Azadeh Anzari, Ph.D.
School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Tech

Abstract: Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) have been widely used in integrated microsystems in the past decades and enabled novel sensing and timing functionalities. They have significantly improved the performance of ICs in terms of noise, power consumption, quality factor, reconfigurability, and size. Considering today’s crowded frequency spectrum, radio-frequency signal processing has to be tailored to allow for higher data rates and higher frequencies towards mm-waves. In this talk, I will discuss the challenges and pose electro-acoustic MEMS-based solutions to build multi-GHz resonators, acoustic filters, and integrated circulators for full-duplex 5G communication.

Furthermore, with the constant shrinking of device dimensions, miniaturized mechanical structures (NEMS) possess easily-reachable nonlinear properties. We exploit such rich nonlinear dynamics to build ultra-low-noise phononic amplifiers, self-sustained oscillators, and frequency combs. Whether for signal conditioning at the RF front-end or detection of a small perturbation with a NEMS sensor, the noise performance of the subsequent circuit is critical and can overwhelm the signal response. I will present our results on piezoelectric acoustic cavities as parametric amplifiers to enhance the signal detection capability and simplify the electronic circuitry.

Bio: Azadeh Ansari received the B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from Sharif University of Technology, Iran in 2010. She earned the M.S and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from University of Michigan, Ann Arbor in 2013 and 2016 respectively, focusing upon III-V semiconductor and MEMS devices and microsystems for RF applications. Prior to joining the ECE faculty at Georgia Tech in Fall 2017, she was a postdoctoral scholar in the Physics Department at Caltech from 2016 to 2017. Dr. Ansari is the recipient of a 2017 ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award from the University of Michigan for her research on “Gallium Nitride integrated microsystems for RF applications.” She received the University of Michigan Richard and Eleanor Towner Prize for outstanding Ph.D. research in 2016. She is a member of IEEE Sensor’s young professional committee and serves as a technical program committee member of IEEE IFCS 2018.