New capabilities related to semiconductor activation could help Department of the Air Force (DAF) aircraft resist interference from the adversary.
Mr. J. Dana Teague, the Power, Thermal, and Energy Storage Lead at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Directed Energy Directorate (RD), was recently awarded a patent by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The patent recognized an innovation related to “systems and methods for triggering optically controlled semiconductor devices.” The patented technology could play an important role in protecting military aircraft from enemy “jamming” and thereby safeguard pilots from harm.
Semiconductors are materials possessing electrical conductivity properties weaker than conductors but stronger than insulators. They are used in the production of a wide array of electronic devices, including diodes, transistors, integrated circuits, and other such items. Modern aircraft boast a nearly innumerable quantity of semiconductor-based devices in their design and construction.
Semiconductors can be activated and controlled using either electronic or light-based “optical” signals, and each of these two options is appropriate to different use cases. A car’s electrical system, for example, starts the engine and powers other key components. It relies on electronically controlled semiconductor devices. A television’s remote control, by contrast, uses optical signals to turn up the volume or to change the channel. In most cases, it is perfectly fine to use either electronic or optical signals to fit the specific needs of a given situation.
Relying on electronic triggering of semiconductors can be problematic, though, when those semiconductors are used in military aircraft systems. Adversaries can use jamming technologies to interfere with electronic signals and disrupt vital aircraft functions, presenting pilots with danger. Indeed, as Mr. Teague noted, the world is continually becoming more “electromagnetically contested” as new technologies emerge. The classic 1995 James Bond film GoldenEye dramatized the threat posed by electromagnetic pulse (EMP) weapons, and its depiction of how such capabilities might seriously harm aircraft operation was perhaps exaggerated but not entirely fictional.
One way to mitigate this peril is to activate and control an aircraft’s high-voltage semiconductors with optical signals instead of a low-voltage electronic controls circuit, as light-based signals are far less prone to disruption. Additionally, because it travels at the speed of one foot every billionth of a second, light performs quickly and precisely when implemented as a controls circuit in an aircraft.
When considering complex systems, it is often beneficial and even necessary to activate semiconductors at defined time differentials – and in highly complex military aircraft, achieving precision on scales measured in tiny fractions of seconds can generate significantly enhanced performance. A common practice implemented to achieve these differentials in optically controlled systems is to use multiple optical triggers to activate individual semiconductors. This approach represents a less-than-ideal use of resources, as it is not very efficient.
Mr. Teague’s innovation instead allows a single optical trigger to activate multiple semiconductors by creating “offsets” that change the way individual light signals travel, slightly increasing the time a signal takes to reach a destination when necessary. These offsets allow a single optical trigger to activate multiple semiconductors at different times, as different rays of light can be bent and manipulated to arrive at the exact time each is needed.
Using this method, semiconductors can be accurately activated with precision measured in trillionths (!) of a second. The method allows control surfaces like ailerons – along with many other aircraft components – to be operated more efficiently and with much less risk to the pilot.
Mr. Teague’s innovation is one in a family of awarded patents focused on generation-after-next power conversion and pulsed power electronics. Previous patents have been issued for physical items like trigger switches, switch assemblies, and transistors. The newest innovation – which is, of course, a methodology and not a physical object – has other potential applications to DAF use cases beyond helping to resist enemy jamming. These applications are related to technologies like high-power microwave systems and Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). CCAs are autonomous unmanned aircraft designed to operate alongside manned craft to enhance air combat effectiveness, survivability, and operational flexibility, and Mr. Teague’s invention could help them operate more effectively.
Furthermore, Mr. Teague also noted that stakeholders in industry and academia may also be able to find useful applications for the method, allowing its benefits to manifest far beyond DAF.
Mr. Teague’s patent application was facilitated by RD’s Office of Research and Technology Application (ORTA). DAF ORTAs protect DAF’s interests in new discoveries achieved in DAF research laboratories. DAF ORTAs work with DAF scientists and engineers to navigate the patent application and issuance process, ensuring that DAF’s intellectual property interests are preserved. After patent issuance, many technologies are licensed to external entities for further development, and DAF ORTAs also facilitate this process. DAF ORTAs coordinate their activities with the DAF Technology Transfer and Transition (T3) Program Office, which oversees individual ORTAs and performs ORTA functions for DAF laboratories lacking a designated ORTA.
United States Patent and Trademark Office Patent #12,529,722
About AFRL
The Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development, and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space, and cyberspace forces. With a workforce spanning across nine technology areas and 40 other operations around the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit www.afresearchlab.com.