Ramo Fields And Waves In Communication Electronics
Natalí Stibb
Purpose and Audience
This course is intended for accelerator physicists, operators and electrical engineers who are interested in the design of timing systems and synchronization techniques for particle accelerators. The course will focus on measurement and control of electromagnetic waves in transmission lines or waveguides, whether RF/microwave or optical. These systems are important in the distribution of phase reference information in accelerating systems, and also must include diagnostic techniques to measure beams with respect to RF signals.
Prerequisites
The course should be accessible to those with undergraduate exposure to electromagnetics, optics and electronics.
Objectives
This course will consist of two parts: an introduction to measurement and control of EM wave propagation methods and technology, followed by examples of timing and synchronization systems and beam timing diagnostic systems for accelerator purposes. Students will learn concepts and techniques that apply equally to EM waves in the RF, microwave and optical domains, as well as differences in their technical implementation. The course will enable students to understand how precise timing signals are transmitted and used in state-of-the-art practical systems.
Instructional Method
The course will consist of lectures and lab exercises. There will be laboratory sessions with microwave and optical sources, transmission lines, measurement instruments and methods of control, including CW and modelocked lasers, fiber optics, optical modulators, high speed detectors, spectrum analyzers (both optical and RF), and network analyzers. The labs will provide the opportunity to learn about devices methods discussed in the lectures.
Course Content
Fundamental concepts relating to time in EM wave propagation will be developed, including group and phase velocity, polarization, and time and frequency domain descriptions. Processing and control techniques such as phase and amplitude modulation, heterodyning and amplification will be presented, with attention to uncertainty and noise leading to timing uncertainty. The course assumes some familiarity with circuit fundamentals, and will cover EM wave fundamentals, optical waves and waveguides, photodetection, interferometers, laser fundamentals, optical coherence, and key RF and fiber optic components (e.g. directional couplers, modulators, harmonic generation, polarization controllers, mixers, amplifiers, and filters). Phase-locked loop control circuits will be discussed, including hybrid microwave/optical loops. The course will stress the complementary time-domain and frequency-domain descriptions of these circuit elements and behavior.
The second portion of this class will examine the system implementations of timing distribution in accelerators and light sources. These will include RF phase distribution to accelerator cavities, synchronization of pulsed lasers in photoinjectors and experiments, and time references for beam diagnostics. Techniques to measure beam timing information will be discussed. Related applications in areas such as synchronization of communications channels (e.g. TDMA channels) and distribution of phase coherent microwave LO signals for interferometric radio astronomy will be discussed to illustrate multiple applications of these techniques.
Alumnus and life member of the Board of Trustees Simon "Si" Ramo (PhD '36), a founding giant of the aerospace industry and chief architect of the nation's intercontinental ballistic missile system, passed away on June 27, 2016. He was 103.
First appointed to the Caltech Board of Trustees in 1964, Ramo was elected a Life Member of the board on May 7, 1985, in which capacity he served Caltech until the time of his death. During his active service on the board, Ramo served as vice chair and chair of the Nominating Committee, and as a member of the Investment Committee and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory Committee.
"Si lived the Caltech dream. He was a scientist, entrepreneur, educator, advisor, trustee, benefactor, and friend," says David L. Lee (PhD '74), chair of the Caltech Board of Trustees. "His life was dedicated to an unflinching search for solutions to a wide array of challenges. He will be missed by us all."
"Si Ramo was not only a great leader, but also an important mentor to many. Among thousands of others, he had an important influence on my life," says Thomas Everhart, president emeritus and professor of electrical engineering and applied physics, emeritus, at Caltech. "The nation, Caltech, and the many other organizations that Dr. Ramo provided insight, leadership, and personal support to, have lost a great friend. We are all richer for having known him."
Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, on May 7, 1913, Ramo earned a bachelor of science in electrical engineering from the University of Utah 1933. In 1936, at age 23, Ramo was awarded a PhD, magna cum laude, from Caltech with dual degrees in physics and electrical engineering.
Ramo joined the General Electric Research Laboratories in Schenectady, New York, in 1936 and accumulated 25 patents before turning 30. He was a pioneer in microwave transmission and detection equipment and was the first researcher in the U.S. to produce microwave pulses at the kilowatt level. He developed GE's electron microscope, published the first book on microwave electricity, and authored a book on electromagnetic fields and waves that for 50 years was a leading text in universities worldwide.
In 1946, Ramo joined Hughes Aircraft Company in Culver City, California, where, as vice president for operations, he developed radar, navigation, computer, and other electronics systems for aircraft. He also led the development of their Falcon air-to-air guided missiles, used in the Korean War.
At TRW, Ramo served vice chairman of the board of directors and chairman of the board's executive committee before retiring. He created TRW's Space Technology Laboratories, which won NASA's first spacecraft contract and built the Pioneer 1 probe, which, on October 11, 1958, became the first spacecraft launched by NASA. Under Ramo's guidance, TRW was a pioneering developer of missile systems and spacecraft, including the Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 probes to Jupiter and the outer solar system; instruments for the Viking 1 and Viking 2 martian landers; and NASA's Compton Gamma Ray Observatory and Chandra X-ray Observatory, among other projects.
He served on numerous corporate and university boards and in government advisory roles that included positions on the National Science Board, the White House Council on Energy R&D, the Advisory Council to the Secretary of Commerce, and the Advisory Council to the Secretary of State for Science and Foreign Affairs. Ramo was chairman of Gerald Ford's President's Advisory Committee on Science and Technology and was Science Adviser to the President of the Republic of China under Ronald Reagan.
The recipient of numerous honors and honorary degrees, Ramo was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1983, the National Medal of Science in 1979, and the Founders Medal of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers in 1980. He was named a Distinguished Alumnus of Caltech in 2012.
In December 2013, Ramo was awarded patent 8,606,170 for a computer-based learning invention, making him, at 100 years old, the oldest person to ever receive a U.S. patent. He was also the author of many books, on topics ranging from microwaves and communication electronics, to management, to tennis.
The IEEE Medal of Honor, established in 1917, is the highest IEEE award. It is presented when a candidate is identified as having made a particular contribution that forms a clearly exceptional addition to the science and technology of concern to IEEE.
The award consists of a gold medal, a bronze replica, a certificate, and honorarium. In a given year, if the Medal of Honor Recipient is not an IEEE member, that recipient will be automatically recommended to the IEEE Board of Directors for IEEE Honorary Membership.
In the evaluation process, the following criteria are considered: substantial significance of achievement, originality, impact on society, impact on the profession, publications, and patents relating to the achievement. The quality of the nomination is also considered.
In the evaluation process, the following criteria are considered: Impact on the profession and/or society, succession of significant technical or other contributions, leadership in accomplishing worthwhile goal(s), previous honors, and other achievements as evidenced by publications or patents or other evidence, and quality of nomination.
The IEEE Alexander Graham Bell Medal was established in 1976 by the IEEE Board of Directors, in commemoration of the centennial of the telephone's invention, to provide recognition for outstanding contributions to telecommunications.
The invention of the telephone by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876 was a major event in electrotechnology. It was instrumental in stimulating the broad telecommunications industry that has dramatically improved life throughout the world. As an individual, Bell himself exemplified the contributions that scientists and engineers have made to the betterment of mankind.
In the evaluation process, the following criteria are considered: value of contribution to communication among people, value of contribution to communication sciences and engineering, evaluation of contributor, evaluation of nominator and references, timeliness of recognition, and quality of nomination.
In the evaluation process, the following criteria are considered: Significant outstanding technical contributions in wireless communications, implementation, standardization, or commercialization of new technologies, impact on the profession and/or society, leadership in accomplishing worthwhile goal(s), previous honors, and other achievements as evidenced by publications or patents or other evidence.
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