Our research aims to build the next generation of integrated systems for emerging applications, including on-chip quantum information processors, ultra-miniaturized smart IoT wireless nodes, advanced metrology systems, and real-time biomedical monitoring devices. Our research activities are based on combining integrated electronics, electromagnetics, and quantum technologies. Specifically, we use the following approaches:
- Co-design the electronics, microwaves, THz, and photonics to realize multi-functional platforms.
- Integrate electronics and physical qubits tightly through custom chip-scale platforms.
- Utilize the small form factor and extra functionality enabled by the THz frequency regime.
- Push integrated circuits into the cryogenic temperature domain.
- Innovate electromagnetic devices using sub-wavelength structures such as metamaterials and plasmonics.
Hybrid CMOS-Diamond Quantum Systems
Quantum systems are gaining increased interest in high-performance computing, advanced sensing, and secure communication. Solid-state color center qubit stands out as one of the best candidates to realize such systems. For example, the nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in diamond has emerged as a leading room-temperature sensor and imager of temperature, electric fields, and magnetic fields. Moreover, since color centers act as spin-photon interfaces, they are promising to realize quantum networks. These networks are expected to play an essential role in the future of information technology as carriers of secure classical information and as links between networked quantum computers. However, conventional approaches for color center control involve bulky and discrete off-the-shelf instruments for spin state manipulation and readout. This leads to impractical systems that are difficult to scale up to thousands of qubits required to perform error correction in quantum applications. To address this challenge, we are developing custom CMOS platforms that integrate the required components, enabling scalable and compact quantum systems.
Ultra-Miniaturized Low-Power THz Wireless Systems
The small form factor of THz systems resulting from the inherent shorter wavelength has not been extensively explored. Combining this feature with low-power operation can enable a variety of applications in wireless sensing, tracking, authentication, localization, and supply-chain management. We are developing ultra-small CMOS sub-THz wireless system that could open the door for IoT ecosystem at the THz range. An example of these systems is the first package-less THz identification tag (THzID), which is the smallest reported ID chip with far-field communication distances, beam steering, and asymmetric cryptography. The THzID reduces the cost and the complexity of the packaged conventional commercial RFIDs, which enables the authentication of small objects such as medical pills, tooth implants, and semiconductor chips.
