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This paper proposes a reconfigurable bandpass filter with a wide tunable range, which is achieved by connecting two tunable passbands with switching diodes. A pair of transmission zeros (TZs) are introduced through the cross‐coupling structure to improve the passband selectivity of the filter, and one more transmission zero is added by the interdigital coupling line to enhance the out‐of‐band suppression and broaden the upper stopband. The simulation and experimental results show that the designed filter with an absolute bandwidth of 100 MHz realizes a tunable frequency band covering 1.5–3 GHz, corresponding to a fractional tunable range of 66.7%. The dimension of the fabricated filter is 0.32 λg × 0.34 λg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Piezoelectric energy harvester (PEH) arrays are practical solutions to the low and unreliable power output of a single PEH. However, most PEH circuits are developed for addressing the one-channel ac input from a single PEH. In this article, an extensible rectifier-less synchronized switch harvesting on inductor (ReL-SSHI) array interface with the maximal power point tracking (MPPT) function to manage the multiple ac inputs from the PEH arrays is designed. The ac–dc conversion is performed by the ReL-SSHI topology with passive peak switches featured with self-powered characteristic and fast cold-start. Only one shared inductor is employed, greatly reducing the circuit volume and cost. The MPPT module for each channel is implemented by a simple envelope detector and an ultra-low power hysteresis controller and achieves continuous energy extraction by adapting the fractional normal-operation voltage method. A developed discrete array interface able to handle three PEHs effectively executes the MPPT for each channel with the uphill and downhill response speeds of 2.0 and 7.1 V/s, and a maximal MPPT efficiency of 97.1%. This circuit boosts the power output by 485% compared with that by the traditional full-bridge rectifier, around 33% higher than that from existing synchronous electric charge extraction array interfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Piezoelectric energy harvester (PEH) arrays are promising in many application scenarios. However, few interface circuits have been developed to manage the multiple ac inputs from PEHs. This article proposes an extensible parallel synchronized switch harvesting on inductor array interface scheme to realize a multiinput conversion from PEH arrays. We develop a split-inductor-capacitor topology that can extract electrical energy from multiple PEHs. The proposed circuit topology effectively handles the inductor access conflict in the cases of PEHs with close, identical, and opposite vibration phases, insensitive to ac input phase changes. For demonstrating the capability of dealing with multiple ac inputs from PEHs and the enhancement effect on power output, we construct and test a self-powered three-channel array circuit with the passive peak detection function. Excited by sinusoidal vibrations, our circuit effectively avoids the energy return and efficiently achieves the power combination of the three PEHs. Compared with the classic full-bridge circuit, the proposed circuit helps increase the power output by 4.8 times. Also, to show the universality of the circuit, the circuit's operation under various excitations istested and analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To merge the gap between the low-power output of piezoelectric energy harvesters (PEHs) and the high-power demand of sensors of Internet of Things, researchers recently start to explore PEHs arrays. However, few circuits have been developed to manage the multiple ac inputs from PEHs arrays. This article presents a self-powered PEH array interface circuit based on the synchronized switching and discharging to a storage capacitor through an inductor (SSDCI) technique. The array interface can output a maximum total power greater than the sum of each individual peak power, and achieve a high efficiency when multiple PEHs connect to the SSDCI array circuit. Simulation and experiment are performed to demonstrate the advantages of the SSDCI array interface. The tested results show that the designed SSDCI array circuit achieves an efficiency of 82.3% with three input sources, and allows a gain up to 300% in terms of maximal output power compared to the full-bridge rectifier. In addition, only the peak detection is utilized for the switching control; therefore, the SSDCI array circuit is realized more easily and with fewer components compared to the existing synchronous electric charge extraction array interfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A high-temperature superconductor (HTS) bandpass filter with special asymmetric cul-de-sac units (SACUs) is introduced and a compact low-radiating microstrip resonator is suggested for the filter realization. Such a filter is capable of providing better selectivity and higher out-of-band rejection and hence a decrease in adjacent-channel interference, which is of critical importance for mobile communication. This improvement of the filter characteristics results from an increase in the number of pairs of transmission zeros (TZs) on the imaginary axis on the complex plane when using the filter composed of the introduced SACUs, each providing a pair of TZs. An 11-pole filter consisting of two SACUs was fabricated using MgO substrate of 0.5 mm thickness with double-sided YBCO HTS film. Characterization of the filter at 77 K gave a central frequency of 2345 MHz, insertion loss 0.19 dB, an overall in-band return loss better than 15 dB, and an ultra-high band-edge steepness as a consequence of the two pairs of TZs. The measured characteristics are in good accord with those obtained by electromagnetic simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel multimode dual-ring ultrawideband (UWB) bandpass filter is proposed in this article, which is constructed by loading open stubs in the horizontal and vertical directions of the dual-ring resonator. Five modes are evenly distributed in the passband, and a pair of transmission zeros are introduced to the left and right transition bands to enhance selectivity. Parallel-coupled lines ensure external coupling strength for realizing the UWB, and a cross junction suppresses spurious in high frequencies to expand the upper stopband. For demonstration, a quintuple-mode high-temperature superconducting UWB bandpass filter is designed on the 0.5 mm thick MgO substrate with double-sided YBa2Cu3O7 (YBCO) films. The test results show that the 3-dB bandwidth covers 2.56 to 11.15 GHz, the in-band return loss greater than 15 dB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new method is proposed to produce even finite transmission zeros without any cross-coupling between the resonators of filter, by loading the second-order extracted-pole unit (EPU) composed of two mutual coupled resonators at the input or output port of the filter. An arbitrary distribution of finite transmission zeros on the imaginary axis can be achieved by adjusting the resonant frequencies of resonators in the EPUs and the coupling strength between them. The finite transmission zeros can be symmetrically or asymmetrically distributed about the center frequency of the filter, even all on the same side outside the passband of the filter. And the topological structures of these filters are given in this paper. Besides, Cauchy method is adopted to analyze the proposed EPU configuration filter as well. This paper not only discusses how to implement a pair and two pairs of finite transmission zeros, and how to control the distribution of finite transmission zeros, but also gives multiple sets of computer-aided synthesized normalized coupling matrices. Based on this, an eighth-order quasi-elliptic function high-temperature superconducting filter with two pairs of finite transmission zeros was designed on a double-sided YBCO/LaAlO3/YBCO films to verify the feasibility of this new structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a novel trapezoidal meander-line resonator (TMLR) is proposed to design compact high-order high-temperature superconducting (HTS) linear phase bandpass filters with cascaded quadruplet (CQ) structures. By changing the conventional rectangle half-wavelength meander-line microstrip resonator into a trapezoidal resonator, unnecessary cross coupling between nonadjacent resonators in the CQ units can be avoided. And using the proposed TMLR to design the CQ unit, electric field cross coupling or magnetic field cross coupling can be easily achieved and tuned without the cross-coupling line. To further demonstrate the feasibility of using this configuration for miniaturized circuit design, an 8-order HTS linear phase filter with one pair of transmission zeros was designed. The measured responses agree very well with the simulated results. The physical HTS filter has a center frequency of 1935 MHz and bandwidth of 70 MHz. The out-of-band rejection is greater than 50 dB, and the effective bandwidth of group delay fluctuation less than ±3 ns takes up more than 65% in the whole passband. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peripheral nerve stimulators have emerged as a crucial instrument in the realm of neurological disease, capable of modulating nerve activity through precisely targeted electrical stimulation to specific sites within the nervous system. Herein, a new wireless battery‐free peripheral nerve stimulation device for remote muscle activation is developed. The device with conch‐inspired bionic design can be wirelessly powered and controlled by a mobile phone playing audio via the piezoelectric effect. The device consists of two parts: a conch‐like signal‐intensifying piezoelectric resonator for converting acoustic wave into electrostimulation signal; and a pedestal with stimulation electrodes for transmitting the electrostimulation signal to a peripheral nerve. For remote nerve intervention, a programmed audio tone from one mobile phone can be tele‐transmitted from other phones according to the desired stimulation protocols. In‐vivo experiments in stimulating the sciatic nerve in mice showed that the device can activate muscles (e.g., 1 Hz 920 mV for 26 degree of leg movement), and the neuron‐muscle interaction has been confirmed by electromyogram (EMG). The wireless peripheral nerve stimulation conch achieves feasible remote muscle activation without batteries, and can extend the scope of self‐powered techniques for telemedicine and limb/trunk rehabilitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-powered wearable sensing systems have attracted great attention for their application in continuous health monitoring, which can reveal real-time physiological information on the body. Here, an innovative self-powered sound-driven humidity sensor for wearable intelligent dehydration monitoring system has been proposed. The sensor is primarily comprised of PTFE membrane, ZnO nanoarrays and Ti thin film. The piezoelectric/triboelectric effect of ZnO nanoarrays/PTFE membrane is coupled with the humidity sensing process. Sound wave can drive PTFE membrane to vibrate, and the contact and separation between PTFE and ZnO can generate electrical signals through piezoelectric/triboelectric effect. At the same time, the surface of the nanostructures can absorb the water molecules, which will influence the electrical output of the device. The device can convert sound energy into electrical output without any external electricity power supply, and the outputting voltage decreases with increasing relative humidity, acting as the sensing signal. The sensor has been integrated with data processing unit and wireless transmission module to form a self-powered wearable intelligent dehydration monitoring system, which can actively monitor the humidity of exhaled breath and transmit the information to the mobile phone. The results can open a possible new direction for the development of sound-driven gas sensors and will further expand the scope for self-powered nanosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a reconfigurable filter is designed by adjusting the microstrip line impedance for the first time, which breaks the single situation that the resonator can only adjust the electrical length in the previous microstrip reconfigurable circuits. This fully reconfigurable filter loads varactors between three parallel coupling lines to realize the reconfiguration of equivalent impedance. Changing the equivalent impedance of the resonator can use harmonics to introduce transmission poles (TPs) and transmission zeros (TZs), which not only effectively improves the selectivity of the filter but also greatly improves the stopband suppression. Finally, this fully reconfigurable filter can not only tune the center frequency but also the bandwidth. A total of six TZs are introduced, three can be generated by the resonator itself, and the other three are introduced by loading adjustable stubs. The final size of this filter is 0.34 λ g × 0.25 λ g. The measured results are in good agreement with the simulation results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Softening of piezoelectric materials facilitates the development of flexible wearables and energy harvesting devices. However, as one of the most competitive candidates, piezoelectric ceramic-polymer composites inevitably exhibit reduced power-generation capability and weak mechanical strength due to the mismatch of strength and permittivity between the two phases inside. Herein a flexible, air-permeable, and high-performance piezoceramic textile composite with a mechanically reinforced hierarchical porous structure is introduced. Based on a template-assisted sol-gel method, a three-order hierarchical ceramic textile is constructed by intertwining submillimeter-scale multi-ply ceramic fibers that are further formed by twisting micrometer-scale one-ply ceramic fibrils. Theoretical analysis indicates that large mechanical stress can be easily induced in the multi-order hierarchical structure, which greatly benefits the electrical output. Fabricated samples generate an opencircuit voltage of 128 V, a short-circuit current of 120 μA, and an instantaneous power density of 0.75 mW cm-2, much higher than the previously reported works. The developed multi-order and 3D-interconnected piezoceramic textile shows satisfactory piezoelectricity (d33 of 190 pm V-1), air permeability (45.1 mm s-1), flexibility (Young's modulus of 0.35 GPa), and toughness (0.125 MJ m-3), collectively. The design strategy of obtaining balanced properties promotes the practicality of smart/functional materials in wearables and flexible electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A miniaturized eight-order quasi-elliptic function filter configuration with controllable transmission zeros (TZs) is proposed. Without changing the overall layout of the filter, two pairs of TZs are introduced by adopting two cascaded quadruplet (CQ) units to improve the suppression of the filter. At the same time, a cross capacitance coupling is introduced to combine the two CQ units to realize the synchronous adjustment of these two pairs of TZs. Through using this configuration, it not only helps realize the miniaturization of the filter, but also reduces the complexity of adjusting the two CQ units individually. Finally, an eight-order high-temperature superconducting filter with two pairs of TZs is designed on a double-sided YBCO/MgO/YBCO thin film with a size of 15.95 mm × 7.91 mm, a thickness of 0.5 mm, and a dielectric constant of 9.8. At 77 K, the measured central frequency of the filter is 2000 MHz, the bandwidth is 35 MHz, the out-of-band rejection is greater than 60 dB/MHz, the insertion loss is less than 0.22 dB, the return loss is better than 15.8 dB, and the test results are in good agreement with the simulated ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A miniaturized high temperature superconducting (HTS) ultra‐wideband (UWB) bandpass filter (BPF) is presented based on stub‐loaded multi‐mode resonator (SLMMR) in this letter. This SLMMR constructed by loading three sets of different open stubs on a stepped‐impedance resonator brings five resonant modes into the passband for UWB bandwidth and a pair of transmission zeros in the transition bands for high selectivity. The filter is finally designed and fabricated on a 0.5‐mm thick MgO substrate with double‐sided YBCO HTS films. At 77 K, the measured results show that the 3‐dB bandwidth covers 3.0 GHz‐12.0 GHz; the minimum insertion loss is 0.11 dB; the return loss is better than 15.75 dB; the out‐of‐band rejection is greater than 24.35 dB in the lower stopband, and the upper stopband with 20 dB attenuation level is extended to 16.77 GHz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• SE-tattoo is conformable, sweat permeable, and imperceptible on hairy skin. • Design a biocompatible water-based conductive ink for spray fabrication method. • SE-tattoo shows high adhesiveness, high conductivity, and fast curing ability (<20 s) • Reliable and versatile solution for bidirectional human–machine interaction. Biopotential signals recorded by skin surface electrodes reflect the state of the body and corresponding organ functions. These signals are commonly utilized in clinical diagnosis, health monitoring, sports training, and human–computer interaction. However, the utilization of conventional electrodes on hairy skin causes a number of issues, including suboptimal skin compliance, obstructed sweat secretion and impaired tactile perception, making it difficult to obtain long-term and high-fidelity biopotential recordings. Here, we propose an imperceptible spray-on electrode tattoo (SE-tattoo) with sweat-permeability, high adhesiveness, high conductivity, and fast curing ability (<20 s). The water-based conductive ink is sprayed directly on the hairy skin to form a conformable conductive tattoo that neither affects nor is affected by the skin hair. We demonstrate it for heart health monitoring, sports training, electro-tactile display and close-loop teleoperation control. The SE-tattoo offers a reliable and versatile solution to biopotential recordings and serves as a promising platform for bidirectional human–machine interaction. One-Sentence Summary: Imperceptible sweat-permeable SE-tattoo enables high-fidelity biopotential recordings for bidirectional human–machine interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A compact high-temperature superconducting (HTS) low-pass filter (LPF) with an ultra-wide stopband and a sharp transition band is designed by integrating the fifth-order low-pass filter branch and closed loop cross-coupled (CLCC) microstrip structure. The fifth-order low-pass filter consists of two radial-stubs (RSs), one butterfly-shaped stub (BSs), and two T-shaped stubs (TSs), which can introduce five transmission zeros (TZs) with independently controllable frequency and position, so as to obtain good sideband suppression or upper stopband characteristics. The CCLC microstrip circuit is composed of cascaded high and low impedance microstrip lines, which can widen the width of the upper stopband and realize the ultra-wide stopband characteristic. The operating mechanism of the fifth-order LPF resonator and the CLCC microstrip structure are analyzed by the LC equivalent circuit models. The implemented LPF on a 0.5-mm thick MgO wafer with double-sided YBCO films demonstrates 1-dB cut-off frequency (f c) at 2 GHz and 0.12 GHz narrow transition bandwidth from −1dB to −40 dB. The measured results show a 30-dB harmonic suppression from 1.08 f c to 11.7 f c i.e., above 23 GHz, a steep roll-off rate of 326 dB/GHz, an in-band insertion loss (IL) <0.10 dB, and a miniaturized size of 0.24 λ gc × 0.08 λ gc (λ gc is the guided wavelength at the cut-off frequency). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]