News

As AI explosion threatens progress on climate change, these researchers are seeking solutions

Charles Ferrer — Mon, 21 Apr 2025 18:40:11 +0000

As AI explosion threatens progress on climate change, these researchers are seeking solutions Charles Ferrer Mon, 04/21/2025 - 12:40

Bri-Mathias Hodge, professor in the Department of Electrical, Computer & Energy Engineering and Kyri Baker, associate professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, suggest that if future data centers are placed in the right location and equipped with energy storage technologies, they can run on 100 percent clean energy.

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Quantum technique could transform remote sensing, infrastructure monitoring

Charles Ferrer — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 19:14:11 +0000

Quantum technique could transform remote sensing, infrastructure monitoring Charles Ferrer Wed, 04/16/2025 - 13:14

Charles Ferrer

A team of 51�Թ�� researchers has introduced a quantum sensing technique that could lead to improvements in how we monitor infrastructure, detect changes in the environment and conduct geophysical studies.

Led by Juliet Gopinath, Alfred T. and Betty E. Look Endowed Professor in the Department of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, and physics doctoral student Gregory Krueper, the team used a quantum mechanics technique known as cascaded phase sensing, which enables a single sensor to measure multiple variables with extraordinary precision.

Current sensors typically measure temperature, strain or vibrations at a single point, limiting their effectiveness for large-scale monitoring. The new technique published in Physical Review A employs pulses of “squeezed” light—a quantum state that reduces measurement uncertainty beyond classical limits—to collect data from multiple locations along a single optical path.

A new era of sensing technology

Graduate students Sara Moore and Greg Krueper with Professor Juliet Gopinath.

The team’s breakthrough stems from an unexpected challenge.

Optical fiber sensors, which are widely used for monitoring infrastructure and environmental changes, often lose more than 99% of their original probe light, making it seem impossible to integrate quantum techniques. However, Gopinath and the research group found inspiration in two key sources.

“Gravitational wave detectors have successfully used quantum-enhanced light to improve their sensitivity,” Krueper said. “At the same time, recent advancement in classical fiber sensing introduced a method to divide the fiber into separate regions with embedded reflectors. By combining these ideas, and by collecting both reflected and transmitted light, we were able to make a distributed fiber quantum sensor.”

Their approach sends a series of quantum-enhanced light pulses through an optical fiber, using strategically placed reflectors to divide the fiber into distinct measurement zones.

Unlike traditional sensors that measure only one variable at a time, this method allows a single fiber to simultaneously capture precise data from multiple locations.

“By leveraging quantum mechanics, our method enables simultaneous, high-precision measurements at different points along a single sensor,” Gopinath said. “This could greatly improve applications like infrastructure integrity monitoring and environmental sensing.”

While the results are promising, a major hurdle remains: the quantum light source.

Current setups are large and costly. The next step for their research is to develop a portable, chip-based version of the light source, similar to the photonic technology found in modern smartphones. This advancement would pave the way for practical quantum sensors that can be used in the field.

Applications in environmental, geophysical sensing and infrastructure monitoring

Monitoring infrastructure—such as bridges, tunnels and pipelines—currently relies on traditional sensors placed at specific points to track structural health. These methods can be limited in scope and fail to provide a real-time, comprehensive view of an entire structure.

Cascaded phase sensing, as this project explored, addressed this gap by allowing a single optical fiber-based sensor to monitor multiple locations along its length with extreme precision. This continuous, high-resolution data collection could detect tiny vibrations or structural instabilities in real time.

Such advancements would allow engineers to proactively address maintenance needs, prevent failures and extend the lifespan of critical infrastructure, ultimately improving public safety and reducing costs.

The technique also has implications for environmental monitoring and geophysical studies. By placing sensors in natural settings, researchers could track subtle changes in temperature, pressure or seismic activity with unprecedented accuracy. This could improve early detection of earthquakes, monitor groundwater movement or study underground structures without invasive drilling.

According to Gopinath, this work represents a new paradigm for quantum sensing that could start an entire field of study.

“Many practical opportunities present themselves, ranging from neuroscience to seismic studies to energy infrastructure,” Gopinath said. “The work can provide a powerful method for sensitive remote sensing using quantum light and optical fibers.”

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Innovative electrical & computer engineering projects tackle real-world challenges

Charles Ferrer — Fri, 11 Apr 2025 21:58:42 +0000

Innovative electrical & computer engineering projects tackle real-world challenges Charles Ferrer Fri, 04/11/2025 - 15:58

Charles Ferrer

Join Us at Expo 2025!

Who: K-12 Students, prospective CU Engineers and community members

When: Friday, April 25, 2 - 5 p.m.

Where: CU Indoor Practice Facility, 2150 Colorado Ave., 51�Թ��, CO

Parking: Available in Lot 436 and the Regent Parking Garage for $5.

Graduating seniors from the Department of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering (ECEE) are set to showcase their capstone projects at the 2025 Engineering Project Expo on April 25. This highly anticipated CU Engineering event highlights the creativity, technical expertise and problem-solving skills of students as they tackle real-world challenges.

At this year’s expo, 17 ECEE capstone teams will present a diverse range of projects that push the boundaries of technology and innovation. Featured designs include a solid plastic cube embedded with electronics that can be activated by a magic wand, a remote sensor designed to monitor soil health and a three-axis motor controller developed for robotic surgery.

The projects address critical areas in sustainability, advanced environmental sensing, robotics and biomedical applications, demonstrating the students’ ability to design, test and propose solutions for real-world impact.

The capstone experience: from concept to prototype

A teammate from Wavegen Warriors runs calibration tests.

The ECEE Capstone Design course is a two-semester program required for all graduating students in the department. Over the course of the year, students collaborate in teams to bring a product from initial concept to functional prototype. Each team partners with an industry or faculty sponsor to define a product, explore possible technologies and develop custom electrical and computing solutions.

“The most memorable aspect of being part of the capstone experience has been going through the technology research and development process,” said Andrew Ausonio, an electrical engineering major leading the team Wavegen Warriors.

“Celebrating the victories as a team, pushing through the moments of trial and error and getting excited when someone comes up with a quick solution on the fly is such a wonderful and exhilarating experience,” he said.

This hands-on experience prepares students for engineering careers by immersing them in the full product development cycle from brainstorming and design to testing and implementation.

Innovative student projects to look out for

Among the standout teams at Expo 2025 are:

Wavegen Warriors – Exploring an approach to imaging objects based on their interaction with RF fields. This tomography-based technology could one day be used to detect buried landmines.
OGCAD – Collaborating with Teradyne to build an automated measurement system for component characterization, complete with a web-based interface.
Wired and Tired – Developing a Power over Ethernet-powered air purification system with Sinclair Digital designed for hotel rooms, with remote control functionality and enhanced energy efficiency.

Wired & Tired: Smart air quality control over Ethernet

One of this year’s innovative projects comes from the Wired & Tired team, which is developing an air quality control system powered entirely through Power over Ethernet (PoE). Partnering with Sinclair Digital, the team is designing a plug-and-play air purification system that integrates seamlessly into smart buildings.

Wired and Tired team collaborate to develop an air purification system using Ethernet power.

“PoE is typically used for networking, but it also offers a more efficient way to power devices without needing a separate power infrastructure,” said Kira Goo, an integrated design engineering student with an electrical engineering emphasis. “Our system is designed to be easy to install and maintain within existing PoE networks.”

Their system features sensors that monitor particulate matter, temperature, humidity and pressure, triggering an air purifier when pollutant levels exceed acceptable limits. Data is then stored both locally and in a web cloud, hopefully allowing building managers to monitor air quality in real-time.

“Sinclair Digital gave us the overall concept, but a lot of the design choices were left up to us to work with,” Goo said. “We’ve had regular meetings with them to refine our approach and ensure our solution aligns with their needs.”

The team has faced challenges in learning PoE technology, which is not typically covered in depth in ECEE coursework. They also had to explore HVAC concepts, such as airflow dynamics and static pressure, to design an effective purification system.

Beyond the technical aspects, teamwork has been a vital component of their success. The team uses a Discord server for coordination and has benefited from team bonding activities, such as holding a team dinner. Building camaraderie is an important component to the project, the team noted.

Now in the final stretch, the team is focused on integrating and testing their system to meet performance benchmarks. The main push now is integration, testing and making sure their air purifying system can use power over Ethernet, which is a key requirement for their project.

“A memorable aspect of being part of our capstone team was learning to divide and conquer,” Goo said. “Whether that was coding, building circuits, constructing hardware or eating a 12-person ice cream cake between the six of us, we always found a way to get it done while having fun.”

Industry collaboration

Under the leadership of Scholar in Residence Eric Bogatin, the capstone design program partners with professionals from industry organizations who want to provide a collaborative hands-on experience for students.

This year’s sponsors include leading organizations such as BAE Systems, the Colorado Space Grant Consortium, BioSensor Solutions, Emerson, Medtronic, Quality of Life Plus and Qualcomm. Their mentorship and support provide students with invaluable insights into industry insights and professional engineering practices.

Graduating seniors from ECEE will present 17 capstone projects at the 2025 Engineering Project Expo on April 25. These innovations span sustainability, robotics, environmental sensing and biomedical tech showcasing student creativity and real-world impact. Join us!

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An ultrafast microscope makes movies one femtosecond at a time

Charles Ferrer — Fri, 04 Apr 2025 00:24:53 +0000

An ultrafast microscope makes movies one femtosecond at a time Charles Ferrer Thu, 04/03/2025 - 18:24

New 51�Թ�� research harnesses the power of an ultrafast microscope to study molecular movement in space and time.

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Exciting news: MS-EE degree becomes MS-ECE starting fall 2025

Rossette Reid — Fri, 14 Mar 2025 16:26:25 +0000

Exciting news: MS-EE degree becomes MS-ECE starting fall 2025 Rossette Reid Fri, 03/14/2025 - 10:26

Beginning fall 2025, the 51�Թ��’s Department of Electrical, Computer & Energy Engineering is excited to announce that the Master of Science in Electrical Engineering (MS-EE) will be officially renamed the Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering (MS-ECE).

Why the change?
This new title better reflects the comprehensive graduate coursework and innovative faculty expertise offered within the department. By incorporating 'Computer Engineering' into the degree title, the department now more effectively showcases the specialized knowledge and skills students acquire, providing a distinct competitive advantage. This change ensures that graduates are better positioned to stand out in a rapidly evolving job market.

What this means for the future
The updated MS-ECE degree name is part of a larger effort to ensure that the department’s degree titles reflect the full scope of innovative research and learning opportunities available while also aligning with the evolving needs of students and employers in today’s interconnected world.

Note: The degree requirements will remain the same; only the diploma name is changing.

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Tamara Lehman receives CAREER award to strengthen hardware security

Charles Ferrer — Wed, 12 Mar 2025 20:40:09 +0000

Tamara Lehman receives CAREER award to strengthen hardware security Charles Ferrer Wed, 03/12/2025 - 14:40

Charles Ferrer

Lehman lands the 2025 CAREER award through the National Science Foundation to advance computer architecture security.

Computers are faster than ever—but at what cost? Speed and performance have long been prioritized over security in hardware design, leaving modern systems vulnerable to attacks.

Assistant Professor Tamara Lehman, from 51�Թ��’s Department of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, is working to address these vulnerabilities in microarchitecture designs while exploring security metrics for future hardware designs.

Lehman recently received a prestigious $615,000, five-year National Science Foundation CAREER Award to advance computer architecture security.

Addressing security gaps in hardware design

Microarchitectural security is the defense mechanisms that can be added at microarchitectural design time.

“Microarchitectural security has been in the back seat for a long time. For years, we’ve focused on making computers faster without fully considering what that means for security,” Lehman said. “That’s why we’re now dealing with systems that are high-performing but often lack security guarantees.”

Microarchitectural design is the functional level design of the hardware; one level above logic gates and one level below the operating system. It is the implementation of the software interface using the hardware constructs.

Since the 2018 disclosure of the Spectre and Meltdown attacks—security vulnerabilities affecting modern processors—industry and academia have faced increasing pressure to address hardware security risks. However, the lack of standardized metrics for assessing microarchitectural security makes it difficult to compare designs and implement effective safeguards.

Lehman’s research aims to bridge this gap by integrating security metrics directly into the hardware design process.

Lehman working with PhD student, Zach Moolman, in her lab.

Evaluating microarchitectural vulnerabilities

The first phase of the project focuses on caches—critical memory structures that are among the most vulnerable components in modern processors.

Lehman and her PhD students will define security metrics for caches and integrate them into commonly used processor simulators, ensuring these tools become widely available to both researchers and industry professionals. She hopes to propose a novel approach to quantify hardware security risks.

“Right now, companies in industry make trade-offs between performance and security with little concrete data about the security guarantees afforded by defense mechanisms,” she said. “My goal is to develop standardized security metrics that allow designers to measure and compare the security of different microarchitectural components in parallel to performance.”

Once they can prove those security metrics provide a meaningful assessment of security risks, they can expand the framework to other parts of the processor microarchitecture, she said.

Real-world implications: strengthening critical infrastructure

Lehman’s research has significant implications for global cybersecurity.

“We rely on computing devices for everything from banking to autonomous vehicles,” she said. “If a microarchitectural attack compromises the hardware running an autonomous driving system, lives could be at risk.”

Beyond personal and commercial computing, her research could help protect critical infrastructure from cyberattacks, such as power grid systems and banking systems.

Lehman noted how the 2021 Colonial Pipeline cyberattack disrupted oil supply chains across the United States and a prime example of how vulnerabilities in computing systems can have far-reaching consequences.

Bringing security for hardware designs

Ultimately, Lehman’s research aims to shift the conversation from viewing security as a trade-off to seeing it as a fundamental design requirement.

“There are no standardized security metrics for hardware or for software,” she said. “We hope to establish widely accepted security evaluation methods that can be integrated into both research and industry design practices.”

“I want to move us toward a more concrete, data-driven approach where security is as quantifiable as performance in hardware design,” Lehman said.

Tamara Lehman, assistant professor of computer engineering, has earned a CAREER award through the National Science Foundation to address hardware vulnerabilities in microarchitecture designs while exploring security metrics for future hardware designs.

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ECEE sparks STEM curiosity at 2025 Denver Metro Science Fair

Charles Ferrer — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 19:37:29 +0000

ECEE sparks STEM curiosity at 2025 Denver Metro Science Fair Charles Ferrer Mon, 03/10/2025 - 13:37

Charles Ferrer

Stephanie Torres, electrical & computer engineering student at 51�Թ��, excites high school students about LED lights through a hands-on activity.

A group of wide-eyed middle school students huddled as they carefully placed copper tape onto a small card. After their final connection to a battery, a tiny LED light flickered to life.

“Wow! That’s so cool!” one student exclaimed, proudly holding up the glowing light to show to their friends.

Moments like these filled the air at the 2025 CoorsTek Denver Metro Regional Science & Engineering Fair, where 51�Թ��’s Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering (ECEE) Department engaged with students across the region, igniting their curiosity about STEM.

Held at CU Denver, the event brought together more than 300 students in the greater Denver metro area to engage with STEM professionals.

Sparking a passion for electrical and computer engineering

At the ECEE department’s activity booth, students experienced hands-on learning through interactive activities like changing the colors of LEDs and building paper circuits that lit up.

Stephanie Torres, an ECCE undergraduate, guided the young students through the activities. Having discovered her own passion for engineering at a young age while building with Legos and assisting her father with household projects, she understood the power of hands-on learning.

Torres helped the middle and high school students explore the technical aspects of LEDs and paper circuits, showing how programming microcontrollers controls voltage and LED colors. Some students hesitated at first, but with a bit of encouragement, they quickly grasped the concepts.

“My favorite moment was seeing the students’ faces light up when they were able to make the circuits or change the red, blue and green LEDs to different colors,” Torres said. “Interacting with students who were so interested in STEM left me feeling hopeful for the future.”

That spark of curiosity was what the ECEE department hoped to spark in the next generation of STEM students at the fair.

Hands-on activities with lasting impact

A middle school student shows off their very own created circuit LED.

Melinda Piket-May, associate professor and chair of the external relations and outreach committee, was thrilled by the students’ enthusiasm.

“My favorite moments happened over and over when students completed the circuit, saw the light turn on and their eyes lit up. When I told them, ‘You just built your first circuit,’ their smiles were filled with amazement,” Piket-May said.

Parents joined in on the fun, eager to try making a circuit. The energy was undeniable, with three full tables constantly in motion and students proudly showing their circuit cards as a badge of honor.

Keriann Jacobson, education and outreach coordinator for the Integrated Teaching and Learning Program at CU Engineering, echoed the excitement.

“Witnessing the students’ excitement as they visited our booths to learn about electrical engineering was my favorite aspect. They were so enthusiastic that they returned with their friends to join in,” Jacobson said.

The ECEE team inspired countless young minds, showing them that engineering is not only about circuits and wires, but it’s also about creativity and problem solving with discovery infused in.

“One thing I’ve learned is that STEM and electrical engineering can be tough, but if you’re open to learning and have an open mind, it makes all the difference,” Torres said.

The ECEE Department participates in the 2025 Denver Metro Science Fair and engaged with middle and high school students through STEM activities.

ECEE undergraduate students volunteer at the Denver Metro Science Fair.

Eugene Liu, associate professor, and Stephanie Torres, undergraduate student, work with students on LEDs and circuit board activities.

The ECEE Department volunteered at the 2025 Denver Metro Science Fair and engaged with middle and high school students with hands-on activities such as building paper circuits and changing LED colors. The event sparked curiosity and excitement, inspiring the next generation of engineers.

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In Memoriam: Russell Hayes

Charles Ferrer — Fri, 28 Feb 2025 15:10:32 +0000

In Memoriam: Russell Hayes Charles Ferrer Fri, 02/28/2025 - 08:10

Professor Emeritus Russell Hayes passed away on Feb. 9. He joined the Department of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering in 1963 and was an active faculty member for more than 35 years before retiring in 1999. His research area was in semiconductors with a focus on microwave and optical devices.

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Scott Diddams elected to 2025 class of National Academy of Engineering

Charles Ferrer — Fri, 28 Feb 2025 14:19:02 +0000

Scott Diddams elected to 2025 class of National Academy of Engineering Charles Ferrer Fri, 02/28/2025 - 07:19

Electrical engineer and physicist Scott Diddams who holds the Robert H. Davis Endowed Chair was elected to 2025 class of National Academy of Engineering for his contributions to optical frequency combs and their applications.

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ECEE PhD student wins campus Three Minute Thesis Competition

Charles Ferrer — Tue, 18 Feb 2025 16:33:07 +0000

ECEE PhD student wins campus Three Minute Thesis Competition Charles Ferrer Tue, 02/18/2025 - 09:33

Congratulations to ECEE PhD student Aoife Henry for taking first place in the University's Three Minute Thesis competition! Aoife gave her talk on "Directing Wind Turbines with Foresight: The Shepherd and the Sheepdog Find a Crystal Ball".

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