Electrical & Computer Engineering Research Laboratories
Applied Electromagnetics Laboratory, Professor Horenstein. Practical problems are studied in electrostatics as well as low-frequency electric and magnetic fields. Current projects include transdermal injection of drug-laden nanoparticles via electrostatic pulse, self-cleaning solar panels via electrostatic traveling waves, MEMS deformable mirrors for laser communication, field interactions with living cells, and the physics of surface discharges.
Biological Sensing & Imaging Laboratory, Professors Ruane, Semeter, Swan, and Ünlü. BSAIL develops optical, electrical, and computational methods to study biological problems. We develop sensing and imaging devices that emphasize label-free, high throughput data collection on extremely small quantitites of biomaterials. Applications include disease and biohazard detection, drug discovery and equipment development. Ongoing projects include the Resonant Cavity Imaging Biosensor which applies hyperspectral IR imaging of transmissive and reflective resonant optical cavities for DNA and protein measurements; the Fabricator—a mask-free optical synthesizer for bio-arrays (the “Fabricator” project) used in RCIB and other biochip systems, and self-interference microscopy. Our group is interdisciplinary, with engineers, physicists, chemists and biologists, and encourages undergraduate researchers in REU or UROP.
Biomedical Optics & Biophotonics Laboratory, Professor Bigio. The core theme of biomedical optics/photonics is minimally invasive optical diagnostics and therapeutics. This laboratory focuses on the development of optics-based technologies for clinical applications and biomedical research. Current research topic areas include:
- Advanced spectroscopic technologies for tissue diagnosis
- Noninvasive measurement of drug concentrations in tissue
- Interstitial laser thermotherapy and photodynamic therapy
- Computational methods for modeling optical transport in tissue
- Optical interferometry for imaging nerve activation
Broadband Wireless Communications Laboratory, Professor Carruthers. This laboratory supports research projects on the design, theory, and prototyping of broadband wireless communication systems. The major focus is on the use of infrared light as the transmission medium for high-data-rate indoor wireless local-area networks. The laboratory includes facilities for the fabrication and testing of experimental prototypes as well as computing resources for system design and analysis.
Computational Electronics Laboratory, Professor Bellotti. The Computational Electronics Laboratory (CEL) is equipped with state-of-the-art computing tools. The lab has two computer clusters, one XP1000 Alpha Cluster (8 CPUs) running True UNIX 64, and an AMD Athalon MP Cluster (13 CPUs) running Linux. The lab also operates a variety of high-performance PCs and printers. The Computational Electronics Group develops software to study semiconductor materials and to perform electronics and optoelectronics device simulation. Commercial simulation packages, such as ISE Genesis and Silvaco Virtual Wafer Fab, are currently employed.
Computational Signal Processing, Professor Nawab. This laboratory conducts research on the use of computational concepts from artificial intelligence (AI) to amplify the power of techniques from digital signal processing (DSP) and from statistical signal processing (SSP). This computational signal processing (CSP) research is conducted in the context of applications such as the analysis of auditory signals, the analysis of brain signals, and the analysis of patient activity signals.
Computer Architecture & Automated Design Laboratory, Professor Herbordt. Work focuses on experimental computer architecture, particularly on the use of emerging technologies in computationally intensive applications. Projects include developing design tools for application-specific coprocessors such as GPUs and FPGAs, designing MPP router switches, vision computers, and the application of heterogeneous supercomputers to bioinformatics and computational chemistry. Facilities include a 16 node cluster with 32 CPUs, 16 GPUs, and 8 FPGAs.
Control of Discrete Event Systems (CODES) Laboratory, Professor Cassandras. The Control of Discrete Event Systems (CODES) Laboratory involves faculty and graduate students conducting on modeling, design, analysis, performance evaluation, control, and optimization of a variety of discrete event and hybrid systems such as communication and sensor networks, manufacturing, transportation, and command/control systems. Ongoing research projects include the development of decision support systems for quality-of-service guarantees and optimal performance, software testing and verification, a new generation of intelligent simulation tools, new methods for cooperative control of wirelessly networked devices, distributed asynchronous optimization in networks, autonomously reconfigurable systems (see also http://vita.bu.edu/cgc/CODES/ and http://codescolor.bu.edu/).
Functorial Electromagnetic Analysis Laboratory, Professor Kotiuga. The Functorial Electromagnetic Analysis Lab considers the difficulties encountered in the finite element analysis of three-dimensional electromagnetic fields that cannot be anticipated through experience with two-dimensional simulations. The lab has focused its efforts in the development of Whitney form techniques, homology calculations, algorithms for total magnetic scalar potentials in multiply connected regions, helicity functional techniques, and data structures based on semi-simplicial objects. Torsion invariants of complexes and rational homotopy theory are currently being exploited in the context of direct and inverse three-dimensional problems such as impedance tomography and magnetic field synthesis.
Imaging Science Laboratory (ISL), Professors Mendillo and Semeter. Affiliated with the Boston University Center for Space Physics, the ISL applies state-of-the-art optical imaging technology to the study of the Earth, moon, planets, and comets. Activities include equipment design and fabrication, field campaigns to observing sites worldwide, and digital signal processing.
Integrated Circuits & Systems Lab, Professor Joshi. Our research focuses on various aspects of designing modern-day VLSI systems. We adopt a level-transparent approach, where we jointly optimize across the various levels in the design hierarchy. In particular, at the device level our group is exploring novel carbon-based and plasmonics-based devices. At the circuit level, we are investigating both digital and analog circuit design techniques, while at the system level we are currently focused on designing many core systems.
Ionospheric Data Analysis Laboratory, Professor Oliver. The Ionospheric Data Analysis Laboratory houses graduate and undergraduate students analyzing databases of ionospheric radar data collected since the 1960s to study patterns of behavior on all time scales: diurnal, seasonal, solar-cycle, and long-term global-change trends. Deductions of neutral-atmosphere behavior are central in this work. Numerical simulation of the ionosphere is used to test hypotheses drawn from the data analysis. The data-analysis and simulational work support the teaching of two courses, a freshman course on global change and a graduate course on ionospheric numerical simulation.
Laboratory of Networking & Information Systems, Professors Starobinski and Trachtenberg. This lab is involved in providing novel perspectives on modern networking issues, including scalability, heterogeneity, and performance. The lab is equipped with sophisticated hardware and software, and promotes research into the fields of network synchronization, mobile computing, Internet traffic engineering, distributed web caching, and coding theoretic approaches to real-time information reconciliation.
Lightwave Technology Laboratory, Professor Morse. This lab is one of the few university laboratories capable of designing, fabricating, and characterizing silica optical fibers. The research activities of this laboratory focus on new processing techniques for optical fibers and planar waveguides, high-power optical fiber lasers, and a variety of optical fiber sensors. The components of this facility consist of a fabrication laboratory with three glass lathes including a new state-of-the-art Nextrom MCVD system, an optical laboratory with numerous pump lasers for fiber lasers, five isolation tables, and an 8m optical fiber draw tower, newly outfitted with Nextrom widing and control equipment. In addition, there is a CVD laboratory for studies of thin films.
Luminescence Laboratory, Professor Dal Negro. The research is focused on the steady-state optical spectroscopy of semiconductor nanostructures, bio-compatible materials, and plasmonic devices. Implemented optical techniques include: broadband photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy (PLE), emission lifetime measurements under steady-state (CW) excitation, CW photoluminescence (PL), CW quantum efficiency.
Multi-Dimensional Signal Processing (MDSP) Laboratory, Professor Karl. The MDSP Lab conducts research in the areas of multidimensional and multiresolution signal and image processing and estimation, and geometric-based estimation. The applications that motivate this research include, but are not limited to, problems arising in automatic target detection and recognition, geophysical inverse problems (such as finding oil and analyzing the atmosphere), and medical estimation problems (such as tomography and MRI). The general goal is to develop efficient methods for the extraction of information from diverse data sources in the presence of uncertainty. The lab’s approach is based on the development of statistical models for both observations, prior knowledge, and the subsequent use of these models for optimal or near-optimal processing.
Multimedia Communications Laboratory, Professor Little. The focus of this laboratory is the enabling technology for multimedia applications. Research includes investigation of distributed modes interaction among wireless computers; free-space optical communications with visible spectrum; aggregation and clustering techniques for scaling large-scale mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs), vehicular networking and sensor networks; communication systems for continuous media; and conceptual and physical database organizations. The laboratory is equipped with a high-performance simulation environment and a wireless test-bed for proof-of-concept prototype development.
Nanostructured Fibers & Nonlinear Optics Lab, Professor Ramachandran, http://people.bu.edu/sidr/. Light beams in free space travel at the “speed of light,” and tend to diverge (diffract). Complex, nano-structured fibers and waveguides can be used to slow light (confine photons in time) and counteract diffraction (by confining photons in space). Some confinement geometries lead to spatially complex beams that possess intriguing properties such as the ability of optical vortices to carry orbital angular momentum or the ability of Bessel beams to self-heal. Our group studies the myriad phenomena encountered by the manipulation of photons, with the aim of developing next generation applications of light, such as sensing, laser ranging and directed energy, imaging and microscopy, and quantum cryptography and communications.
Network Optimization & Control Laboratory, Professors Paschalidis and Cassandras. Research deals with fundamental aspects of optimizing the design and operation of networks as well as designing control algorithms to regulate their operation. Networks are pervasive in a variety of application domains, from computer, communication, and sensor networks to supply chains, distribution networks, and biological networks like protein interaction and metabolic networks. Recent research topics include transmission scheduling in wireless networks, optimal deployment of networks of mobile agents, network routing, network anomaly detection, pricing and resource allocation, network simulation, intelligent warehouse management, protein docking, and optimization of metabolic networks.
Optical Characterization & Nanophotonics Laboratory (OCN), Professors Goldberg, Swan, and Ünlü. Nanophotonics addresses a broad spectrum of optics on the nanometer scale covering technology and basic science. Compared to the behavior of isolated molecules or bulk materials, the behavior of nanostructures exhibits important physical properties not necessarily predictable from observations of either individual constituents or large ensembles. We develop and apply advanced optical characterization techniques to the study of solid-state and biological phenomena at the nanoscale. Current projects include development of high-resolution subsurface imaging techniques based on numerical aperture increasing lens (NAIL) for the study of semiconductor devices and circuits and spectroscopy of quantum dots, micro resonant Raman and emission spectroscopy of individual carbon nanotubes, biosensors based on microring resonators, and development of new nanoscale microscopy techniques utilizing interference of excitation as well as emission from fluorescent molecules. In addition to microscopy, optical resonance is nearly ubiquitous in our research projects, including development of resonant cavity-enhanced photodetectors and imaging biosensors for DNA and protein arrays.
Quantum Photonics Laboratory, Professor Teich. Research studies in the Quantum Photonics Laboratory (QPL) focus on photonic systems that rely on the quantum properties of light. Experiments are carried out on single-photon detection; the photon-counting statistics of various sources of light; and the response of the human visual system to small numbers of quanta incident at the retina. Investigations are conducted on multi-photon and entangled-photon absorption, photoemission, microscopy, and lithography; as well as on nonlinear optical processes such as parametric down-conversion and second-harmonic generation. Research is carried out on quantum-imaging paradigms such as quantum optical coherence tomography (QOCT); photon-counting optical coherence tomography (PCOCT); and digital quantum imaging based on entangled-photonic qubits in spatial-parity space.
Radio Communications & Plasma Research Laboratory, Professor Lee. Field experiments are conducted in this lab using ground-based facilities and spacecraft-borne instruments to investigate radio-wave propagation and interactions with ionospheric plasmas, with applications to establishing artificial radio communication paths. Laboratory experiments with a large, toroidal plasma device are also conducted to study the microwave interactions with magneto plasmas, simulating and crosschecking the results obtained in the field experiments.
Reliable Computing Laboratory, Professors Karpovsky and Levitin. Members of the Reliable Computing Laboratory conduct research on a broad variety of topics, including the design of computer chips; efficient hardware and diagnosis at the chip, board, and system levels; functional software testing; efficient signal processing algorithms; coding and decoding; fault-tolerant message routing for multiprocessor systems; and the design of reliable computer networks.
Space Physics Laboratory, Professors Semeter and Oliver. The Space Physics Laboratory is devoted to improving our understanding of how the Earth’s atmosphere interacts with the space environment. Activities in the laboratory include instrument development, data analysis, and computer modeling based on first-principles physics. Instruments developed in the Space Physics Laboratory include optical sensors for studying atmospheric airglow and the aurora, magnetic sensors for studying variations in the Earth’s geomagnetic field, and radio frequency (RF) sensors for studying the propagation of electromagnetic radiation in the space environment. Computer models are used to assimilate measurements from multiple sensors and to interpret the observations with respect to physical theories. The laboratory is affiliated with Boston University’s Center for Space Physics, a multidisciplinary center emcompassing faculty and graduate students from the College of Engeineering and the College of Arts & Sciences.
Ultrafast Nanostructure Optics Laboratory (UNO), Professor Dal Negro. The research is focused on: a) ultrafast emission spectroscopy; b) optical gain relaxation dynamics; c) nonlinear optical characterization of semiconductor nanostructures, novel bio-compatible materials, photonic and plasmonic nano-devices. Implemented optical techniques include: picosecond fluorescence lifetime spectroscopy, time-resolved variable stripe length and pump-probe gain techniques, emission quantum efficiency and photon statistics, Z-scan nonlinear characterization, and second harmonic generation (SHG).
Visual Information Processing (VIP) Laboratory, Professor Konrad, http://vip.bu.edu/. The VIP Laboratory provides computational and visualization infrastructure for research in the area of visual information processing. The topics of interest are capture, compression, transmission, and analysis of visual information, whether in the form of still images, video sequences, or multimedia data. Currently, there are four thrusts pursued in the laboratory. In visual sensor networks (VSNs), the main interest is in exploiting multiple cameras to jointly reason about the viewed scene under communication, computational and power constraints. Video analytics is concerned with segmentation, tracking, classification, anomaly detection, etc., from streaming video. In the area of 3-D systems, the main focus is on the processing, compression and visualization of stereoscopic and multiscopic (3-D) imagery for such applications as communications, entertainment and scientific analysis. The biomedical imaging thrust covers diverse areas related to the classification and visualization of various forms of biomedical measurements. The VIP Laboratory is equipped with a network of state-of-the-art workstations to serve computational needs, while its visualization infrastructure includes 2-D and 3-D digital cameras and capture systems, as well as 3-D displays (shuttered and 9-view automultiscopic).
Wide Bandgap Semiconductors Laboratory, Professor Moustakas. In this laboratory, we investigate the growth, optoelectronic properties, and device applications of III-Nitride semiconductors. The materials are grown by MBE, MOCVD, HVPE, and gas cluster ion beam deposition (GCIB). The current focus is in the development of optical devices (visible and UV-LEDs, UV-LDs, optical modulators, and detectors), electronic devices (high-power diodes, transistors, and thyristors), and electromechanical devices (SiC/III nitride MEMS sensors). Materials physics issues are also addressed and the group collaborates closely with Professor Enrico Bellotti in the area of theoretical modeling, Professor Karl Ludwig (Physics) in the area of materials structure, Professor Kevin Smith (Physics) in the area of electronic structure, and Professor Roberto Paiella in the area of devices based on intersubband transitions.
Instructional Laboratories
Circuits & Electronics Laboratory, Professor Nawab. The Circuits & Electronics Lab includes a full line of Hewlett-Packard bench-top instruments linked by LabView software. This continually updated facility, which supports ECE courses in circuits and electronics, enables us to offer traditional lab experiments in circuits and electronics in a modern laboratory setting that emulates those found in industry. The lab also can support more advanced experiments in signals and systems, communications, electromagnetics, and photonics.
Control Systems Laboratory, Professors Castañon, Gevelber, and Saligrama. This laboratory houses four ECP Model 220 Industrial Emulator/Serve Trainers for studying control of practical systems.
Electronic Design Automation Laboratory, Professors Herbordt, Hubbard, and Knepper. Students design circuits and systems using state-of-the-art Electronic Design Automation facilities. Hardware includes 32 workstation-class PCs and Xilinx development boards. Software tools incluide packages from Synopsis, Cadence, Xilinx, and Mode/Sim.
High-Performance Computing Laboratory, Professor Giles. The High-Performance Computing Laboratory at Boston University was created with support from the National Science Foundation (NSF) in order to support the development of undergraduate courses in parallel and high-performance computing. The courses offered at Boston University serve as a national model for computational science education. The lab features a network of multimedia graphics workstations linked at high speed to the supercomputers at the Center for Computational Science and the Scientific Computing & Visualization Lab.
High-Tech Tools & Toys Laboratory, Professor Ruane. HTTTL is the instructional laboratory associated with Boston University’s NSF-funded Engineering Research Center for Subsurface Sensing & Imaging Systems (CenSSIS). The laboratory houses a variety of PC-based imaging camera systems, machine vision systems, and acoustic imaging systems. Software for imaging includes MATLAB, Image Processing Toolbox, Image Builder, Vision Foundry, ENVI, and LabVIEW. The HTTTL supports freshman EK 130 modules in imaging and subsurface imaging, senior design capstone projects in imaging, and experiments in senior-level electives related to imaging.
Image & Signal Processing Laboratory, Professor Karl. This laboratory serves graduate instructional and research needs by providing advanced computational resources and associated software packages. Equipment includes a Sun Ultra450 computer server with 4 CPU’s and 4 Gbytes of RAM, a Sun Ultra450 data server with over 200 gigabytes of RAID storage, three Sun Ultra10 workstations, and four dual CPU personal computers together with color and monochrome printers. This laboratory was developed with funds from the National Science Foundation.
Microprocessor & PC Laboratory, Professor Toffoli. This lab supports instruction in the programming and interfacing of microcomputers and digital controllers. Higher-level courses emphasize the design of systems using microprocessors. For networking studies, the laboratory contains four PC systems connected in a local loop with access to a larger local loop in the nearby microprocessor lab and to the campus area network. Networking software, various simulators, and analysis packages are available.
Photonics Education Laboratory, Professors Ruane, Teich, and Ünlü. The Photonics Laboratory supports the introductory- and intermediate-level courses in the MS in Photonics program. Four stations each have a vibration-isolated optical table, lasers, fiber components and systems, electronic test equipment, and GBIP connected PCs for data logging and instrument control. Shared equipment exists for experiments and demonstrations in interferometry, spectrometry, diffraction, holography, acoustic and electro-optic modulation, and optical spectrum analysis. A secure annex room houses two additional isolated tables, electronics, and optical equipment to support thesis and senior design projects that require long-term setup of apparatus.
Quantum Communication & Measurement (QCM) Laboratory, Professor Sergienko. Research in the Quantum Communication & Measurement (QCM) Laboratory focuses on fundamentals of quantum optics and quantum information processing with the purpose of developing quantum-optical communication networks and engineering novel ultra-precise measurement techniques in nano-photonics and life sciences that outperform conventional solutions. Experimental projects include quantum cryptography in metropolitan network, super-resolution phase sensors based on quantum dispersion cancellation effect, quantum imaging and microscopy with spatial aberration cancellation, quantum spectroscopic ellipsometry for characterizing nanoscale devices in semiconductor industry and proteomics, high-resolution fluorescent correlation spectroscopy and microscopy.
Radio Communication Laboratory, Professor Horenstein. The Radio Communication Laboratory supports lab experiments for courses in electrodynamics, waves and antennas, and wireless communication. Equipment includes a transmission line training station, benchtop receiving/transmitting antenna, radio receivers covering the radio spectrum from 1.6 MHz to 440 MHz, and two radio transmitters. Several antennas, including a four element-rotating beam, a long-wave trap dipole, and a two-meter vertically polarized directional antenna, are located on the roof of the Photonics Building. The Radio Communication Laboratory also serves as the home of the ECE-sponsored Boston University Amateur Radio Club.
Senior Project Laboratory, Professors Horenstein, Knepper, and Ruane. This lab is operated as a virtual company, serving real-world customers such as NASA, Analog Devices, Boston and Brookline Public Schools, social service agencies, and faculty and staff across the University. Each team has twenty-four-hour access to a permanent bench setup with a networked Pentium PC, bench-top GPIB-based HP test equipment, and software for schematic design, simulation, and PCB layout. Electronics and shop support is provided. Shared tools include high-speed scopes, logic analyzers, spectrum analyzers, E-prom, PLA and FPGA burners, and various compilers and cross-compilers for DSP and micro-controller development.
Software Engineering Laboratory, Professors Brackett and Skinner. The Software Engineering Laboratory (SEL) supports courses and research on the economical design of reliable software for large-scale computer systems. The lab includes a number of networked PCs and workstations with development tools for the design, implementation, and testing of software systems.
Undergraduate Information Systems & Sciences Laboratory, Professors Carruthers and Nawab. The Undergraduate ISS Laboratory serves undergraduate ISS instructional needs by providing computational resources for classes in signal and image processing, and networking and communications. Equipment includes PCs, microphones, DSP boards, speakers, amplifiers, digital cameras, and software packages such as MATLAB and Hyperception.
