticality and the curvature of the etched surfaces. The fabrication technology, the library of micro‐optical and mechanical components, the realized architectures and their characterization are described in detail in this review, followed by a discussion of the foreseen challenges. image

Abstract This paper reports fast and efficient chemical decontamination of water within a tree-branched centimeter-scale microfluidic reactor. The microreactor integrates Zinc oxide nanowires (ZnO NWs) in situ grown acting as an efficient photocatalytic nanomaterial layer. Direct growth of ZnO NWs within the microfluidic chamber brings this photocatalytic medium at the very close vicinity of the water flow path, hence minimizing the required interaction time to produce efficient purification performance. We demonstrate a degradation efficiency of 95% in &lt;5 s of residence time in one-pass only. According to our estimates, it becomes attainable using microfluidic reactors to produce decontamination of merely 1 l of water per day, typical of the human daily drinking water needs. To conduct our experiments, we have chosen a laboratory-scale case study as a seed for addressing the health concern of water contamination by volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which remain difficult to remove using alternative decontamination techniques, especially those involving water evaporation. The contaminated water sample contains mixture of five pollutants: Benzene; Toluene; Ethylbenzene; m–p Xylenes; and o-Xylene (BTEX) diluted in water at 10 p.p.m. concentration of each. Degradation was analytically monitored in a selective manner until it falls below 1 p.p.m. for each of the five pollutants, corresponding to the maximum contaminant level (MCL) established by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). We also report on a preliminary study, investigating the nature of the chemical by-products after the photocatalytic VOCs degradation process.

Energy harvesting technologies are required for autonomous applications, like sensors, for which a long‐time power sourcing from a battery is infeasible. An energy harvester converts different forms of environmental energy into electricity. It can replace, totally or partially, the batteries of certain micro‐systems that have low‐energy requirements. Therefore, the authors exploit the use of electromagnetic waves from broadcasters to power wireless sensors. The authors propose to realize harvesting operation at typical ambient radio frequency power levels found within urban environments. To explore the potential for ambient RF energy harvesting, an RF spectral survey was undertaken from outside in Paris. The average RF power in the frequency range 0.9–3 GHz is about −12 dBm. The harvester includes an antenna, an impedance‐matching network, and a rectifier; it was designed to cover two frequency bands from the largest RF contributors (GSM1800 and UMTS Band 1). A prototype is designed, fabricated, and measured. The RF‐to‐DC rectifier and the choice of the load to optimize the amount of DC power are presented. An efficiency of ∼45% was observed experimentally for the UMTS Band 1 and 33% for the GSM1800, whenever the incident power is −7 dBm. Numerical and experimental data are reported and discussed.

The rapid development of Mobile Internet and Smart Devices and advent of a new generation of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) increase information about present driving conditions and make its prediction possible. Real time traffic information systems (TIS) like SYTADIN help in route to destination planning and traffic state prediction. Energy-optimal routing for electric vehicles creates novel algorithmic challenges where the computation complexity and the quality of information on traffic state are the main issues. This complexity is induced by the possible negative values of edge energy as well as the variability of route and vehicle variables which render the standard algorithms unsuitable. In this paper we present an Energy Optimal Real Time Navigation System (EORTNS), implemented on Samsung Galaxy Tab, capable of calculating the route to destination based on information flow obtained from SYTADIN. As an application example we propose a real time energy management for a Hybrid Electrical Vehicle (HEV) composed of batteries and Super-Capacitors (SC). The EORTNS is not only capable of energy optimal route to destination calculation with respect to traffic state but also operates the On-Board power splitting between batteries and Super-Capacitors.