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Electrical Engineering Research

Electromagnetic Fields & Waves

Computational electromagnetics research is developing advanced analytical and numerical methods—such as the method of auxiliary sources, the method of moments, and pseudo spectral FDTD methods—for investigating high voltage non-linear electrostatic discharge phenomena as well as electromagnetic energy propagation in complex (Chiral and Bi-anizotropic) media.
(Faculty contact: Shubitidze)

Nanophotonics research is focused on the interaction of light with sub-micron structures and nano-textured materials. Sample projects include the use of Molecular Imprint Polymers (MIPS) with surface plasmon resonance and capacitive measurements for chemical sensing. Applications include the detection of pollutants, chemical residues and biological compounds indicative of early-stage cancer. We are also pursuing the use of ZnO nanopillars for photonic bandgap engineered devices.
(Faculty contact: Gibson)

Unexploded ordnance (UXO) detection and discrimination approaches are being developed to solve the Department of Defense's (DoD) most pressing environmental problems: UXO cleanup and humanitarian de-mining. The program combines advanced forward and inverse EM sensing approaches with statistical signal processing methodologies to solve these complex and challenging problems. See also UXO Research Group.
(Faculty contact: Shubitidze)

Electronic Instrumentation

A new type of non-contact optical sensor of vibration and other motion is being developed. New designs for free space optical communications are under study, both for transmission through the atmosphere and through water. Active and passive waveguides are needed for optical signal processing, telecommunications, optical data storage, and other applications. Fiber optics devices such as tunable filters and fiber lasers are being designed and built.
(Faculty contact: Garmire)

Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS)

MEMS research includes modeling, fabrication, and testing of the following:

untethered mobile micro-robots, and interactions between small swarms
of micro-robots;
stress engineering of out-of-plane electromechanical structures such
as microturbines;
integrated micro-inductors for power electronics;
high sensitivity optical sensors;
binary optical devices.

MEMS device fabrication takes place in Thayer School's microengineering lab, a Class 100 clean room facility.
(Faculty contact: Levey)

Optics, Lasers & Non-linear Optics

Femtosecond pulses being transmitted through water has recently shown that these pulses sustain much less loss than longer pulses, particularly at long distances. Femtosecond pulses are used to create terahertz radiation, whose transmission through a variety of media is being investigated.
(Faculty contacts: Osterberg, Garmire)

Label free genome sequencing is an advancing technology to "read" the sequence in a single DNA molecule in a massively-parallel fashion. The technology combines concepts of single nucleotide addition (SNA) sequencing, near field optics, single molecule force spectroscopy, and microfluidics. This work is performed in collaboration with Professor Dmitri Vezonov at Lehigh University.
(Faculty contact: Shubitidze)

Magneto-optics research is focused on production and studies of magnetic vortex states in ring structures, and the coupling between them. Thin dielectric films are used to enhance the magneto-optic Kerr effect signal from our samples. Areas of interest include the interactions of proximal rings, and symmetry effects.
(Faculty contact: Gibson)

Nonlinear optical studies investigate second- and third-order nonlinear effects in optical glass fibers, thin films, and semiconductor structures. A novel project is ultrafast pulse shaping of wavelets for high bandwidth fiber-optic free-space systems. Nonlinear devices are being investigated for high-speed image processing and for time-to-wavelength conversion for communication systems.
(Faculty contact: Garmire)

Power Electronics & Integrated Power Converters

Microfabricated magnetic components using nanomaterials make it possible to miniaturize power-handling magnetic components through taking advantage of the materials' high-flux-density and high-frequency capabilities. We are developing practical methods of depositing these materials and fabricating inductors and transformers on silicon chips or in other techonologies.
(Faculty contact: Sullivan)

Passive high-frequency power components are often the limiting factors in reducing the power loss, size, cost, and weight of high-frequency electronic power converters. Through detailed analysis, modeling, and optimization of high-frequency effects in inductors, transformers, and capacitors, we are improving performance of these components and making it easier to design the efficient, low-cost power electronics needed for a wide range of applications including energy efficiency and renewable energy.
(Faculty contact: Sullivan)

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