Photonics, Electronics and Nanotechnology

Integration of novel materials at nanoscales and of innovative design concepts into optoelectronic devices and optical systems enables photonic technologies that empower the next-generation of light sources, smart lighting detectors and sensors, biodetection, and on-chip communication. At BU we have a strong history of innovative research in the photonics and nanotechnology fields, including the development of novel photonic and electronic materials from metamaterials to two-dimensional materials over plasmonics. Integrated optoelectronics, silicon photonics, quantum optics, optical devices and systems, fiber sources and power electronics pave pathways towards high-speed communication, novel detectors, MEMS/NEMS sensors and next-generation laser and ultrafast optics. Sophisticated customized fabrication, design and modeling combined with state-of-the art characterization techniques down to nanoscales enables the demonstration of high performance photonic devices. All these technologies are centered around the detection, transmission and manipulation of light and photons and drive interdisciplinary applications in fields as smart lighting, optical characterization and biomedical instrumentation. Research activities in Photonics, Electronics and Nanotechnology strongly connect ECE to the Photonics Center and the Nanotechnology Innovation Center that serve as a fertile ground for cross-disciplinary collaborations. We invite you to explore our research activities, meet our teams, and read about our success stories by visiting faculty, lab and research center pages below.

Affiliated Faculty

Enrico Bellotti, David Campbell, Abdoulaye Ndao, Luca Dal Negro, William Klein, Robert Kotiuga, Min-Chang Lee, Roberto Paiella, Miloš Popović, Siddharth Ramachandran, Michelle Sander, Alexander Sergienko, Sahar Sharifzadeh, Alex Sushkov, Anna Swan, Selim Ünlü, Chen Yang, Rabia Yazicigil, Xin Zhang

Affiliated Labs

• Computational Electronics
• High Dimensional Photonics
• Nanomaterials and Nanostructure Optics
• Optical Characterization and Nanophotonics
• Paiella Research Group
• Quantum Communication & Measurement
• Sharifzadeh Group
• Ultrafast Optics
• WISE Circuits
• Yang Research Group

Affiliated Research Centers

• Cellular Metamaterials NSF ERC
• Center for Semiconductor Materials and Devices Modeling
• Lighting Enabled Systems and Applications NSF ERC
• Materials Science and Engineering Core Research Facility
• Nanotechnology Innovation Center
• Photonics Center
• Rajen Kilachand Center for Integrated Life Sciences & Engineering

In the news:

• April 20, 2023

  The Sky’s the Limit: Ramachandran Team’s Light Transmission Discovery Published by Science

  Researchers’ new method for scaling up data capacity in optical fibers echoes astronomical phenomena - with significant implications for tomorrow’s internet. [ More ]

• December 14, 2022

  Pushing the Boundaries of Photonic Sensing

  Professor Luca Dal Negro has received a $450K grant from the Army Research Office to pursue improvements in quantum photonic sensing and detection technology driven by the development of novel nonlinear nanostructures. [ More ]

• November 7, 2022

  MADE with Machine Learning: Utilizing AI to Design the Next Generation of Semiconductor Devices

  With the help of advanced, physics-informed machine learning (PIML) techniques, Professors Enrico Bellotti & Luca Dal Negro are setting out to transform the status quo of electronic device design, with the support of a $2.5M grant from the Army Research Office. [ More ]

• June 8, 2022

  Giving Your Neurons a Nudge: ECE Researchers Use Light, Sound and Microwaves to Influence Brain Function

  Professors Ji-Xin Cheng and Chen Yang have two ongoing projects that could LITERALLY change your mind. The application of optoacoustic stimulation directly to specific neural circuits holds great promise for new therapeutic applications, while the inhibiting effects of microwaves on other neurological processes may offer a drug-free form of pain management. [ More ]

• May 11, 2022

  Monitoring and Miniaturization: Faculty Awarded $1M to Develop High-Resolution Sensors for Use with Nanoscale Devices

  Professors Alexander Sergienko and Abdoulaye Ndao, working with a team of researchers at SUNY Buffalo, have been awarded a $1M Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) grant by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) to develop novel sensors for microelectronics. [ More ]