Zero-dimensional quantum systems, such as molecules, defects, and quantum dots, are promising building blocks for scalable quantum technologies; however, their practical deployment is often limited by challenges associated with device integration and reliable readout. We present an all-electrical readout mechanism for quasi-0D quantum states (0D-QS), such as point defects, adatoms, and...
Quantum dots exhibit narrow linewidths stemming from their size, semiconductor composition, and confinement regions, making them ideal candidates for solid state lighting applications. Currently, silicon quantum dots are utilized in a wide variety of applications, from biomedicine to catalysts. Research continues to elucidate their fundamental nature; seeking to solve inefficiencies and...
Abstract—Lightweight cryptography is essential in systems constrained by power, performance, and area (PPA), particularly in IoT and embedded applications. To address these challenges,we present a RISC-V implementation of the BipBip algorithm, a symmetric tweakable block cipher tailored for fine-grained protection of pointer and contextual data in the CPU path of an SoC. Unlike larger-block...
It is often challenging to provide students with hands-on experience in low-level computer science concepts. Developing engaging, experiential course materials for Computer Organization can be particularly demanding, yet such approaches are highly effective in increasing student interest and understanding. Student engagement is frequently hindered by difficulties in setting up experiments...
This work presents the design, fabrication, and silicon bring-up of a CMOS integrated circuit developed through a full-custom VLSI tape-out project in TSMC 180 nm technology. The fabricated chip integrates inverter-based and NAND-based multi-stage ring oscillators along with a two-stage operational amplifier. A complete custom design flow was followed, including schematic design, pre- and...
Two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals heterostructures offer a powerful materials-by-design approach for beyond-CMOS electronics, enabling atomically sharp junctions, clean interfaces, and heterogeneous integration on silicon platforms. Among these, MoS₂–graphene heterostructures combine graphene’s high conductivity and tunable work function with the semiconducting bandgap of MoS₂, providing a...
Performance of UWBG materials for vertical high-power, high-frequency electronics is characterized by the Baliga FOM which is a measure of power handling, a cubic function of critical electric field. Further scaling of power handling to 106x compared to the industry workhorse Si is limited by the availability of conducting lattice matched substrates. Conventional substrate materials that can...
Topological spin textures in solids are of great interest for future spin-electronic technologies. Recent studies of chiral cubic materials hosting skyrmions—such as the itinerant magnets MnSi and FeGe and the Mott insulator Cu2OSeO3—have shown that they exhibit a common set of magnetic phases characterized by long-period spin modulations and undergo similar field-induced transitions. Here, we...
The importance of research in the field of non-conventional energy generation and storage cannot be overemphasized in order to be less dependent on limited resources in nature. Our research has established the effectiveness of the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) method for the
synthesis of an emerging class of transition metal oxynitride (TMON) material systems in epitaxial thin film form. The...
Oxides doped with rare-earth elements (REEs) have garnered significant attention for their strong photoluminescent properties in sensing applications. REEs are used in many high-performance technologies due to their unique 4f electronic transitions. Although the oxides are not inherently luminescent, they serve as excellent host for lanthanide-ion doping because of their open structure,...
For decades, surface acoustic wave devices have widely been used in radio frequency (RF) filters, sensors, and signal processing systems. This project focuses on the microfabrication of SAW delay lines and resonators, emphasizing the lithography steps used to define interdigital transducers (IDTs) on piezoelectric substrates. Devices are fabricated on 128° YX-cut lithium niobate and quartz....
Finite element analysis (FEA) was used to investigate the thermal behavior of additively manufactured polymer lattice thermal interface materials (P-TIMs) across a range of architectural configurations. Starting from a baseline lattice, we generated multiple designs by selectively adding vertical struts in uniform, alternating, and graded arrangements to enhance through-plane heat conduction....
The development of environmentally benign nanocomposite materials has gained significant attention in photocatalytic applications, particularly for wastewater treatment. In this study, a pectin–zinc oxide (ZnO) nanocomposite was synthesized using a green, solution-based route that leverages the natural polysaccharide pectin as a biopolymeric stabilizer and matrix. The structural,...
Virtual Reality (VR) has emerged as a powerful tool for training in high-risk and resource-intensive fields such as semiconductor manufacturing, where traditional hands-on learning is often limited by safety, cost, and facility access constraints. This study presents the development and in-depth evaluation of a Photolithography-focused Virtual Training Environment (PL-VTE) designed to support...
Two-dimensional (2D) ferroelectric materials are promising candidates for next-
generation nanoelectronic and non-volatile memory devices. Reliable
electrical characterization at the nanoscale remains challenging. In this work, we
investigate the ferroelectric properties of layered CuInP₂S₆ (CIPS) using a modified
conductive atomic force microscopy (C-AFM) approach. CIPS flakes...
Feedback on athletic technique often requires a human input. However, there are many problems associated with this. Human input includes biases, humans often lack expertise, and humans are not always available. A lot of efforts have gone into the physics of basketball. Determining how factors like lift, angle, and velocity can impact the accuracy of a shot. But what if there was an automatic,...
Breast cancer outcomes are closely linked to the stage at which the disease is first detected. To make early detection more accessible, a device capable of distinguishing between low- and high-HER2 breast cancer using optical tweezing has been proposed. Initial efforts using the optical trapping of SKBR3 cells have been fully manual, limiting precision, reproducibility, and throughput. This...
Ferroelectric Hafnium Oxide (HfO2) is a leading candidate for scalable nonvolatile devices, yet the microscopic origin of polarization switching in isovalently doped HfO2 remains incompletely understood. Here, we investigate Zr-doped HfO2 using first-principles density-functional theory by constructing ±P polarization endpoints and analyzing the real-space charge density ρ(+P), ρ(-P), and...
4H-SiC is a host to a wide-range of optically active point defects with outstanding properties such as extremely high brightness and long spin coherence time. These remarkable characteristics make 4H-SiC defects ideal for various quantum applications, including magnetometry, thermometry, and quantum metrology. To investigate its potential for quantum sensing, we conducted a comprehensive study...
In the short-wave infrared (SWIR) photonic device market, there’s a need for small, low weight and low power devices (SWaP). As and Sb based nanowire photonic devices addresses this while demonstrating higher performance than conventional thin film devices. As-Sb nanowires promises more complex device design and SWIR extended wavelength operability when combined with group III materials such...
Vanadium disulfide (VS2) is a 2D transition metal dichalcogenide with highly tunable electronic, magnetic, and optoelectronic properties. While bulk VS2 exhibits metallic behavior, monolayer and H-phase forms are p-type semiconductors with a direct bandgap of 0.3-1.3 eV, high structural stability, and room-temperature ferromagnetism. The metallic phase is ideal for ultrathin, low-resistance...
Hardware Trojans pose a critical security risk by embedding malicious functionality that can evade design-time verification and remain dormant until activated. This ongoing project investigates side-channel analysis as a non-invasive approach for detecting hardware Trojans in FPGA-based systems, with a particular focus on electromagnetic (EM) emissions. An AES-128 encryption core is...
Historically Black Colleges and Universities play a critical role in preparing a diverse and resilient workforce for the United States economy.As technology and innovation driven industries evolve, alignment between higher education and workforce needs has become important.Research shows that HBCUs disproportionately contribute to the development of Black professionals while fostering strong...
Two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors such as WS₂, MoSe₂, InSe, and GaSe are promising materials for next generation optoelectronic and quantum technologies due to their layer dependent band structures, strong light matter interactions, and tunable defect states. Our research focuses on the structural and optical characterization of mechanically exfoliated 2D materials to understand their...
Rare-earth molybdates offer an ideal platform for exploring frustrated magnetism arising from the interplay of crystal electric field effects, exchange interactions, and lattice geometry. We report a comprehensive structural, magnetic, and thermodynamic study of the insulating rare-earth molybdate Nd2MoO6. Powder x-ray diffraction confirms a tetragonal crystal structure featuring a bilayered...
Titanium nitride (TiN) thin films have attracted significant interest for supercapacitor applications due to their high electrical conductivity, chemical stability, and electrochemical durability. In this study, TiN thin films were systematically synthesized using magnetron sputtering under controlled Ar:N₂ flow conditions of 18:2 sccm. Films were deposited at temperatures of 500 °C, 600 °C,...
