What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:
1. A carrier frequency converter for converting a first information carrier frequency of a first carrier to a second information carrier frequency of a second carrier, comprising:
a) an input control optics assembly for receiving a first carrier and adjusting said first carrier in accordance with first desired frequency, polarization and beam propagation parameters;
b) a non-linear optical medium for providing optical rectification of an output of said input control optics assembly; and,
c) an output control optics assembly for receiving an output of said non-linear optical medium, and adjusting said non-linear optical medium output in accordance with second desired frequency, polarization and beam propagation parameters, wherein
the output of said output control optics is a second carrier having an information bandwidth equivalent to the information bandwidth of said first carrier.
2. The carrier frequency converter of claim 1, wherein said non-linear optical medium, comprises a non-linear optical material selected from the group consisting of lithium-niobate, potassium dihydrogen phosphate, silver thiogallite potassium titanium oxide phosphate or polyborates, gallium arsenide, lithium tantalite, zinc selenide, and dimethyl amino 4-N-methylstibazolium tosylate.
3. The carrier frequency converter of claim 1, wherein said non-linear optical medium, comprises a non-linear optical material that is transparent at both optical and terahertz frequencies.
4. The carrier frequency converter of claim 1, wherein said input control optics assembly comprises an input frequency control element for receiving said first carrier.
5. The carrier frequency converter of claim 1, wherein said input control optics assembly comprises an input polarization control element.
6. The carrier frequency converter of claim 1, wherein said input control optics assembly comprises an input propagation control element.
7. The carrier frequency converter of claim 1, wherein said input control optics assembly, comprises:
a) an input frequency control element for receiving said first carrier;
b) an input polarization control element for receiving an output of said input frequency control element; and,
c) an input propagation control element for receiving an output of said input frequency control element and providing an output to said non-linear optical medium.
8. The carrier frequency converter of claim 1, wherein said output control optics assembly comprises an output frequency control element for receiving said first carrier.
9. The carrier frequency converter of claim 1, wherein said output control optics assembly comprises an output polarization control element.
10. The carrier frequency converter of claim 1, wherein said output control optics assembly comprises an output propagation control element.
11. The carrier frequency converter of claim 1, wherein said output control optics assembly, comprises:
a) an output frequency control element for receiving said first carrier;
b) an output polarization control element for receiving an output of said output frequency control element; and,
c) an output propagation control element for receiving an output of said output polarization control element and providing an output to said non-linear optical medium.
12. A method for converting a first information carrier frequency of a first carrier to a second information carrier frequency of a second carrier, comprising the steps of:
a) receiving and adjusting a first carrier in accordance with first desired frequency, polarization and beam propagation parameters;
b) optically rectifying the adjusted first carrier; and,
c) receiving and adjusting the optically rectified first carrier in accordance with second desired frequency, polarization and beam propagation parameters to form a second carrier, wherein
said second carrier has an information bandwidth equivalent to the information bandwidth of said first carrier.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein said step of receiving and adjusting a first carrier comprises utilizing an input frequency control element for receiving said first carrier.
14. The method of claim 12, wherein said step of receiving and adjusting a first carrier comprises utilizing an input polarization control element for receiving said first carrier.
15. The method of claim 12, wherein said step of receiving and adjusting a first carrier comprises utilizing an input propagation control element for receiving said first carrier.
16. A communication system, comprising:
a) a receiver for receiving a first information carrier frequency of a first carrier;
b) a carrier frequency converter for converting said first carrier information frequency of said first carrier to a second information carrier frequency of a second carrier, said carrier frequency converter, comprising:
i) an input control optics assembly for receiving said first carrier and adjusting said first carrier in accordance with first desired frequency, polarization and beam propagation parameters;
ii) a non-linear optical medium for providing optical rectification of an output of said input control optics assembly; and,
iii) an output control optics assembly for receiving an output of said non-linear optical medium, and adjusting said non-linear optical medium output in accordance with second desired frequency, polarization and beam propagation parameters, wherein the output of said output control optics has an information bandwidth equivalent to the information bandwidth of said first carrier; and,
c) a transmitter for receiving said output of said output control optics and for transmitting said output.
17. The communication system of claim 16, wherein said receiver comprises an optical receiver.
18. The communication system of claim 16, wherein said transmitter comprises a terahertz transmitter.
19. The communication system of claim 16, wherein said transmitter comprises a microwave transmitter.
20. The communication system of claim 16, wherein said transmitter comprises a radio frequency (rf) transmitter.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A primary battery comprising a housing having at least one substantially flat side running along the length of said housing, an anode comprising lithium, a negative contact and a positive contact, wherein said negative and positive contacts each comprises a metal substrate overplated with at least one layer of gold on a surface of said substrate facing the external environment.
2. The battery of claim 1 wherein said battery has a pair of opposing substantially flat sides running along the length of said housing.
3. The battery of claim 1 wherein each of said metal substrates comprises nickel.
4. The battery of claim 1 wherein said metal substrate has a thickness between about 1 and 10 mil (0.0254 and 0.254 mm).
5. The battery of claim 1 wherein said gold is plated onto a surface of said metal substrate so that each of said negative and positive contacts has a surface of gold exposed to the external environment.
6. The battery of claim 5 wherein said gold on the surface of said metal substrate has a thickness of between about 0.1 and 5 micron.
7. The battery of claim 5 wherein said gold on the surface of said metal substrate has a thickness of between about 0.25 and 5 micron.
8. The battery of claim 6 wherein said gold forming the surface of each of said negative and positive contacts has a Koop hardness of between about 130 and 200 HK25.
9. The battery of claim 7 wherein said gold forming the surface of each of said negative and positive contacts has a Koop hardness of between about 130 and 200 HK25.
10. The battery of claim 1 further comprising a cathode comprising manganese dioxide.
11. The battery of claim 10 wherein said anode and cathode are each in the form of sheets spirally wound with separator material therebetween.
12. The battery of claim 1 wherein said housing has a thickness of between about 2 mm and 15 mm, a width between about 10 mm and 50 mm, and a length between about 20 mm and 60 mm.
13. The battery of claim 12 wherein said battery does not comprise a thermistor that has an independent contact on said battery housing.
14. The battery of claim 1 wherein the negative and positive contacts are separated by a space that is at least about equal in size to the contact space.
15. The battery of claim 1 wherein the negative and positive contacts are separated by a space that is at least about 1.5 times the size of the contact space.
16. The battery of claim 1 wherein the negative and positive contacts are separated by a space that is at least about two times the size of the contact space.
17. The battery of claim 1 wherein the negative and positive contacts are separated by a space that is at least about 2.5 times the size of the contact space.
18. A primary battery comprising a housing having at least one substantially flat side running along the length of said housing, said housing having a thickness between about 2 mm and 15 mm, a width between about 10 mm and about 50 mm, and a length between about 20 mm and 60 mm, an anode comprising lithium, a negative electrical contact and a positive electrical contact, wherein said negative and positive contacts each comprise a metal substrate overplated with at least one layer of gold on a surface of said substrate facing the external environment.
19. The battery of claim 18 wherein said battery has a pair of opposing substantially flat sides running along the length of said housing.
20. The battery of claim 18 wherein each of said metal substrates comprises nickel.
21. The battery of claim 18 wherein said metal substrate has a thickness between about 1 and 10 mil (0.0254 and 0.254 mm).
22. The battery of claim 18 wherein said gold is plated onto a surface of said metal substrate so that each of said negative and positive contacts has a surface of gold exposed to the external environment.
23. The battery of claim 22 wherein said gold on the surface of said metal substrate has a thickness of between about 0.1 and 5 micron.
24. The battery of claim 22 wherein said gold on the surface of said metal substrate has a thickness of between about 0.25 and 5 micron.
25. The battery of claim 23 wherein said gold forming the surface of each of said negative and positive contacts has a Koop hardness of between about 130 and 200 HK25.
26. The battery of claim 24 wherein said gold forming the surface of each of said negative and positive contacts has a Koop hardness of between about 130 and 200 HK25.
27. The battery of claim 18 wherein the negative and positive contacts are separated by a space that is at least about 1.5 times the size of the contact space.
28. The battery of claim 18 wherein the negative and positive contacts are separated by a space that is at least about two times the size of the contact space.
29. The battery of claim 18 wherein the negative and positive contacts are separated by a space that is at least about 2.5 times the size of the contact space.
30. The battery of claim 18 further comprising a cathode comprising manganese dioxide.
31. The battery of claim 30 wherein said anode and cathode are each in the form of sheets spirally wound with separator material therebetween.