Outage probability of multiple-input single-output (MISO) systems with delayed feedback

We investigate the effect of feedback delay on the outage probability of multiple-input single-output (MISO) fading channels. Channel state information at the transmitter (CSIT) is a delayed version of the channel state information available at the receiver (CSIR). We consider two cases of CSIR: (a) perfect CSIR and (b) CSI estimated at the receiver using training symbols. With perfect CSIR, under a short-term power constraint, we determine: (a) the outage probability for beamforming with imperfect CSIT (BF-IC) analytically, and (b) the optimal spatial power allocation (OSPA) scheme that minimizes outage numerically. Results show that, for delayed CSIT, BF-IC is close to optimal for low SNR and uniform spatial power allocation (USPA) is close to optimal at high SNR. Similarly, under a longterm power constraint, we show that BF-IC is better for low SNR and USPA is better at high SNR. With imperfect CSIR, we obtain an upper bound on the outage probability with USPA and BF-IC. Results show that the loss in performance due to imperfection in CSIR is not significant, if the training power is chosen appropriately.     

Gaussian Interference Networks: Sum Capacity in the Low-Interference Regime and New Outer Bounds on the Capacity Region

Establishing the capacity region of a Gaussian interference network is an open problem in information theory. Recent progress on this problem has led to the characterization of the capacity region of a general two-user Gaussian interference channel within one bit. In this paper, we develop new, improved outer bounds on the capacity region. Using these bounds, we show that treating interference as noise achieves the sum capacity of the two-user Gaussian interference channel in a low-interference regime, where the interference parameters are below certain thresholds. We then generalize our techniques and results to Gaussian interference networks with more than two users. In particular, we demonstrate that the total interference threshold, below which treating interference as noise achieves the sum capacity, increases with the number of users.     

Laser Irradiation of Metal Oxide Films and Nanostructures: Applications and Advances

Recent technological advances in developing a diverse range of lasers have opened new avenues in material processing. Laser processing of materials involves their exposure to rapid and localized energy, which creates conditions of electronic and thermodynamic nonequilibrium. The laser‐induced heat can be localized in space and time, enabling excellent control over the manipulation of materials. Metal oxides are of significant interest for applications ranging from microelectronics to medicine. Numerous studies have investigated the synthesis, manipulation, and patterning of metal oxide films and nanostructures. Besides providing a brief overview on the principles governing the laser–material interactions, here, the ongoing efforts in laser irradiation of metal oxide films and nanostructures for a variety of applications are reviewed. Latest advances in laser‐assisted processing of metal oxides are summarized.     

Tailoring the Magnetoelectric Properties of Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 Film Deposited on Amorphous Metglas Foil by Laser Annealing

This study demonstrates the modulation of off‐resonance magnetoelectric (ME) response of the Pb(Zr,Ti)O₃ (PZT)/ Metglas (FeBSi) bilayered composite by laser annealing. A continuous‐wave 532 nm Nd:YAG laser with varying fluences (210–390 J/mm²) was utilized to anneal the 2 μm thick PZT film deposited using granule spray in vacuum (GSV) technique on magnetostrictive amorphous Metglas foil. It was found that the dielectric and ferroelectric properties of the PZT film are strongly affected by the exposure to laser fluence. The ME voltage coefficient of PZT/Metglas increased with the fluence up to 345 J/mm², reaching a high value of 880 mV/cm·Oe. The electrical and ME properties were correlated with the changes observed in crystallinity and grain size of the PZT film as well as with the alterations in microstructure and magnetic behavior of Metglas. Our results demonstrate that enhanced ME coupling can be realized in PZT/Metglas film composites by controlling the laser fluence.     

Insulating characteristics of zinc niobium borate glass‐ceramics

Zinc borate glasses with different concentrations of Nb₂O₅ were prepared and later were heat treated for prolonged times. Prepared samples were characterized by XRD, SEM, DSC, IR and optical transmission spectroscopy techniques. Later, dielectric properties viz., dielectric constant, loss tangent, electric modulii, electrical impedance and a.c. conductivity over wide ranges of frequency and temperature, were investigated as a function of Nb₂O₅ concentration. Finally, the dielectric breakdown strength was measured in air medium at ambient temperature. The results of characterization techniques viz., XRD, SEM and DSC indicated that multiple crystal grains (with sizes varying from 0.1 to 1 μm) are dispersed in the residual glass phase. The concentration of crystal grains found to increase with increase in Nb₂O₅ content. The XRD studies have further revealed that the bulk samples are composed of columbite ZnNb₂O₆ crystal phases. Using generalized gradient approximation (GGA) quantitative information on these crystal phases viz., the lattice parameters, optical band gap and band structure were evaluated. The analysis of results of IR spectral studies have indicated that there is an increasing degree of polymerization of glass network with increase in Nb₂O₅ content due to the increased connectivity between various structural groups in the glass network. The optical absorption spectra indicated an increase in optical transmittance of the bulk samples with increase in Nb₂O₅ content. The dielectric parameters are observed to decrease, whereas the dielectric breakdown strength is observed to increase to a large extent due to the crystallization of the glass with the Nb₂O₅. The increase is attributed to the formation of ZnNb₂O₆ crystalline phases that contain intertwined ZnO₆ and NbO₆ structural units. As a whole, zinc borate glasses exhibited a significant increase in the electrical insulating strength due to the crystallization with Nb₂O₅ as the crystallizing agent. Further, the value of dielectric constant is also found to be the optimal with no dispersion with frequency up to 450 K. Overall, the studied glass‐ceramics meet the necessary physical conditions to be used as insulating layers in the display panels and hence may be considered for such applications.     

Leaf-Like-Dendritic Cesium Nitrate:Poly (Ethylene Oxide) Composite Films and Their Thermal and Ferroelectric Properties

Leaf-like-dendritic structures of cesium nitrate: poly (ethylene oxide) (CsNO₃:PEO) composite films have been fabricated by a simple solvent-cast method. The field emission scanning electron microscopy image analysis revealed that the dendritic structures were composed of multilevel generations with a long main trunk and many well-aligned side branches. The diameters of the trunks, branches, and sub-branches were controlled with variation of wt.% of CsNO₃ in the composition. The curly PEO chains conceivably play a key role in growth of leaf-like-dendritic structures. The crystallite size in the composite films was found to be large as compared to pure CsNO₃ film, and maximum for 40–60 wt.% CsNO₃ in composite films. The ferroelectric phase transition peak was observed in the differential scanning calorimetry scan. The optimization of the ferroelectric properties of the composite films as a function of composition gave 50 wt.% to be the optimum value.