Courses

The listing of a course description here does not guarantee a course’s being offered in a particular semester. Please refer to the published schedule of classes on the Student Link for confirmation a class is actually being taught and for specific course meeting dates and times.

• ENG EC 544: Networking the Physical World
  Considers the evolution of embedded network sensing systems with the introduction of wireless network connectivity. Key themes are computing optimized for resource constrained (cost, energy, memory and storage space) applications and sensing interfaces to connect to the physical world. Studies current technology for networked embedded network sensors including protocol standards. A laboratory component of the course introduces students to the unique characteristics of distributed sensor motes including programming, reliable communication, sensing modalities, calibration, and application development. Meets with ENGME544. Students may not receive credit for both.
• ENG EC 551: Advanced Digital Design with Verilog and FPGA
  Content includes use of HDL (Verilog) for design, synthesis and simulation, and principles of register transfer level (RTL). Programmable logic, such as field programmable gate array (FPGA) devices, has become a major component of digital design. In this class the students learn how to write HDL models that can be automatically synthesized into integrated circuits such as FPGA. Laboratory and homework exercises include writing HDL models of combinational and sequential circuits, synthesizing models, performing simulation, and fitting to an FPGA by using automatic place and route. The course has lab orientation and is based on a sequence of Verilog design examples.
• ENG EC 552: Computational Synthetic Biology for Engineers
  This course presents the field of computational synthetic biology through the lens of four distinct activities: Specification, Design, Assembly, and Test. Engineering students of all backgrounds are provided an introduction to synthetic biology and then exposed to core challenges and approaches in each of the four areas.
• ENG EC 555: Introduction to Biomedical Optics
  This course surveys the applications of optical science and engineering to a variety of biomedical problems, with emphasis on optical and photonics technologies that enable real, minimally-invasive clinical and laboratory applications. The course teaches only those aspects of the biology itself that are necessary to understand the purpose of the applications. The first weeks introduce the optical properties of tissue, and following lectures cover a range of topics in three general areas: 1) Optical spectroscopy applied to diagnosis of cancer and other tissue diseases; 2) Photon migration and diffuse optical imagine of subsurface structures in tissue; and 3) laser-tissue interactions and other applications of light for therapeutic purposes. Some classes will invoke traditional lectures, and others will be "inverted," devoted to discussing and understanding application problems, with students having read textbook sections or online material prior to class.
• ENG EC 556: Optical Spectroscopic Imaging
  This introductory graduate-level course aims to teach students how electromagnetic waves and various forms of molecular spectroscopy can be used to study a complex biological system by pushing the physical limits on engineering system design.The course will cover fundamental concepts of optical spectroscopy and microscopy, followed by specific topics covering fluorescence-based , absorption-based, and scattering-based spectroscopic imaging. In addition, this course will provide in-depth discussions of linear and nonlinear spectroscopic imaging in the aspects of theory, instrumentation, image data analysis and enabling applications. Students will learn how to give a concise and informative presentation of a recent literature to the class. Students will be able to challenge their creativity in designing advanced imaging instrument of data analysis methods as part of their course assignments. The students will learn how to write and present a convincing proposal for the required final project to be designed by interdisciplinary teams formed among the students.
• ENG EC 560: Introduction to Photonics
  Introduction to ray optics; matrix optics; wave optics; Fourier optics; electromagnetic optics including absorption and dispersion. Polarization, reflection and refraction, anisotropic media, liquid crystals, and polarization devices. Guided-wave and fiber optics. Nanophotonics.
• ENG EC 561: Error-Control Codes
  Introduction to codes for error detection and correction in communication and computation channels, linear algebra over finite fields, bounds, Shannon?s Theorem, perfect and quasi-perfect codes, probability of error detection, Hamming, BCH, MDS, Reed-Solomon, and non-linear codes. Application of codes to error detection/correction in communication channels, computer memories, processors, and multiprocessor systems. Data compression and data reconciliation by error-detecting or error-correcting codes.
• ENG EC 562: Engineering Optics
  The goal of this course is to present a coherent formulation of wave propagation, radiation and diffraction phenomena in arbitrary linear systems for the engineering design of optical devices in strong partnership with computer simulations and engineering-led design projects. The course will introduce students to the fundamental techniques that are necessary for the quantitative analysis of optics-based engineering systems and devices.
• ENG EC 563: Fiber Optics and Communications Systems
  This course will cover the theory light propagation and manipulation in an optical fiber both in the linear and nonlinear regimes. This theory will be used to introduce design, both of optical fibers for transmission as well as for devices and components. The latter part of the course will use these concepts to illustrate applications in which fibers and fiber devices are used. The emphasis will be on telecommunications systems, but the course will also touch upon other emerging applications such as lasers, sensors, biomedical systems and astrophotonics. Two lectures, two hours a week. 4 cr.
• ENG EC 565: Electromagnetic Fundamentals
  Fundamentals of electromagnetic theory as deduced from Maxwell's equations and material modeling; electromagnetic radiation and quasistatic limits in electromagnetic modeling. Radio frequency coaxial cables; VLSI interconnects, transmission lines. Waveguides and resonators; both dielectric and hollow. Particle tracking, plasmas, microwave sources, with applications. Depending on time and interest: numerical methods (variational formulations will be emphasized whenever practical), inverse problems; applications of magnetics and superconductivity.
• ENG EC 566: The Atmosphere and Space Environment
  Introduction to the upper atmosphere and ionosphere. The dynamic, electrodynamic, radiative, and chemical processes occurring in the atmosphere from ground level to near-space are developed to establish the conditions found in the upper-atmospheric/ionospheric region. Recent offerings have included numerical simulation of the ionospheric electron density profile. Numerical experiments that change the solar input and neutral atmospheric density, composition, winds, and temperature are then run to study the response of the ionosphere to these factors that control the ionosphere. Recommended for graduate students and advanced undergraduate students in engineering, astronomy, and physics and those with interests in environmental topics.
• ENG EC 568: Optical Fibers and WaveGuides
  Whether it be the FIOS? internet connection at our homes, or fiber lasers powerful enough to cut metals (many automobile chassis are now made using fiber lasers), or the ability to perform endoscopic surgery and imaging, or doing frequency metrology with super-continuum sources (the basis of a few recent Nobel prizes)... the optical fiber has played a central, often dominant, role in many applications that impact the way we live. The main function of an optical fiber is to carry an electromagnetic (in the optical frequency) pulse over distances ranging from meters to greater than ten thousand kilometers without distortions. Fibers can also become smart light-pipes when they are intentionally designed to alter, temporally shape or amplify light pulses. Moreover, new developments in this field such as photonic bandgap fibers, fiber nanowires and higher-order mode fibers, are opening up new directions in science and technology. This course will introduce the optical fiber waveguide and its theory of operation. Specifically, the design and impact of the two most important properties in optical fibers -- dispersion and nonlinearity -- that govern the evolution of light in optical fibers, will be covered in detail. The latter part of the course will describe new fibers and fiber-structures that are active research topics today. One lecture of the course will include a tour of an actual, industrial-scale fiber fabrication facility.
• ENG EC 569: Introduction to Subsurface Imaging
  Introduction to subsurface imaging using electromagnetic, optical, X-ray, and acoustic waves. Transverse and axial imaging using localized probes (confocal scanning, time of flight, and interferometric techniques). Multiview tomographic imaging: computed axial tomography, diffraction tomography, diffuse optical tomography, electrical impedance tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging. Image reconstruction and inverse problems. Hyperspectral and multisensor imaging.
• ENG EC 570: Lasers and Applications
  Review of wave optics. Gaussian, Hermite-Gaussian, Laguerre-Gaussian, and Bessel optical beams. Planar- and spherical-mirror resonators; microresonators. Photons and photon streams. Energy levels; absorption, spontaneous emission, and simulated emission. Thermal and scattered light. Laser amplification and gain saturation. Laser oscillation. Common lasers and introduction to pulsed lasers. Photon interactions in semiconductors. LEDs, laser diodes, quantum-confined lasers, and microcavity lasers. Introductoin to photon detectors. Laboratory experiments: beam optics; longitudinal laser modes; laser-diode output characteristics.
• ENG EC 571: Digital VLSI Circuit Design
  Very-large-scale integrated circuit design. Review of FET basics. Functional module design, including BiCMOS, combinational and sequential logic, programmable logic arrays, finite-state machines, ROM, and RAM. Fabrication techniques, layout strategies, scalable design rules, design-rule checking, and guidelines for testing and testability. Analysis of factors affecting speed of charge transfer, power requirements, control and minimization of parasitic effects, survey of VLSI applications. Extensive CAD laboratory accompanies course.
• ENG EC 572: Computational Methods in Materials Science
  Introduction to computational materials science. Multi-scale simulation methods; electronic structure, atomistic, micro-structure, continuum, and mathematical analysis methods; rate processes and rare events. Materials defect theory; modeling of crystal defects, solid micro-structures, fluids, polymers, and bio-polymers. Materials scaling theory: phase transition, dimensionality, and localization. Perspectives on predictive materials design. Topics covered include tight binding theory, density functional theory, and many-body perturbation theory. Lectures provide the theoretical framework for computation. Same as ENGMS508; students may not receive credit for both.
• ENG EC 573: Solar Energy Systems
  This course is designed for first year graduate and senior undergraduate students from engineering disciplines. It is intended to educate students in the design and applications of solar energy technology. It will focus on fundamentals of solar energy conversion, solar cells, optical engineering, photoelectrochemical cells, thermoelectric generators, and energy storage and distribution systems. The course covers solar energy insolation and global energy needs, current trends in photovoltaic energy engineering, solar cell materials science, design and installation of solar panels for residential and industrial applications and connections to the national grid and cost analysis of the overall system. In addition, basic manufacturing processes for the production of solar panels, environmental impacts, and the related system engineering aspects will be included to provide a comprehensive state-of-the-art approach to solar energy utilization. Meets with ENG MS573; students may not take credit for both.
• ENG EC 574: Physics of Semiconductor Materials
  This course teaches the relevant notions of quantum mechanics and solid state physics necessary to understand the operation and the design of modern semiconductor devices. Specifically, this course focuses on the engineering aspects of solid state physics that are important to study the electrical and optical properties of semiconductor materials and devices. Particular emphasis is placed on the analysis of the electronic structure of semiconductor bulk systems and low-dimensional structures, the study of the carrier transport properties and the calculation of the optical response that are relevant to the design and optimization of electronics and photonics semiconductor devices. The students will learn to apply the quantum mechanical formalism to the solution of basic engineering device problems (quantum wells, wires, and dots, 2D electron gas) and to perform numerical calculation on more complex systems (band structure calculation of bulk and low dimensional systems).
• ENG EC 575: Semiconductor Devices
  Fundamentals of carrier generation, transport, recombination, and storage in semiconductors. Physical principles of operation of the PN junction, metal-semiconductor contact, bipolar junction transistor, MOS capacitor, MOSFET (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor), JFET (Junction Field Effect Transistor), and bipolar junction transistor. Develops physical principles and models that are useful in the analysis and design of integrated circuits.
• ENG EC 577: Electronic Optical and Magnetic Properties of Materials
  This course in intended to develop an in depth knowledge of solid state concepts that are important for students in the areas of material science and electrical engineering. Specifically, this course focuses on the study of different apsect of solid state physics necessary to study technologically relevant crytalline and amorphous systems. Particular enphasis is placed on the study of the crystal structure, crystal diffraction and the related techniques used as diagnostic tools; the electronic, thermal, optical and magnetic properties of material systems important for electronics and photonics device applications. Furthermore the course will also consider the theory of superconductivity, the chemistry aspcts of solid state materials and will provide an introduction to solid state biophysics. This course complements EC 574 (Physics of semiconductor material) and EC575 (semiconductor devices) with its focus on technologically relevant structural, optical, thermal and magnetic material properties. Meets with ENG MS 577. Students may not receive credit for both.

Back to full list of College of Engineering