Electrical and Electronic Engineering - Research Publications

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    On the use of switched linear controllers for stabilizability of implicit recursive equations
    Nesic, D (IEEE, 1998-01-01)
    Stabilizability of implicit recursive equations is investigated. These equations arise naturally in the context of output dead-beat control for systems described by NARMAX models. Due to non-uniqueness of the solutions of these equations a special kind of a constrained stabilizability problem is considered. We take a hybrid switching control approach in testing the existence of a locally stabilizing controller. A method for the design of a stabilizing switching controller is also presented.
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    Analysis of minimum phase properties for non-affine nonlinear systems
    Nesic, D ; Skafidas, E ; Mareels, IMY ; Evans, RJ (IEEE, 1997)
    A system can be termed non-minimum phase according to some definitions available in the literature and yet the same system may exhibit stable zero output constrained dynamics. We show that for non-affine nonlinear systems there may not exist a continuous control law which would keep the output identically equal to zero and for which the zero output constrained dynamics are stable, whereas a discontinuous controller which achieves this exists. We give conditions for existence and present a method for design of discontinuous switching controllers which yield stable zero dynamics. In this sense, the results of this paper enlarge the class of non-affine nonlinear systems that can be termed minimum-phase.
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    Minimum phase properties for input nonaffine nonlinear systems
    Nesic, D ; Skafidas, E ; Mareels, IMY ; Evans, RJ (IEEE-INST ELECTRICAL ELECTRONICS ENGINEERS INC, 1999-04)
    For input nonaffine nonlinear control systems, the minimum phase property of the system in general depends on the control law. Switching or discontinuous controllers may offer advantages in this context. In particular, there may not exist a continuous control law which would keep the output identically equal to zero and for which the zero output constrained dynamics are locally stable, whereas a discontinuous controller which achieves this exists. For single-input/single-output input nonaffine nonlinear systems we give sufficient conditions for existence and present a method for the design of discontinuous switching controllers which yield locally stable zero dynamics.
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    Silicon nanowire photodetector enhanced by a bow-tie antenna
    Felic, GK ; Al-Dirini, F ; Hossain, FM ; Thanh, CN ; Skafidas, E (SPRINGER, 2014-05)
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    An ab-initio Computational Method to Determine Dielectric Properties of Biological Materials
    Abeyrathne, CD ; Halgamuge, MN ; Farrell, PM ; Skafidas, E (NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP, 2013-05-08)
    Frequency dependent dielectric properties are important for understanding the structure and dynamics of biological materials. These properties can be used to study underlying biological processes such as changes in the concentration of biological materials, and the formation of chemical species. Computer simulations can be used to determine dielectric properties and atomic details inaccessible via experimental methods. In this paper, a unified theory utilizing molecular dynamics and density functional theory is presented that is able to determine the frequency dependent dielectric properties of biological materials in an aqueous solution from their molecular structure alone. The proposed method, which uses reaction field approximations, does not require a prior knowledge of the static dielectric constant of the material. The dielectric properties obtained from our method agree well with experimental values presented in the literature.
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    Predicting the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder using gene pathway analysis
    Skafidas, E ; Testa, R ; Zantomio, D ; Chana, G ; Everall, IP ; Pantelis, C (NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP, 2014-04)
    Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) depends on a clinical interview with no biomarkers to aid diagnosis. The current investigation interrogated single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of individuals with ASD from the Autism Genetic Resource Exchange (AGRE) database. SNPs were mapped to Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG)-derived pathways to identify affected cellular processes and develop a diagnostic test. This test was then applied to two independent samples from the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI) and Wellcome Trust 1958 normal birth cohort (WTBC) for validation. Using AGRE SNP data from a Central European (CEU) cohort, we created a genetic diagnostic classifier consisting of 237 SNPs in 146 genes that correctly predicted ASD diagnosis in 85.6% of CEU cases. This classifier also predicted 84.3% of cases in an ethnically related Tuscan cohort; however, prediction was less accurate (56.4%) in a genetically dissimilar Han Chinese cohort (HAN). Eight SNPs in three genes (KCNMB4, GNAO1, GRM5) had the largest effect in the classifier with some acting as vulnerability SNPs, whereas others were protective. Prediction accuracy diminished as the number of SNPs analyzed in the model was decreased. Our diagnostic classifier correctly predicted ASD diagnosis with an accuracy of 71.7% in CEU individuals from the SFARI (ASD) and WTBC (controls) validation data sets. In conclusion, we have developed an accurate diagnostic test for a genetically homogeneous group to aid in early detection of ASD. While SNPs differ across ethnic groups, our pathway approach identified cellular processes common to ASD across ethnicities. Our results have wide implications for detection, intervention and prevention of ASD.
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    All-Graphene Planar Self-Switching MISFEDs, Metal-Insulator-Semiconductor Field-Effect Diodes
    Al-Dirini, F ; Hossain, FM ; Nirmalathas, A ; Skafidas, E (NATURE PORTFOLIO, 2014-02-05)
    Graphene normally behaves as a semimetal because it lacks a bandgap, but when it is patterned into nanoribbons a bandgap can be introduced. By varying the width of these nanoribbons this band gap can be tuned from semiconducting to metallic. This property allows metallic and semiconducting regions within a single Graphene monolayer, which can be used in realising two-dimensional (2D) planar Metal-Insulator-Semiconductor field effect devices. Based on this concept, we present a new class of nano-scale planar devices named Graphene Self-Switching MISFEDs (Metal-Insulator-Semiconductor Field-Effect Diodes), in which Graphene is used as the metal and the semiconductor concurrently. The presented devices exhibit excellent current-voltage characteristics while occupying an ultra-small area with sub-10 nm dimensions and an ultimate thinness of a single atom. Quantum mechanical simulation results, based on the Extended Huckel method and Nonequilibrium Green's Function Formalism, show that a Graphene Self-Switching MISFED with a channel as short as 5 nm can achieve forward-to-reverse current rectification ratios exceeding 5000.
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    Filling schemes at submicron scale: Development of submicron sized plasmonic colour filters
    Rajasekharan, R ; Balaur, E ; Minovich, A ; Collins, S ; James, TD ; Djalalian-Assl, A ; Ganesan, K ; Tomljenovic-Hanic, S ; Kandasamy, S ; Skafidas, E ; Neshev, DN ; Mulvaney, P ; Roberts, A ; Prawer, S (NATURE PORTFOLIO, 2014-09-22)
    The pixel size imposes a fundamental limit on the amount of information that can be displayed or recorded on a sensor. Thus, there is strong motivation to reduce the pixel size down to the nanometre scale. Nanometre colour pixels cannot be fabricated by simply downscaling current pixels due to colour cross talk and diffraction caused by dyes or pigments used as colour filters. Colour filters based on plasmonic effects can overcome these difficulties. Although different plasmonic colour filters have been demonstrated at the micron scale, there have been no attempts so far to reduce the filter size to the submicron scale. Here, we present for the first time a submicron plasmonic colour filter design together with a new challenge - pixel boundary errors at the submicron scale. We present simple but powerful filling schemes to produce submicron colour filters, which are free from pixel boundary errors and colour cross- talk, are polarization independent and angle insensitive, and based on LCD compatible aluminium technology. These results lay the basis for the development of submicron pixels in displays, RGB-spatial light modulators, liquid crystal over silicon, Google glasses and pico-projectors.
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    Graphene Field Effect Nanopore Glycine Detector
    Al-Dirini, F ; Hossain, MS ; Qiu, W ; Hossain, FM ; Nirmalathas, A ; Skafidas, E (IEEE, 2014)
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    Experimental demonstration of free-space based 120 Gb/s reconfigurable card-to-card optical interconnects
    Wang, K ; Nirmalathas, A ; Lim, C ; Skafidas, E ; Alameh, K (OPTICAL SOC AMER, 2014-10-01)
    In this Letter, we propose and experimentally demonstrate a free-space based reconfigurable card-to-card optical interconnect architecture with 16-carrierless-amplitude-phase modulation. Experimental results show that up to 120 Gb/s (3×40  Gb/s) flexible interconnection can be achieved for up to 30 cm distance with a worst-case receiver sensitivity of -9.70  dBm.