Ming C. Wu (Advisor)

Quantum computing has emerged as a revolutionary field promising unprecedented computational power and transformative applications. Trapped ions have emerged as an encouraging platform for quantum computation due to their long coherence times, high-fidelity qubit operations, and the ability to achieve scalable entanglement and error correction. However, the practical realization of large-scale quantum systems faces significant challenges, including the need for efficient and scalable control of qubits. Integrated photonics has gained substantial attention as a promising platform for...

The goal of this research is the creation of robust, flexible, polymer sensors and circuits fabricated partially from the low cost biopolymer, chitosan, the deacetylated form of chitin which is the second most abundant polyssacharide in nature. Chitin is found in crustaceans, insects, bacteria and fungi. The sensors will detect diatomic gases and DNA to more complex macro molecules (e.g. exotoxins) in a fluidic or dry environment. Polymer-nanoparticle (e.g. Ge) hybrid films allow for development of robust polymer thin-film transistors and, with optimization of the hybrid film,...

Photonic integrated circuits (PICs) hold significant promise in applications such as data center networks, artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, quantum computing, and LiDAR, thanks to their energy efficiency and large communication bandwidth. By leveraging the infrastructure and technologies of conventional CMOS foundries, the development and manufacturing costs of PIC chips are significantly reduced. However, the commercialization of PIC products faces a critical challenge in optical packaging, which currently accounts for three times the cost of the PIC itself. Among...