Micro (and Nano) Mechanical Signal Processors

Sunil Bhave
Cornell University

Monday, April 12, 2010 at 1:00PM
54-134 Engineering IV Building
Refreshments Served

Abstract: With quality factors (Q) often-exceeding 10,000, vibrating micromechanical resonators have emerged as leading candidates for on-chip versions of high-Q resonators used in wireless communications systems. However, as in the case for transistors, extending the frequency of MEMS resonators generally entails scaling of resonator dimensions. Unfortunately, smaller size often coincides with lower-power handling capability and increased motional impedance. In this talk, I will introduce novel solid-state transduction techniques, present latest results on narrow-bandwidth parametric filters for frequency-agile radio receivers, discuss performance scaling of MEMS resonators to X-band frequencies and propose mechanisms for coupling MEMS resonators with silicon photonics, spin-torque oscillators and mechanical systems in the quantum regime.

Biography: Sunil Bhave received the B.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of California, Berkeley in 1998 and 2004 respectively, in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences. In October 2004, he joined the faculty of Cornell University, where he is presently an Assistant Professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering. His research interests focus on resonators for radio, microwave and photonic front-ends, inertial sensors, acousto-optic and acousto-magnetic interactions, and hybrid NEMS-CMOS technologies. Professor Bhave received the NSF Early CAREER Development Award in 2007 and the DARPA Young Faculty Award in 2008. His students have received the Best Student Paper Competition Award in Group 3 at the 2009 IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium and the Roger A. Haken Best Student Paper Award at the 2007 IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting.

Video: http://www.eeweb.ee.ucla.edu/videos/EE297_Unspecified_2010-04-12_01-08-AM.htm