Department of Electrical Engineering

Chair

Peter J. Ramadge

Associate Chair

Mansour Shayegan

Director of Graduate Studies

Bede Liu

Professor

Ravindra N. Bhatt

A. Robert Calderbank, also Mathematics, Applied and Computational Mathematics

Stephen Y. Chou

Bradley W. Dickinson

Niraj K. Jha

Antoine Kahn

Hisashi Kobayashi, also Computer Science

Sanjeev R. Kulkarni

Sun-Yuan Kung

Ruby B. Lee

Bede Liu

Stephen A. Lyon

Sharad Malik

Margaret R. Martonosi

H. Vincent Poor

Paul R. Prucnal

Peter J. Ramadge

Stuart C. Schwartz

Mansour Shayegan

James C. Sturm

Daniel C. Tsui

Sergio Verdú

Sigurd Wagner

Wayne Wolf

Visiting Professor

Edward Coyle, William R. Kenan Jr. Visiting Professor for Distinguished Teaching

Associate Professor

Claire F. Gmachl

Assistant Professor

Mung Chiang

Jason W. Fleischer

Evgueni E. Narimanov

Li-Shiuan Peh

Ron Weiss

Visiting Lecturer with Rank of Professor

Ed Zschau

Associated Faculty

Craig B. Arnold, Mechanical and Aerospace

David I. August, Computer Science

Douglas W. Clark, Computer Science

Ingrid C. Daubechies, Mathematics

Kai Li, Computer Science

Jennifer Rexford, Computer Science

Kenneth Steiglitz, Computer Science

 

The Department of Electrical Engineering accepts both beginning and advanced graduate students for study and research leading to the degrees of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) or Master of Engineering (M.Eng.). Graduate students have a great deal of flexibility to organize individual plans of study and research to match their needs and interests.

Prior Preparation

A student accepted for graduate study is expected to have met requirements for a bachelor’s or a master’s degree in engineering, mathematics, or physics. Applicants should have taken the general aptitude test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).

Doctor of Philosophy

The requirements for the Ph.D. degree consists of passing a general examination, conducting original research, and completing a doctoral thesis. In preparation for the general examination, the doctoral candidate consults with a faculty adviser to develop an integrated program of study in one or more of the research areas described below. Such preparation normally requires two academic years for students entering with a bachelor’s degree, and one academic year for students entering with a master’s. Although there are no formal course requirements for the Ph.D., each candidate is expected to demonstrate competence in core subjects relevant to the chosen area of study. The general examination includes a written and an oral component. The final public oral examination is taken after the candidate’s dissertation has been accepted; it is primarily a defense of the dissertation.

Teaching experience is considered to be a significant part of graduate education. All Ph.D. candidates are required to assist with course instruction for the equivalent of at least one term.

Master of Engineering

The M.Eng. program provides rigorous, advanced training in applied technology that goes beyond what is offered in a typical four-year engineering degree program. Students with adequate preparation usually complete the program in one year of full-time study. Master’s students must successfully complete eight courses, including six at the graduate level. Design projects count toward the course requirements. A thesis is not required. Part-time status is available for qualified students.

Students interested in the Ph.D. program should apply directly for the Ph.D. and not for the M.Eng.

Areas of Graduate Study

The graduate program offers considerable flexibility and accommodates a wide range of academic interests. Prospective students who are applying to the program are asked to specify one of four areas that most closely matches their research interests. This helps ensure that applications will be reviewed by faculty with relevant backgrounds.

Computer Engineering. Research in computer engineering covers a broad range of topics related to computer systems hardware and software design, including computer architecture, electronic design automation, ubiquitous computing, and VLSI design. Students interested in computer architecture engage in research on embedded systems, media processing, network and router architectures, neural computing, power-efficient systems, and security issues. Research on electronic design automation includes design tools for embedded systems, hardware-software codesign, low-power synthesis and testing, systems synthesis, and validation. Graduate-level classes span these areas, and “new topics” classes afford opportunities to explore emerging research areas. Extensive experimental facilities offer students the chance to perform serious hands-on research as part of their academic experience. Students also conduct research with strong theoretical underpinnings. Master’s and Ph.D. graduates of the program go on to positions as academics, industry researchers, and leaders of corporate start-ups.

Information Sciences and Systems. This program prepares students for research and teaching in communications, control, signal processing, and system theory. In addition to electrical engineering courses, students also elect courses offered by the computer science, mathematics, and operations research and financial engineering departments. Current research activities include work in adaptive and learning systems, communication networks, discrete-event systems, image and video processing and analysis, information theory, learning and pattern recognition, linear and nonlinear system theory, medical imaging, modeling and analysis in finance, multimedia communications, queuing and teletraffic theory, signal detection and estimation, stochastic modeling, system identification and control, watermarking and data hiding, and wireless communications. Research tends to be oriented toward analytical work in conjunction with simulation and algorithm implementation for signal processing and for optimization. Facilities are available for conducting experimental research, particularly in image and video processing.

Electronic Materials and Devices. This program prepares the student for development, research, and teaching in microtechnology, nanofabrication, and solid-state electronics. Courses are offered in electronic materials, heterojunction structures, nanostructures, nanotechnology, optical properties of solids, processes and devices for VLSI, quantum theory of disordered and correlated electronic materials, semiconductor surface phenomena, solid-state and semiconductor physics, solid-state devices, and transport theory. Students also may take courses in the physics department.

The research in electronic materials and devices ranges from the development of technology for ULSI to fundamental studies of the electronic and optical properties of semiconductors. The department provides extensive facilities for experimental and theoretical work. Current research includes investigations of nanostructures and nanotechnology; organic light-emitting diodes; the surface science of compound and organic semiconductors; the growth of heterostructure semiconductor devices and superlattices by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), chemical vapor deposition, and plasma-enhanced CVD; quantum-effect devices including those based on quantum wells and quantum dots; silicon-germanium ULSI technology; electronic and optical processes in semiconductors, including subpicosecond phenomena; defects in semiconductors and devices; electronic structure and transport in random solids; magnetotransport in two-dimensional systems; thin-film technology for displays; large-area electronic microfluidic and mechatronic devices; printable electronics; and solar cells. Solid-state theory covers disordered and correlated electronic systems, including metal-insulator transitions, the quantum Hall effect, and random magnets.

Optical and Optoelectronic Engineering. This program prepares students for research, advanced development, and teaching in optical communications, ultrafast and quantum optics, optoelectronic devices, optoelectronic materials, nonlinear optics, solitons and optical systems design with applications to fiber-optic networks, telecommunications systems, and multiprocessor interconnects. A core curriculum focuses on photonic science and technology. However, students can take courses with the Electronic Materials and Devices Group and the Information Sciences and Systems Group. They can also take courses in chemistry, mechanical and aerospace engineering, and physics. The research program is both experimental and theoretical. Projects can be in photonic switching, broadband optical networks and optical computing, smart pixels, high-bandwidth optical communications and networks, spatial and temporal optical solitons, optoelectronic integrated circuits, and quantum optics. This program currently offers graduate-level courses on fiber-optic communications, nonlinear optics, photonic devices, and ultrafast and quantum optics.

Interdisciplinary Programs

Students may combine their departmental work with courses and research opportunities offered by other departments and programs, including applied and computational mathematics, chemical engineering, computer science, molecular biology, operations research, photonic and optoelectronic materials, physics, and statistics. Opportunities for interdisciplinary research may involve collaboration with faculty in other engineering departments as well as in chemistry, molecular biology, and physics.

Research Seminars

Each of the four main graduate study areas described above features a research seminar series. In addition, informal seminars offer opportunities to exchange information and discuss ideas arising from the research work in progress.

Fellowships and Assistantships

A number of special fellowships, including the Wu and Upton Fellowships, are available each year. These fellowships, which vary in amount and detailed provisions, are supported by both endowed funds and grants from foundations, corporations, and government agencies. Recently, Intel, IBM, Microsoft, and Sony also have supported graduate fellowships.

Research assistantships are available for continuing students. This research usually becomes the basis for the thesis or the dissertation. Teaching assistantships also are available to continuing students. The amount of work required is consistent with a full-time graduate program. Maintenance allowances for assistantships are fixed as indicated in the awards and financial assistance section of this catalog, and include summer stipends. Continuing support is normally available on the basis of satisfactory academic performance.

Equipment and Facilities

Extensive facilities are available to support the wide range of experimental and theoretical research in the electrical engineering department. Equipment for research in configurable computing, digital devices and circuits, digital signal processing, embedded systems, parallel processing, video and image processing, and VLSI array processors is available.

The department also provides complete laboratory facilities for digital system design and construction. Also available are CAD tools for digitizing oscilloscopes, embedded system compilers, HP logic analyzers, logic design and simulation, microprocessor development systems, and synthesis tools for field-programmable gate arrays.

Advanced laboratories are in place for the growth of conventional and novel semiconductors, including four molecular-beam epitaxy systems, liquid-phase epitaxy, rapid-thermal chemical-vapor deposition, and plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. Clean rooms with equipment for the fabrication, packaging, and characterization of silicon, compound semiconductors, and organic semiconductor devices are available. The department offers wide-range, cutting-edge nanofabrication facilities, including e-beamlithography, nanoimprint lithography, reactive ion etching, ion beam etching, and thin-film deposition equipment. The department’s research laboratories house numerous laser systems, ranging in wavelength from the ultraviolet to the far-infrared. Pulsed lasers with pulse lengths down to less than 20 femtoseconds are available for measuring ultrafast systems and phenomena. The high magnetic field laboratories include superconducting magnets and dilution refrigerators. A number of special-purpose massively parallel as well as high-speed multiprocessor computers are available, in addition to the more general-purpose machines (see below) for computationally intensive research in solid-state as well as other topics.

The department offers a wide range of facilities for computing-based research. A National Science Foundation–funded Experimental Computing Facility is dedicated to providing the high-speed computers and massive storage necessary for large-scale experiments with algorithms and simulations. The department’s software facilities include both licensed and public-domain software: architecture simulation, CAD, mathematical and statistical analysis, and VHDL simulation, to name a few. The University’s Office of Information Technology (OIT) provides Sun and SGI computer servers, workstations, and clusters of PCs, along with a wide range of installed software.

The Engineering Library is fully equipped with texts and reference materials in all of the major areas of engineering, including both domestic and foreign periodicals, and files of project research reports. The University Library System contains a large number of reference materials, including texts, periodicals, reports, and on-line journals.

More detailed information about graduate study in electrical engineering at Princeton may be obtained at www.ee.princeton.edu.

Undergraduate Courses

Although many undergraduate courses are open to graduate students, the courses listed below represent high-level core areas of the department. Graduate students are encouraged to take one or more if they feel they need a deeper background.

ELE 441 Solid-State Physics I

Mansour Shayegan

Introduction to the properties of solids. Theory of free electrons—classical and quantum. Crystal structure and methods of determination. Electron energy levels in a crystal: weak potential and tight-binding limits. Classification of solids—metals, semiconductors, and insulators. Types of bonding and cohesion in crystals. Lattice dynamics, phonon spectra, and thermal properties of harmonic crystals. Three hours of lectures. Prerequisites: ELE 342, or PHY 208 and PHY 305, or the equivalent.

ELE 442 Solid-State Physics II

Ravindra N. Bhatt

Electronic structure of solids. Electron dynamics and transport. Semiconductors and impurity states. Surfaces and interfaces. Dielectric properties of insulators. Electron-electron, electron-phonon, and phonon-phonon interactions. Anharmonic effects in crystals. Magnetism, superconductivity, alloys. Three hours of lectures. Prerequisite: ELE 441 or the equivalent.

ELE 453 Optical Electronics

Claire F. Gmachl

Electromagnetic waves. Gaussian beams. Optical resonators. Interaction of light and matter. Lasers. Mode-locking and Q-switching in lasers. Three hours of lectures. Prerequisite: ELE 351 or ELE 352, PHY 304, or with the permission of the instructor.

ELE 454 Photonics and Light-Wave Communications

Claire F. Gmachl

Introduction to fiber-optic communication systems. Optical detectors and receivers. Design and performance of direct detection systems. Coherent light-wave systems. Multichannel WDM communication systems. Optical amplifiers. Soliton communication systems. Three hours of lectures. Prerequisite: ELE 351 or ELE 352.

ELE 462 Design of Very Large Scale Integrated (VLSI) Systems (also COS 462)

Wayne Wolf

The implementation of digital systems, using integrated circuit technology. Emphasis is on structured design methodologies for VLSI systems. Topics include design rules for metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) integrated circuits, implementation of common digital components, tools for computer-aided design, novel architectures for VLSI systems. Three hours of lectures. Prerequisite: ELE 206.

ELE 465 Switching and Sequential Systems

Sun-Yuan Kung

Theory of digital computing systems. Topics include logic function decomposition, reliability and fault diagnosis, synthesis of synchronous circuits and iterative networks, state minimization, synthesis of asynchronous circuits, state-identification and fault detection, finite-state recognizers, definite machines, information lossless machines. Three hours of lectures. Prerequisite: ELE 206.

ELE 466 Digital System Testing

Niraj K. Jha

Component-level issues related to testing and design/synthesis for testability of digital systems. Topics include test generation for combinational and sequential circuits, design and synthesis for testability, and built-in self-test circuits. Three hours of lectures. Prerequisite: ELE 206 or the equivalent.

ELE 475 Computer Architecture

Li-Shiuan Peh

An in-depth study of the fundamentals of modern processor and system design. Students develop a strong practical and theoretical background in the technical and economic issues that govern the design of computer architectures and implementations. The course emphasizes the skills required to design and evaluate current and future systems. Three hours of lectures. Prerequisite: ELE 206 and ELE 375.

ELE 486 Digital Communications and Networks

Hisashi Kobayashi

Introduction to digital communication systems and networks, introductory information and coding theory, digital modulation, layered architecture concept of networks, introductory traffic and queuing theory, local area networks and media access control, error control in networks, switching and multiplexing, ATM (asynchronous transfer mode) in B-ISDN (broadband integrated services digital networks). Three hours of lectures. Prerequisite: ELE 301 and ELE 380.

ELE 488 Image Processing and Transmission

Bede Liu

Introduction to the basic theory and techniques of two- and three-dimensional image processing. Topics include image perception, 2-D image transforms, enhancement, restoration, compression, tomography, and image understanding. Applications to HDTV, machine vision, and medical imaging, etc. Three hours of lectures, one laboratory. Prerequisite: ELE 301.

Graduate Courses

ELE 513 Introduction to Nano/Microfabrication (also MSE 531)

Conrad L. Silvestre and James C. Sturm

Introduction to the basic technologies and knowledge of nano/microfabrication, giving students hands-on experience in making nano/microstructures and handling sophisticated equipment. Emphasis is on clean-room operations and equipment. Satisfies the training requirements of the Princeton Institute for the Science and Technology of Materials (PRISM) microfabrication laboratory.

ELE 514 Extramural Research Internship

Bede Liu

Full-time research internship at a host institution to perform scholarly research directly relevant to a student’s dissertation work. Research objectives are determined by the student’s adviser in consultation with the outside host. A midterm progress report and final paper are required. Enrollment is limited to post-generals students for up to two terms, and participation will be considered exceptional.

ELE 515 Extramural Summer Research Project

Staff

Summer research project, designed in conjunction with the student’s adviser and an industrial, NGO, or government sponsor, that provides practical experience relevant to the student’s research area. Start date no earlier than June 1. A research report and sponsor’s evaluation are required. Students considering applying for this course should review the recommended guidelines before consulting their adviser and director of graduate studies.

ELE 518, 519 Seminar in Information Sciences and Systems

Staff

A forum of graduate students, staff, and distinguished outside speakers presenting their recent research in signal processing, communication and information theory, decision and control, and systems theory. Attendance by information sciences and systems (ISS) students is required.

ELE 520 Optimization and Optimal Control

Staff

A study of optimization theory using a vector space approach. Topics include a review of finite dimensional linear spaces and a discussion of extensions to infinite dimensional (function) spaces; operators and functional analysis; minimum norm problems; duality, convexity, and constrained optimization problems; and Lagrange multiplier theory and applications to optimal control, including the maximum principle. Emphasis is on theoretical foundations as interpreted geometrically through the vector space setting.

ELE 521 Linear System Theory (also MAE 547)

Bradley W. Dickinson

Advanced topics in linear system analysis. The course gives a review of linear vector spaces and differential equations. Characterization of continuous and discrete time linear systems, transfer functions and state-space representations, properties of transition matrices, observability and controllability, minimal realizations, stability, feedback, and pole assignment are studied.

ELE 523 Nonlinear System Theory (see MAE 548)

ELE 524 Theory of Statistical Inference

Staff

Logical foundations of estimation, from classical Bayesian and decision theory viewpoints. Gives an introduction to statistical hypothesis testing. Examines parametric and non-parametric approaches and large-sample theory.

ELE 525 Random Processes in Information Systems

Sergio Verdú

Presents the fundamentals of applied random processes needed by students in communications, computer engineering, controls, and signal processing. Probability, random variables (discrete and continuous), random processes, stationarity and ergodicity, spectral analysis, Gaussian processes, Brownian motion and diffusion processes, estimation and filtering, Poisson processes and birth-and-death processes, queueing and loss-systems models.

ELE 526 Digital Communications and Systems

Stuart C. Schwartz

Covers the transmission of digital data through three classes of channels: the additive white Gaussian noise channel, band-limited channels, and random channels. Topics studied include signal representation, quantization; signal demodulation, optimum receivers, coherent and noncoherent reception, frequency acquisition, phase tracking and synchronization; signal design for band-limited channels, inter-symbol interference, equalization and adaptive techniques; modeling of fading and multipath channels, diversity techniques, RAKE demodulator. Additional topics, if time permits, include signal encoding and coded modulation.

ELE 527 Selected Topics in Signal Processing

Bede Liu

Topics of current interest on digital signal processing algorithms and their implementation, including floating-point arithmetic roundoff errors, fast transform algorithms, multirate and multidimensional signal processing, spectral estimation, and adaptive signal processing. Prerequisites: ELE 482 and ELE 525, or the equivalent.

ELE 528 Information Theory

Sergio Verdú

An exploration of the Shannon theory of information, covering noiseless-source coding theory of ergodic sources and channel-coding theorems, including channels with memory, multiple-access, and Gaussian channels.

ELE 529 Theoretical Foundations of Random Processes

Staff

A systematic treatment of the mathematical properties of stochastic processes. Explores fundamental concepts and general properties; convergence, second-order processes, and processes of orthogonal increments; and Wiener theory. Examines Brownian motion and stochastic integrals and processes with independent increments. Markov processes and diffusion equations and stochastic differential equations are studied. Applications in detection, estimation, and stochastic control. Prerequisite: ELE 485 or ELE 525, or the equivalent.

ELE 530 Theory of Detection and Estimation

H. Vincent Poor

Hypothesis testing; detection and estimation of signals in noise; detection of signals with unknown parameters; prediction and filtering of stationary time series; detection of stochastic signals; and nonparametric and robust techniques. Prerequisite: ELE 525, or the equivalent.

ELE 531 Communication Networks

Hisashi Kobayashi

Modeling and analysis of high-speed communication networks. Topics include M/M/1, M/G/1, G/M/m, and G/G/1 queues; queueing networks and loss networks; network architectures and protocols; media access control, multiplexing, and switching; resource allocation and congestion control; local area networks, TCP/IP Protocol in Internet, and B-ISDN ATM networks. Prerequisites: ELE 525, or the equivalent, and a familiarity with topics in ELE 486 is desirable.

ELE 532 Adaptive Systems

Stuart C. Schwartz

The theory and application of adaptive systems in communications and control. Examines learning techniques and related models; the role of sufficient statistics; recursive and empirical Bayes procedures; and convergence properties. Simultaneous detection and estimation is studied. Topics discussed include intersymbol interference and channel equalization, model-reference adaptive systems, multipath communication, adaptive data compression, decision-directed receivers, adaptive filtering, and arrays. Prerequisite: ELE 525, or the equivalent.

ELE 533 Multiuser Communication Theory

Sergio Verdú

Communication channels shared by several users, with an emphasis on applications in wireless communication. Time-division and frequency-division multiplexing, random-access communications, and code-division multiple-access (CDMA) are studied. A primary focus of the course is the analysis and design of multiuser detection for interference suppression in CDMA. Prerequisites: ELE 486 and ELE 525, or the equivalent.

ELE 534 Fiber-Optic Communications Systems

Paul R. Prucnal

Guided-wave optical transmission in fibers and planar waveguides; fiber types and their characteristics, such as loss and bandwidth; the performance of light-emitting diodes and semiconductor lasers in fiber-optic systems; modulation techniques; the principles of direct, homodyne, and heterodyne photodetection; noise in optical receivers, including dark current, random-carrier multiplication noise, thermal noise, and quantum noise; and system design and performance. Examples of lightwave communication systems are given, including long-haul transmission, fiber-optic local area networks, photonic switching, and VLSI optical micro-area networks. Prerequisite: ELE 454, or the equivalent.

ELE 535 Machine Learning and Pattern Recognition

Sanjeev R. Kulkarni

An introduction to the theoretical foundations of machine learning and pattern recognition. Topics include Bayesian pattern classification; parametric methods; nearest-neighbor classification; kernel methods; density estimation; VC theory; neural networks; stochastic approximation. Prerequisite: ELE 525, or the permission of the instructor.

ELE 538, 539 Special Topics in Information Sciences and Systems

Staff

Advanced studies in selected areas in signal processing, communication and information theory, decision and control, and system theory. Emphasis is on recent developments and current literature. Content varies from year to year according to the instructor’s and students’ interests.

ELE 540 Organic Materials for Photonics and Electronics (also MSE 532)

Staff

An introduction to organic materials, with an application to active electronic and photonic devices. Basic concepts and terminology in organic materials, and electronic and optical structure-property relationships are discussed. Charge transport, light emission, and photo-induced charge transfer are examined. Finally, archetype organic devices such as light-emitting diodes, photodetectors, and transistors are described.

ELE 541 Electronic Materials (also MSE 510)

Sigurd Wagner

The science and technology of materials used in electronics and optoelectronics. Emphases vary from year to year. Subjects include the growth of crystals and of thin films, vacuum technology, phase diagrams, defects and atomic diffusion in semiconductors, techniques for analyzing electronic materials, amorphous silicon, and materials for large-area electronics, displays, and solar cells.

ELE 542 Surface Properties of Electronically Active Solids

Antoine Kahn

Theoretical aspects and experimental determinations of electronic properties and atomic structures of surfaces and interfaces of solids: surface energy band structure; surface states; atomic reconstructions; metal-semiconductor interfaces, and semiconductor heterojunctions. Experimental techniques such as electron diffraction and fine-structure techniques, Auger and core-level photoemission spectroscopies, angle-resolved valence-band spectroscopy, and scanning probe microscopies and spectroscopies are examined.

ELE 543 Transport Processes in Solids

Stephen A. Lyon

Transport properties in the context of irreversible thermodynamics as well as the Onsager relations and the fluctuation dissipation theorem. Also examines the Boltzmann equation, which is used for systematic study of electrical and thermal transport phenomena in solids, mostly semiconductors, including magnetic field effects.

ELE 544 Physics and Technology of Heterojunctions

Daniel C. Tsui

A study of the metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) structure, made on silicon substrate, and the heterojunction thin-film structures, made of lattice-matched, single-crystal compound semiconductors. Emphasis is on the electronic properties of these structures and their use in solid-state electronic devices. Special topics of contemporary interest include quantization of surface inversion layers, properties of two-dimensional electrons, localization, and synthetic superlattices.

ELE 545 Electronic Devices

Stephen Y. Chou

The physics and technology of electronic devices; junctions, bipolar transistors, and field-effect transistors; MOS; integrated circuits; and special microwave devices.

ELE 546 Optical Properties of Solids

Stephen A. Lyon

Classical and quantum mechanical theories for absorption and dispersion. The optical properties are derived from knowledge of electronic band structure of solids, including excitons and effects of external perturbations; the influence of doping, disorder, and reduced dimensionality; bulk and surface polaritons; nonlinear optical processes, and transient and irreversible phenomena. An overview of major measurement techniques is included.

ELE 547, 548 Selected Topics in Solid-State Electronics

Staff

One or more advanced topics in solid-state electronics. Content vary from year to year. Recent topics have included electronic properties of doped semiconductors, physics and technology of nanostructures, and organic materials for optical and electronic device application.

ELE 549 Physics and Technology of VLSI (also MSE 533)

James C. Sturm

The phenomena encountered in the fabrication of VLSI integrated circuits and the operation of VLSI devices. Processing topics include ion implantation and the role of point defects on oxidation and diffusion. Device topics include scaling theories and submicron MOS and bipolar device design. Examines computer simulation for both devices and processes; as well as speed-power products and fundamental limits in VLSI. Prerequisites: knowledge of I.C. fabrication techniques and ELE 545, or the equivalent.

ELE 550 Scaling of VLSI Devices

James C. Sturm

The design and operation of electronic devices for Ultra-Large Scale Integration (ULSI), with an emphasis on their scaling to smaller dimensions. Most of the course focuses on Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors (MOSFETs). After a review of system drivers for their performance of classical behavior, critical factors affecting scaling and modern design approaches are examined. Issues include sub-threshold slopes, the effects of short channels on both “on” and “off” current and reliability, and relevant fabrication methods as they pertain to technological trends and challenges. Computer modeling tools for both circuits and devices are introduced. Advanced topics such as microwave performance and SOI and SiGe technologies are introduced, and system issues for both logic and memory technology is discussed. Time permitting, scaling of bipolar devices is also covered.

ELE 551 Theory and Application of Photonic Devices

Staff

A foundation in the principle of operation of semiconductor-based photonic devices. Topics include how system requirements have an impact on device design, semiconductor laser diode and photodiode physics, modulators, and optoelectronic- and photonic-integrated circuits.

ELE 552 Ultrafast and Quantum Optics

Staff

Fundamental principles and applications of ultrafast pulse generation, propagation, and detection. The aspects of quantum optics are covered, including coherent states, squeezed states, and quantum noise. The emphasis is on practical engineering applications. The goal of the course is to develop a basis for performing research on ultrafast optical phenomena, quantum measurement, and all-optical signal processing.

ELE 553 Nonlinear Optics (also MSE 553)

Evgenii E. Narimanov

An introduction to nonlinear optics, second-harmonic generation, parametric amplification and oscillation, electrooptic effects, third-order nonlinearities, phase-conjugate optics, photorefractive materials, and solitons.

ELE 563 Electronic Design Automation

Sharad Malik

Case studies in electronic design automation. Focus on fundamental techniques, with applications in multiple problems. Current topics include two-level logic minimization, Boolean function representation and manipulation, technology mapping for logic circuits, floor planning, cell placement and routing, timing verification, behavioral synthesis. Work includes research paper presentations, assignments, and a final project.

ELE 567 Advanced Solid-State Electron Physics (also PHY 567)

Ravindra N. Bhatt

Electron localization in disordered structures—Anderson model and scaling theory of localization; correlated electron systems—Hubbard model, Mott transition; metal-insulator transitions in correlated and disordered materials; quantum hall effect—integer and fractional; and quantum-phase transitions.

ELE 570 VLSI Array Processors

Sun-Yuan Kung

Design of VLSI arrays for handling extremely stringent real-time processing for signal/image processing and scientific computing; vertically integrated VLSI system design methodology covering technology constraints, algorithm analyses, parallelism extractions, architecture design, system development, and application understanding; and VLSI architectures, mapping algorithms to arrays, systolic array design, and wavefront array design.

ELE 571 Digital Neurocomputing

Sun-Yuan Kung

Various fundamental aspects of neurocomputing, including theory, modeling, algorithms, architectures, and applications. Introduces various working network models and the corresponding learning algorithms. The course then derives a unification of existing neural nets and basic building blocks of neural computers. Explores the important future prospects on neural modeling and the potential impacts on conventional algorithm/architecture design as well as promising applications to various image/vision processing and pattern-recognition problems.

ELE 572 Processor Architectures for New Paradigms

Ruby B. Lee

Advanced instruction-set architecture, micro-architecture, and memory architecture for emerging areas of digital information processing. Algorithm, arithmetic, and architecture techniques for accelerating multimedia information processing and secure information processing with programmable processors. Topics may include optimal media processors for Internet information appliances and cryptography support for electronic commerce, extranets, and intellectual property protection.

ELE 573 Cellular and Biochemical Computing Systems

Ron Weiss

A discussion of computational issues in modeling cellular systems and the engineering of synthetic biochemical computing systems. Topics include modeling of genetic regulatory networks using continuous and stochastic methods, construction of synthetic gene networks, metabolic networks, signal transduction pathways, cell-to-cell signaling, molecular and DNA computing, molecular self-assembly, directed molecular evolution, transcriptional and translational regulation, oscillation and circadian clocks, cell differentiation and pattern formation, chemotaxis, molecular switches and molecular electronics, and the theory of chemical computation.

ELE 577 Low-Power IC and System Design

Niraj K. Jha

Sources of power consumption; simulation-based power analysis, probabilistic power analysis; circuit and logic-level power optimization; power analysis and optimization at the register-transfer, behavior and system levels; power management; software power estimation and optimization; and hardware-software cosynthesis for low power.

ELE 579 Pervasive Information Systems (also COS 579)

Perry Cook, Wayne Wolf

Study of the nature and design of advanced information appliances, particularly multimedia-rich systems.

ELE 580 Advanced Topics in Computer Engineering

Staff

Selected research topics in computer engineering. Emphasis is on new results and emerging areas. (More detailed outlines are contained in the booklet Course Outlines, issued by the department each year.)

ELE 591 High-Tech Entrepreneurship

Ed Zschau

Designed for graduate students in the sciences and engineering, particularly those in the Masters of Engineering program, who are interested in starting up high-tech companies early in their careers, or who want to join, as key contributors, new emerging technology companies after graduation. Class sessions are with undergraduate students enrolled in ELE 491. Graduate students are required to meet and participate in four 90-minute seminars, with special readings and assignments to address in more detail the techniques for analyzing technologies for commercial feasibility and developing new products that create commercial success.

ELE 597, 598 Electrical Engineering Master’s Projects

Staff

Under the direction of a faculty member, each student carries out a master’s-level project and presents his or her results. For Master of Engineering students. ELE 597, fall term; ELE 598, spring term.

Undergraduate Courses of Interest

The following courses listed in the Undergraduate Announcement are open for election by graduate students who have not had the equivalent.

Computer Science

423 Theory of Algorithms

425 Database and Information Management Systems

426 Computer Graphics

487 Theory of Computation

Electrical Engineering

342 Physical Principles of Electronic Devices

375 Computer Architecture and Organization

441, 442 Solid-State Physics I and II

453 Optical Electronics

482 Digital Signal Processing

485 Signal Analysis and Communication Systems

486 Digital Communications and Networks

488 Image Processing and Transmission