01
Nano-scale Optical Systems

Nanophotonics & Plasmonic Communication

We explore how light and surface plasmons can be engineered to carry information at the nanoscale — enabling communication speeds and integration densities that are fundamentally out of reach for conventional electronics.

Our work spans the design of plasmonic waveguides, nano-antenna structures, and optical interconnects that operate at infrared and visible frequencies, targeting on-chip communication, nano-sensor networks, and short-range optical links.

Research Questions

  • How can surface plasmon polaritons be guided and coupled efficiently at nano-scale dimensions?
  • What modulation schemes are viable for plasmonic links given their intrinsic loss characteristics?
  • How can nano-optical antennas be co-designed with transceiver electronics for practical integration?
02
Wearable & Implantable Devices

Wireless Power Transfer for Biomedical Devices

Implantable medical devices — cardiac monitors, neural probes, drug delivery systems — are fundamentally constrained by battery life. Our research tackles this by designing wireless power transfer systems optimized for the human body environment.

We work on inductive and resonant coupling at frequencies suited for biological tissue penetration, co-designing the power receiver, antenna, and power management circuits to maximize efficiency while meeting strict biocompatibility and safety constraints.

Research Questions

  • What operating frequencies and coil geometries maximize transfer efficiency through biological tissue?
  • How can power and data transmission be co-designed on the same wireless link?
  • What are the SAR and safety limits for continuous wireless powering of deep implants?
03
Neural Decoding & Prosthetics

Brain-Machine Interfaces

Interpreting neural signals non-invasively and in real time requires breakthroughs in flexible sensor design, wireless data transmission, and signal processing. Our work addresses all three layers — from the electrode-tissue interface to the communication link to the decoder algorithm.

Applications include advanced prosthetic limb control, augmentative communication for paralysis, and fundamental neuroscience instrumentation that doesn't require surgical implantation.

Research Questions

  • How can flexible, conformable electronics interface reliably with curved biological surfaces?
  • What wireless standards are appropriate for high-channel-count, low-latency neural data streaming?
  • How can on-device signal compression reduce the wireless bandwidth burden without losing decode accuracy?

Our long-term vision is a unified framework for wireless communication and sensing that works seamlessly from the chip scale to the intra-body scale — where nano-devices, wearables, and external infrastructure form a coherent Internet of Nano-Things. Each of our research thrusts contributes a layer to this stack.

We are an early-stage lab and actively welcome collaborators, especially those with complementary expertise in materials science, circuit design, neuroscience, or clinical medicine.

Interested in collaborating? We welcome joint projects and visiting researchers.
sangwaa@sunypoly.edu