Research Methods

Research Methods

There is more to research than research!

Nearly everything in research is built on the ability to communicate. Written communications, speaking, graphics and visualization are all vital skills for today’s researchers. You will learn how to implement proven research methods and career development skills

Assignments

Course Syllabus

(PDF) (Video) Lecture — Course Introduction

Professional Communications

Graphics & Visualization

Writing

Speaking

Teaching

Open-Source Software & Resources

Checklists for Graphics, Writing & Presentations

Graduate School & Research

Choosing a Research Topic & Advisor/Mentor

Searching and Reading the Literature

Proposing & Defending Your Research

Doing Science

Dissemination

Psychological Aspects of Graduate School

Learning Strategies

Data Management

Responsible Conduct & Ethics

Planning

Business & Career Aspects of Research

General Advice for Graduate School and Research

Intellectual Property and Commercialization

Branding Yourself and Your Research

Professional Networking

Writing Proposals

Project Budgets

Business Strategy

Entrepreneurship

Applying for a Faculty Position

Career Development

EMLab

Disruptive Research

The EMLab focuses exclusively on disruptive technologies in 3D printing, electronics, electromagnetics, and photonics. The lab is actively developing some of the most ambitious and revolutionary technologies happening today. These includes advanced 3D printing, conformal and 3D volumetric circuits, antennas, metamaterials, metasurfaces, photonic crystals, frequency selective surfaces, and more.

Electromagnetics

EMLab 3D Printed Antenna Electromagnetics

Electromagnetics

The EMLab is exploring concepts for electromagnetic devices that fully exploit the new degrees of freedom offered by 3D printing and the third dimension. Research include microwave circuits, antennas, metamaterials, frequency selective surfaces, and others.

Computational Electromagnetics

Computational Electromagnetics

The EMLab is one of the strongest research groups in the world for computational analysis of electromagnetic devices. Capabilities continue to grow in the areas of optimization, GPU and scalable computing, unstructured grids, and hybridization of different methods such as ray tracing and finite-difference time-domain (FDTD).

Photonics

Photonics

Photonics is experiencing a revolution of its own due to digital manufacturing techniques such as multi-photon lithography. Today’s photonic devices are mostly planar, primarily because of manufacturing constraints. Research in the EM Lab is pioneering new photonic technologies that fully exploit the new degrees of freedom offered by digital manufacturing.

Hybrid 3D Printing

EMLab Hybrid 3D Printing

Hybrid 3D
Printing

The EMLab has automated direct-write hybrid 3D printing to create the only known capability in the world to manufacture three-dimensional parts with an arbitrary distribution of metals and dielectrics. Research includes software, materials, and 3D printing processes.

3D Printed Electronics

EMLab 3D Printed Electromagnetics

3D Printed
Electronics

The EMLab has developed an extensive suite of tools and capabilities for designing and manufacturing parts with electro-mechanical functionality including circuits, sensors and actuators. 3D printing provides a very rapid turn-around time and the ability to manufacture nonplanar, flexible, and 3D volumetric circuits.

Spatially Variant Lattices

EMLab Spatially Variant Lattices

Spatially Variant Lattices

The EMLab developed an algorithm to bend, twist, conform, and otherwise spatially vary any periodic structure while minimizing deformations to the geometry of the unit cells. These seemingly impossible geometries preserve the electromagnetic or photonic properties of the periodic structure, enable entire new physical mechanisms from which to design devices. The technology is being used to conform frequency selective surfaces to doubly-curved substrates, control light in new ways in photonic crystals, and more.