Mode-locked laser systems generate extremely short optical pulses and are widely used for measurements of ultrafast phenomena. In these experiments, the effect of laser pulse timing fluctuations (jitter) is suppressed by exciting the system under test by the pulsed laser and probing with a delayed portion of the same optical pulse. If the experiment cannot be laser-excited or must be excited and probed by different lasers, timing jitter degrades the time resolution and introduces noise.

Subpicosecond laser timing stabilization

In the last two decades, improvements in materials, sensors and machine learning technologies have led to a rapid extension of electronic nose (EN) related research topics with diverse applications. The food and beverage industry, agriculture and forestry, medicine and health-care, indoor and outdoor monitoring, military and civilian security systems are the leading fields which take great advantage from the rapidity, stability, portability and compactness of ENs. Although the EN technology provides numerous benefits, further enhancements in both hardware and software components are necessary for utilizing ENs in practice. This paper provides an extensive survey of the EN technology and its wide range of application fields, through a comprehensive analysis of algorithms proposed in the literature, while exploiting related domains with possible future suggestions for this research topic.

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Electronic Nose and Its Applications: A Survey

Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) sensors are actively being implemented in various fields due to their compatibility with different operating conditions in gaseous/liquid mediums for a wide range of measurements. This trend has been matched by the parallel advancement in tailored electronic interfacing systems for QCM sensors. That is, selecting the appropriate electronic circuit is vital for accurate sensor measurements. Many techniques were developed over time to cover the expanding measurement requirements (e.g., accommodating highly-damping environments). This paper presents a comprehensive review of the various existing QCM electronic interfacing systems. Namely, impedance-based analysis, oscillators (conventional and lock-in based techniques), exponential decay methods and the emerging phase-mass based characterization. The aforementioned methods are discussed in detail and qualitatively compared in terms of their performance for various applications. In addition, some theoretical improvements and recommendations are introduced for adequate systems implementation. Finally, specific design considerations of high-temperature microbalance systems (e.g., GaPO₄ crystals (GCM) and Langasite crystals (LCM)) are introduced, while assessing their overall system performance, stability and quality compared to conventional low-temperature applications.

https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/17/12/2799/pdf

Quartz Crystal Microbalance Electronic Interfacing Systems: A Review.

Early detection of lung cancer biomarkers through biosensor technology: A review.

Rapid biosensing tools for cancer biomarkers

In this paper, a new approach to enhance the humidity sensitivity of quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) humidity sensor was proposed. By the asymmetric treatment of QCM electrode, the as-fabricated QCM humidity sensor produces an additional frequency shifts associated with the change of dielectric constant of sensitive material besides mass sensitivity. Renewable cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) as humidity sensing material was deposited on the sensing electrode of QCM. The material characteristics of the synthesized CNCs were examined by TEM, AFM, FTIR and XRD, respectively. The humidity sensing performances of CNCs based QCM humidity sensor, including humidity sensitivity, stability, humidity hysteresis and dynamic response and recovery, were comprehensively studied by using an oscillating circuit method. The results proved that the humidity sensitivity of CNCs based QCM humidity sensor can be effectively enhanced by the asymmetric treatment of QCM electrode structure. Further, the underlying sensitivity enhancement mechanism was analyzed and discussed using an equivalent circuit analysis method. This work highlights that QCM transducer with an asymmetric sensitive electrode structure is a promising approach to improve the humidity sensitivity, and CNCs is also a promising material for humidity sensing.

Facile fabrication of high sensitivity cellulose nanocrystals based QCM humidity sensors with asymmetric electrode structure

A practical model of quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) is presented, which considers both the Gaussian distribution characteristic of mass sensitivity and the influence of electrodes on the mass sensitivity. The equivalent mass sensitivity of 5 MHz and 10 MHz AT-cut QCMs with different sized electrodes were calculated according to this practical model. The equivalent mass sensitivity of this practical model is different from the Sauerbrey's mass sensitivity, and the error between them increases sharply as the electrode radius decreases. A series of experiments which plate rigid gold film onto QCMs were carried out and the experimental results proved this practical model is more valid and correct rather than the classical Sauerbrey equation. The practical model based on the equivalent mass sensitivity is convenient and accurate in actual measurements.

https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/17/8/1785/pdf

A Practical Model of Quartz Crystal Microbalance in Actual Applications

The mass sensitivity distribution curve of quartz crystal resonators (QCRs) with common circular electrodes is bell-shaped; however, a uniform mass sensitivity distribution is expected for highly accurate and repeatable measuring results. Pioneers designed a ring electrode QCR with a bimodal distribution curve of mass sensitivity, and an obvious concavity is presented between two peak points for a fundamental operating frequency of 10 MHz. The concavity is an obstacle to uniform mass sensitivity distribution, so eliminating the concavity is the goal of this study; two methods-changing overtone order and designing electrode geometry-are proposed to do so. An analytical theory for sensitivity distribution is introduced in this paper first. Analysis results show that the fifth overtone of 10 MHz is desirable for eliminating the concavity but with a drawback of sacrificing absolute mass sensitivity. The method of designing the electrode geometry can overcome this drawback and dot-ring and double-ring electrode geometries are proposed. When electrode parameters were selected properly, the maximum difference of mass sensitivity between two peak points was reduced by about 42.21% for dot-ring electrode QCR and 77.63% for double-ring electrode QCR compared with that of ring electrode QCR.

The modified design of ring electrode quartz crystal resonator for uniform mass sensitivity distribution

In this letter, an atom-based approach for measuring the microwave (MW) cavity response (including cavity frequency and Q-factor) is presented, which utilizes a MW magnetic field detection technique based on atomic Rabi resonances. We first identify the Rabi resonances on seven π transitions in Cs atoms and demonstrate their uses in continuously frequency-tunable field detectors. With the atom-based field detectors, we then indicate the possibility of reconstructing the MW cavity response by measuring the MW frequency-dependent Rabi frequency (i.e., MW field strength) inside the cavity. To demonstrate this approach, we measured the response curves of a 9.2-GHz cavity and a cavity resonating at 8.3 GHz and 9.7 GHz using π transitions and σ transitions, respectively. We compared the results measured by our approach with those measured by Vector Networker Analyzer and obtained good agreement. From such atom-based, SI-traceable measurements, the MW cavity response can be linked directly to the Rabi frequency,...

Measuring microwave cavity response using atomic Rabi resonances

In this paper, a novel microcomputer temperature-compensating method for an overtone crystal oscillator (MCOXO) is presented. In this method, a ceramic oscillator is chosen, and its output frequency is mixed with the output frequency of an overtone crystal oscillator. A crystal filter is used to suppress the spurious mixing products. A microcomputer is used to control the switch capacitance array that is connected to the ceramic oscillator circuit. The frequency deviation of the crystal oscillator is directly compensated by the output frequency of the ceramic oscillator. As a result, the method is able to overcome the disadvantages of frequency stability degradation and phase noise deterioration that are provoked by adding inductance or frequency multiplication in traditional compensating approaches. At the same time, this method is able to compensate a quite wide frequency range and many types of oscillators, not just crystal oscillators. The experimental compensating results show that, using this method, the frequency-temperature stability of a 100 MHz 5th overtone temperature-compensated crystal oscillator can achieve /spl les/ /spl plusmn/2/spl times/10/sup -6/ for 0-70/spl deg/C.

Xianhe Huang

Papers

Facile fabrication of high sensitivity cellulose nanocrystals based QCM humidity sensors with asymmetric electrode structure

A Practical Model of Quartz Crystal Microbalance in Actual Applications

The modified design of ring electrode quartz crystal resonator for uniform mass sensitivity distribution

Measuring microwave cavity response using atomic Rabi resonances

A novel microcomputer temperature-compensating method for an overtone crystal oscillator