Kristofer S.J. Pister (Advisor)

Research Advised by Professor Kristofer S.J. Pister

Pister Group: List of Projects | List of Researchers

FMCW Lidar: Scaling to the Chip-Level and Improving Phase-Noise-Limited Performance

Phillip Sandborn

Ming C. Wu

Bernhard Boser

Kristofer S.J. Pister

Liwei Lin

2017

Lidar (light detection and ranging) technology has the potential to revolutionize the way automated systems interact with their environments and their users. Most lidar systems in the industry today rely on pulsed (or, "time-of-flight") lidar, which has reached limits in terms of depth resolution. Coherent lidar schemes, such as frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) lidar, offer significant advantage in achieving high depth resolution, but are often too complex, too expensive, and/or too bulky to be implemented in the consumer industry. FMCW, and its close cousin, swept-source optical...

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Wireless Power Monitoring at Plugs and Panels

Michael Lorek

Kristofer S.J. Pister

Michel M. Maharbiz

Paul Wright

2015

In 2012, electricity generation was responsible for over 30% of carbon emissions in the US - surpassing the transportation sector - and predictions to 2040 show this trend continuing with current technologies. Electrical submetering provides improved spatial and temporal resolution into how buildings use their energy, and case studies have shown that improvements driven by submetering data can lead to 5-30% reductions in electrical energy usage. However, traditional building submetering technologies present unfavorable cost, installation, and form factor attributes that inhibit the...

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High-Q AlN Contour Mode Resonators with Unattached, Voltage-Actuated Electrodes

Robert Schneider

Clark T.-C. Nguyen

Kristofer S.J. Pister

Liwei Lin

2015

High-Q narrowband filters at ultra-high frequencies hold promise for reducing noise and suppressing interferers in wireless transceivers, yet research efforts confront a daunting challenge. So far, no existing resonator technology can provide the simultaneous high-Q, high electromechanical coupling (k2 ), frequency tunability, low motional resistance (Rx), stop band rejection, self-switch ability, frequency accuracy, and power handling desired to select individual channels or small portions of a band over a wide RF range. Indeed, each technology...

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Michael Lorek

Alumni

Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

Professor Kristofer S.J. Pister (Advisor)

Ph.D. 2015

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An SOI Process for Integrated Solar Power, Circuitry and Actuators for Autonomous Microelectromechanical Systems

Colby Bellew

Albert P. Pisano

2002

A new process has been developed for fabricating integrated, solar-powered microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer. The process provides for the fabrication of high voltage solar cell arrays, high aspect ratio electrostatic actuators and high voltage switches which can be controlled with a low voltage input. To demonstrate the capabilities of this process, an electrostatic actuator was operated with power provided by an on-chip solar array and controlled with an on-chip power switch.

One of the primary challenges in creating a successful...

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A High-Density Carbon Fiber Neural Recording Array Technology: Design, Fabrication, Assembly, and Validation

Travis Massey

Michel M. Maharbiz

Kristofer S.J. Pister

Michael R. DeWeese

2018

Increasingly advanced tools are desired for understanding electrical activity in the brain, whether for basic neuroscience or clinically relevant brain-machine interfaces. Among the many classes of tools available, intracortical neural recording electrodes have the potential advantage of both high spatial and temporal resolution, and depending on the device can be suitable for either acute or chronic applications. To achieve the breadth of desirable characteristics for an acute neural recording array, including minimal...