On 25/03/13 18.40, George Herold wrote:
...
So I have two questions;
Anyone know of a good review paper on low voltage zener physics.
And are there any tunnel diodes still in production?
Thanks,
George H.
Hi George
You can make/discover your own tunneldiodes - actually components with
negative differential resistance:
By Nyle Steiner K7NS 2001.
Zinc Negative Resistance RF Amplifier for Crystal Sets and Regenerative
Receivers Uses No Tubes or Transistors:
http://www.sparkbangbuzz.com/els/znrfamp2-el.htm
-
Neon lamps can also function as amplifiers ;-)
Neon Lamp Tricks! Neon Lamp Multivibrator:
http://donklipstein.com/sillyne2.html
Citat: "...This is an oscillator circuit using two neon lamps, two
resistors, and one capacitor..."
-
Solid state negative differential resistance components was discovered
several times about 100 years ago:
Cristadyne: Semiconductor archaeology or tribute to unknown precursors:
http://www.a-reny.com/iexplorer/cristadyne.html
Quote: "...In 1923, Oleg Losev [O. V. Lossev, Lossew] (1903-1942) ( See
link below ) managed to make a high frequency generator using such a
detector. But it was polarized. This indicates that this diode had a
characteristic curve in which a negative slope was present. And this
makes one think of the tunnel effect diode invented a half a century
later...These layouts where part of what one called CRYSTADYNE [or
Cristadyne, Crystodyne ] systems. But in those days, the technical
performance and industrial ease of the new increasing valve technology
made these layouts to be ignored, and then forgotten..."
The Wireless World and Radio Review. October 1, 1924 and October 8,
1924: "The Crystal As A Generator And Amplifier" by Victor Gabel.
Radio News, September, 1924, pages 294-295, 431: The Crystodyne Principle:
http://earlyradiohistory.us/1924cry.htm
Quote: "...SEVERAL experimenters have observed that some contacts, such
as crystal and metal or crystal and carbon generally employed as
detectors may produce undamped oscillations of any frequency, exactly as
the vacuum tube oscillator. The same contact may also be utilized as an
amplifier. Oscillating crystals are not new since they were investigated
as far back as 1906 by well known engineers, but it was not until lately
that a Russian engineer, Mr. O. V. Lossev, succeeded in finding some
interesting uses for oscillating crystals..."
Radio News, September, 1924, page 291: A Sensational Radio Invention By
HUGO GERNSBACK:
http://earlyradiohistory.us/1924sens.htm
Quote: "...Stated in a few words, the invention encompasses an
oscillating crystal...In other words, THE CRYSTAL NOW ACTUALLY
REPLACES THE VACUUM TUBE. That this is a revolutionary radio
invention need be emphasized no further. [Here Hugo Gernsback was way
ahead of his time]...We can not only detect with the crystal, but we can
also amplify with it...we can now also transmit with the Crystodyne,
and, as a matter of fact, a number of students in Russia have actually
sent messages with such sets over distances of more than three-quarters
of a mile during the past few months..."
Bell Labs � The Transistor � Other Claims to the Invention:
http://www.beatriceco.com/bti/porticus/bell/belllabs_transistor1.html
Quote: "...This effect, he stated, was discovered by Dr W. H. Eccles in
1910, and remarked: �It is hard to realize that it took about ten years
for practical active crystal-diode circuits to appear, in spite of
Ditcham's reminder�circuits that included both RF and AF
amplification...Most of the credit for creating practical devices [of
this kind] goes to O. V. Lossev of Russia, whether or not he knew of
Eccles' pioneer work a decade earlier..."
Glenn
PS: Happy nutting...or neon lamping...
