Quantum mechanical modeling of nano and bio-nano devices and sensors

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Research activity in Electrical Engineering is experiencing a paradigm shift in focus, from submicron to nano electronics. This has the potential to revolutionize Electrical Engineering, with the creation of an entirely new class of devices, based on novel materials and device physics. The laws of quantum mechanics will greatly influence the behavior of these nanodevices, which will lead to lower power dissipation per logic operation, and higher functionality per unit volume and weight. Owing to their large surface to volume ratios, nanodevices are also opening up new solid-state technologies for chemical and biological sensing, with unprecedented single molecule sensitivities. It is not clear as to which of the emerging technologies will eventually come to stay. To enable rapid progress, there is a need to design devices with optimal performance. This can be achieved through theory and realistic modeling that accounts for the underlying device physics and properties of nanomaterials. As fabrication of nanodevices and nanomaterials are expensive, we believe that modeling can play a leading role, in isolating the winning nanotechnologies in a cost-efficient manner, and exploring new nanodevice concepts. The overall thrust of the proposed research activities is to build a strong focus in the computational study and design of nanodevices, at the University of Waterloo. This will be materialized by building upon our expertise in modeling nanodevices and nanosensors, based on the equations of quantum physics and atomistic methods. The proposed work will aid in the creation of HQP in the area of computational nanoelectronics in Canada, and help create a center of excellence in computational nanotechnology at the University of Waterloo.