Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Events for February
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Center of Autonomy and AI, Center for Cyber-Physical Systems and the Internet of Things, and Ming Hsieh Institute Seminar Series
Wed, Feb 01, 2023 @ 02:00 PM - 03:00 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Benjamin Sapp, Waymo, LLC
Talk Title: Behavioral Models for Interactive Motion Forecasting and Planning for Real-Word Autonomous Vehicles
Series: Center for Cyber-Physical Systems and Internet of Things
Abstract: Understanding the complex behavior of other cars, pedestrians and cyclists is essential for autonomous vehicle planning in the real world. In this talk, we'll first go over some of our recent advancements in scalable transformer architectures for behavior modeling. Next, we'll discuss joint behavior prediction and planning architectures, as well as how to factorize the joint output space of all possible futures in effective ways. Lastly, we discuss the interplay of our models deployed in the real-world with simulated agents and simulators and describe systems for closed loop simulation of agents and AVs.
Biography: Understanding the complex behavior of other cars, pedestrians and cyclists is essential for autonomous vehicle planning in the real world. In this talk, we'll first go over some of our recent advancements in scalable transformer architectures for behavior modeling. Next, we'll discuss joint behavior prediction and planning architectures, as well as how to factorize the joint output space of all possible futures in effective ways. Lastly, we discuss the interplay of our models deployed in the real-world with simulated agents and simulators and describe systems for closed loop simulation of agents and AVs.
Host: Somil Bansal, somilban@usc.edu
Webcast: https://usc.zoom.us/j/92742577270?pwd=bEpXaWJudjZWRksyNk5lL1owUUdBQT09Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 132
WebCast Link: https://usc.zoom.us/j/92742577270?pwd=bEpXaWJudjZWRksyNk5lL1owUUdBQT09
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Talyia White
This event is open to all eligible individuals. USC Viterbi operates all of its activities consistent with the University's Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited factor. -
CIA information session
Wed, Feb 01, 2023 @ 05:00 PM - 06:00 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: CIA, CIA
Talk Title: CIA Info Session
Host: USC IC CAE
More Info: https://usc.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_J1_ObW2ESqur3PjH-rZAfg
Webcast: https://usc.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_J1_ObW2ESqur3PjH-rZAfgLocation: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 248
WebCast Link: https://usc.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_J1_ObW2ESqur3PjH-rZAfg
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Jennifer Ramos/Electrophysics
Event Link: https://usc.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_J1_ObW2ESqur3PjH-rZAfg
This event is open to all eligible individuals. USC Viterbi operates all of its activities consistent with the University's Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited factor. -
NCTC Info Session
Thu, Feb 02, 2023 @ 01:00 PM - 02:00 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: NCTC, NCTC
Talk Title: National Counterterrorism Center Info Session
Host: USC IC CAE
More Info: https://usc.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_9S3TSnwaSFKMxI7zQcsPXg
Webcast: https://usc.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_9S3TSnwaSFKMxI7zQcsPXgWebCast Link: https://usc.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_9S3TSnwaSFKMxI7zQcsPXg
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Jennifer Ramos/Electrophysics
Event Link: https://usc.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_9S3TSnwaSFKMxI7zQcsPXg
This event is open to all eligible individuals. USC Viterbi operates all of its activities consistent with the University's Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited factor. -
ECE Seminar: Interpreting Brain Activity Through Connectivity Using Graph Signal Processing
Mon, Feb 13, 2023 @ 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Dr. Nicolas Farrugia, Department of Mathematical and Electrical Engineering, Better Representations for Artificial INtelligence (BRAIn), IMT Atlantique
Talk Title: Interpreting Brain Activity Through Connectivity Using Graph Signal Processing
Abstract: The application of graph theory to model the complex structure and function of the brain has shed new light on its organization, prompting the emergence of network neuroscience. Despite the tremendous progress that has been achieved in this field, still relatively few methods exploit the topology of brain networks to analyze brain activity. Recent attempts in this direction have leveraged on the one hand graph spectral analysis (to decompose brain connectivity into eigenmodes or gradients) and graph signal processing (to decompose brain activity "coupled to" an underlying network in graph Fourier modes). In this talk, we will describe two ongoing works that attempt at integrating knowledge from brain connectivity in order to decode and interpret brain activity. In the first contribution, we use functional connectivity graphs to define spectral convolution operators in a deep residual network trained on task decoding. We show how parameter pruning can be used to select the most important connectivity gradients for the task. In the second study, we analyze brain measured using high-density EEG during video watching, and perform an analysis using graph signal processing to estimate coupling and decoupling of source-localized electrophysiological activity on a functional connectivity graph. We discuss relationships between inter-subject correlation during video watching and structure-function decoupling at the individual level, and as a function of the underlying graph. The overarching goal of this line of work is to explore whether connectivity-informed analysis of brain activity can contribute to a better understanding of brain complexity as multimodal signals over networks.
Biography: Nicolas Farrugia (NF) obtained an electrical engineering degree at ENSEA, Cergy-Pontoise, in France, as well as a M.Sc. in Signal and Image processing, both in 2005. In 2008, he obtained a PhD at the Universite de Bourgogne and Orange Labs, Grenoble, working on hardware implementation of deep neural networks. In 2010, NF moved to the field of cognitive neurosciences as a postdoctoral researcher, with a focus on the neurosciences of music. As a postdoc at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig, he studied the effect of rhythm in the rehabilitation of Parkinson's Disease, as well as brain oscillations. He also did postdoctoral work on musical performance in drumming at the Music Performance and Brain Lab in Warsaw, and involuntary musical imagery in the Psychology Departement of Goldsmiths, University of London. NF published work in prestigious neuroscience and cognition journals such as "NeuroImage", "Network Neuroscience", "Memory & Cognition", and "Neuropsychologia". NF uses a wide range of cognitive neuroscience methods such as EEG, functional MRI, as well as behavioral psychology methods and motion capture. Since 2015, NF joined IMT Atlantique (previously known as Telecom Bretagne) to engage into a transdisciplinary effort, combining methods from Auditory Cognition, Neuroscience, Deep Learning, and Graph signal processing. Since 2016, he is part of the BRAIn team (Better Representations for Artificial Intelligence), together with Giulia Lioi, Bastien Pasdeloup, Vincent Gripon and Mathieu Leonardon.
Host: Dr. Karim Jerbi, karim.jerbi.udem@gmail.com and Dr. Richard M. Leahy, leahy@sipi.usc.edu
Webcast: https://usc.zoom.us/j/93962625457?pwd=TlVOV0xzeHkzaUN2cjV3blY4K3JDQT09More Information: ECE Seminar Announcement-Farrugia-021323.pdf
WebCast Link: https://usc.zoom.us/j/93962625457?pwd=TlVOV0xzeHkzaUN2cjV3blY4K3JDQT09
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Mayumi Thrasher
This event is open to all eligible individuals. USC Viterbi operates all of its activities consistent with the University's Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited factor. -
PhD Candidate: Romil Audhkhasi defense, Tuesday, February 14th at 9am in EEB 132
Tue, Feb 14, 2023 @ 09:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Romil Audhkhasi, ECE at USC
Talk Title: Microphotonics for tailored infrared emission and secure data encryption
Abstract: The ability to control light-matter interactions is of paramount importance for the advancement of a wide variety of applications ranging from chemical and biological sensing to thermal management and energy harvesting. To this end, artificially engineered microstructures have received considerable attention from the scientific community. Unlike bulk materials that interact with light according to the laws of geometrical optics, microstructures harness resonant interactions with light waves. This allows such structures to achieve a richer suite of functionalities in a more compact size than their bulk counterparts. Light-matter interactions in microstructures come under the purview of microphotonics. In this talk, I will discuss the applications of microphotonics to two of the most exciting research areas in the field of optics: infrared emission tailoring and secure data encryption. The first part of the talk will present photonic devices with customizable optical properties in the infrared for applications in chemical sensing, photodetection and thermal emission control. The second part will explore the utility of microstructures in secure data storage with a discussion of a data-multiplexing based encryption scheme followed by its experimental implementation. The results presented in this talk will illustrate the potential of microstructures in efficiently manipulating optical waves, thereby providing intriguing opportunities for advancing the state-of-the-art for a broad class of applications.
Biography: Romil Audhkhasi is a PhD candidate in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at USC, advised by Prof. Michelle L. Povinelli. He received his bachelor's degree in Engineering Physics from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. His current research focuses on the design of complex microphotonic devices for infrared emission control and encrypted data storage. During his time at USC, he has been the recipient of the Annenberg fellowship and has served as an MHI Scholar during 2020-21.
Host: Michelle Povinelli, Wei Wu, Andrea Armani
More Information: Romil Audukhasi Defence Flyer.pdf
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 132
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Marilyn Poplawski
This event is open to all eligible individuals. USC Viterbi operates all of its activities consistent with the University's Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited factor. -
Medical Imaging Seminar
Tue, Feb 14, 2023 @ 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Michael Loecher, Ph.D., Radiology, Stanford VA Hospital
Talk Title: Optimizing MRI Encoding Gradients with GrOpt
Series: Medical Imaging Seminar Series
Abstract: Gradient waveform design in MRI has traditionally been accomplished with analytical and sometimes ad hoc combinations of trapezoidal gradients. An alternative approach is to use numerical optimization techniques to find the "best" waveform for a set of imaging constraints. This optimization technique has been shown to produce shorter gradients for better scan efficiency, as well as allows for adding constraints to minimize potential imaging errors.
In this talk we will discuss a range of applications of gradient optimization, including PNS minimization, eddy current minimization in diffusion and flow imaging, acoustic noise reduction, and general scan time improvements. The talk will also discuss and demonstrate the software package designed to generate these waveforms, GrOpt.
Host: Krishna Nayak, knayak@usc.edu
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - EEB 132
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Talyia White
This event is open to all eligible individuals. USC Viterbi operates all of its activities consistent with the University's Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited factor. -
MHI Nano Science & Technology Seminar - Xiaodong Xu, Wednesday, February 15th at 11am in EEB 132
Wed, Feb 15, 2023 @ 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Xiaodong Xu, University of Washington
Talk Title: Elasto van der Waals Magnet
Series: Nano Science & Technology
Abstract: Van der Waals magnets have emerged as a powerful platform for exploring fundamental spin physics and potential applications in electrical and optical-driven spin-based devices. The ease of control of magnetic properties via external control knobs makes them particularly useful. In this talk, I will highlight our recent progress in tuning the magnetic properties of the newly discovered magnetic semiconductor CrSBr through uniaxial strain. This includes the coupling of exciton and interlayer magnetism, the reversible switching of antiferromagnetic to ferromagnetic phase transitions, and the strain-tuning of coherent spin waves (magnons) through optical spectroscopy of excitons. Lastly, I will discuss a strain-controlled van der Waals magnetic tunnel junction with programmable magnetic memory and probabilistic bit functionality, which holds potential for new memory and computing technologies.
Biography: Xiaodong Xu is a Boeing Distinguished Professor at the Department of Physics, and Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Washington, Seattle, USA. He got his BS and PhD degree in physics from University of Science and Technology of China (2002) and University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (2008), respectively. He joined the University of Washington in 2010 after his postdoc at Cornell University.
Host: J Yang, H Wang, C Zhou, S Cronin, W Wu
More Information: Xiaodong_0215 Flyer.pdf
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 132
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Marilyn Poplawski
This event is open to all eligible individuals. USC Viterbi operates all of its activities consistent with the University's Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited factor. -
Center of Autonomy and AI, Center for Cyber-Physical Systems and the Internet of Things, and Ming Hsieh Institute Seminar Series
Wed, Feb 15, 2023 @ 02:00 PM - 03:00 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Anirudha Majumdar, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University
Talk Title: Safety and Generalization for Learning-Based Robot Control
Series: Center for Cyber-Physical Systems and Internet of Things
Abstract: The ability of machine learning techniques to process rich sensory inputs such as vision makes them highly appealing for use in robotic systems (e.g., micro aerial vehicles and robotic manipulators). However, the increasing adoption of learning-based components in the robotics perception and control pipeline poses an important challenge: how can we guarantee the safety and performance of such systems? As an example, consider a micro aerial vehicle that learns to navigate using a thousand different obstacle environments or a robotic manipulator that learns to grasp using a million objects in a dataset. How likely are these systems to remain safe and perform well on a novel (i.e., previously unseen) environment or object? How can we learn control policies for robotic systems that provably generalize to environments that our robot has not previously encountered? Unfortunately, existing approaches either do not provide such guarantees or do so only under very restrictive assumptions.
In this talk, I will present our group's work on developing a principled theoretical and algorithmic framework for learning control policies for robotic systems with formal guarantees on generalization to novel environments. The key technical insight is to leverage and extend powerful techniques from generalization theory in theoretical machine learning. We apply our techniques on problems including vision-based navigation and grasping in order to demonstrate the ability to provide strong generalization guarantees on robotic systems with complicated (e.g., nonlinear/hybrid) dynamics, rich sensory inputs (e.g., RGB-D), and neural network-based control policies.
Biography: Anirudha Majumdar is an Assistant Professor at Princeton University in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) department and Associated Faculty in the Computer Science department. He also holds a part-time position as a Visiting Research Scientist at the Google AI Lab in Princeton. His group works on controlling highly agile robotic systems in a manner that allows us to make formal guarantees on their safety and performance.
Majumdar received a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2016, and a B.S.E. in Mechanical Engineering and Mathematics from the University of Pennsylvania in 2011. Subsequently, he was a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford University from 2016 to 2017 at the Autonomous Systems Lab in the Aeronautics and Astronautics department. He is a recipient of the ONR YIP award, the NSF CAREER award, the Google Faculty Research Award (twice), the Amazon Research Award (twice), the Young Faculty Researcher Award from the Toyota Research Institute, the Best Conference Paper Award at the International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), the Paper of the Year Award from the International Journal of Robotics Research (IJRR), the Alfred Rheinstein Faculty Award (Princeton University), and the Excellence in Teaching Teaching Award from Princeton's School of Engineering and Applied Science.
Host: Somil Bansal, somilban@usc.edu
Webcast: https://usc.zoom.us/j/92742577270?pwd=bEpXaWJudjZWRksyNk5lL1owUUdBQT09Location: Online
WebCast Link: https://usc.zoom.us/j/92742577270?pwd=bEpXaWJudjZWRksyNk5lL1owUUdBQT09
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Talyia White
This event is open to all eligible individuals. USC Viterbi operates all of its activities consistent with the University's Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited factor. -
MHI Photonics Seminar - Bo Zhen, Thursday, 2/16 at 4pm in EEB 248
Thu, Feb 16, 2023 @ 04:00 PM - 05:30 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Bo Zhen, University of Pennsylvania
Talk Title: Nonlinear Topological Photonics
Series: Photonics Seminar Series
Abstract: Topological photonics is a rapid developing field, drawing inspirations from the recent successes in electronic systems. Yet, there are two major differences between photons and electrons: (1) photons obey Maxwell's equations, which naturally permit nonlinearities, whereas the Schrodinger equation is always linear; (2) photons are bosons, which allows one to easily probe responses at virtually any desired energy (frequency) without the limitation of the Fermi energy. Based on these differences, I will present our recent theoretical and experimental results in understanding the role of optical nonlinearity in topological physics. On the theory side, these include defining topological invariants in driven nonlinear photonic crystals [1] and identifying various topological phases, such as the Floquet Chern insulators [1], dipole phases [2], quadrupole phases [3,4], and topological polaritons [5]. On the experiment side, I will present our recent results towards observing Floquet Chern insulators, protecting out-of-plane photon radiation losses using topology [6] and their potential applications as grating couplers [7]. Finally, I will present an outlook for potential opportunities in science and technology such as night-vision goggles.
References: [1] Nature Communications 10, 4194 (2019). [2] Physical Review Letters 126, 113901 (2021). [3] Nature Communications 11, 3119 (2020). [4] Physical Review Letters 129, 063902 (2022). [5] Physical Review Letters 130, 043801 (2023). [6] Nature 574, 501 (2019). [7] Nature 580, 467 (2020).
Biography: Bo Zhen is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Pennsylvania. He received his B.S. degrees (Mathematics and Physics) from Tsinghua University in 2008 and his Ph.D. degree (Physics) from MIT in 2014. His honors and awards include Air Force Young Investigator program (2018), Kaufman New Investigator (2018), Army Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (2019), Office of Naval Research Young Investigator program (2021), Sloan Research Fellowship (2021), and International Commission for Optics Prize (2021).
Host: Mercedeh Khajavikhan, Michelle Povinelli, Constantine Sideris; Hossein Hashemi; Wade Hsu; Mengjie Yu; Wei Wu; Tony Levi; Alan E. Willner; Andrea Martin Armani
More Information: Bo Zhen Flyer.pdf
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 248
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Marilyn Poplawski
This event is open to all eligible individuals. USC Viterbi operates all of its activities consistent with the University's Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited factor. -
Nano Science & Technology Seminar - Sourav Dutta, Friday, 2/17 at 2pm in EEB 132
Fri, Feb 17, 2023 @ 02:00 PM - 03:30 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Sourav Dutta, Components Research at Intel
Talk Title: Oxide Semiconductor Nanoelectronics for Energy-Efficient Computing
Series: Nano Science & Technology
Abstract: Advancements in deep learning and artificial intelligence (AI) have created a growing demand for domain-specific hardware architecture for accelerating data-intensive workloads. A key source of acceleration as well as energy-efficiency comes from the availability of dense on-chip embedded memory to overcome the memory bottleneck. While silicon transistor scaling continues to make steady progress, resulting in exponential increase in aerial transistor density to over 100 million per square millimeter, static random-access memory (SRAM), the primary workhorse for on-chip embedded memory, is approaching its scaling brick wall. In this talk, I will discuss how amorphous oxide semiconductor can allow us to escape the confines of two-dimensional scaling and embrace the third dimension for continued scaling of logic and embedded memory and enable merged logic-memory fabric. I will highlight the oustanding challenges in oxide semiconductors and discuss strategies towards obtaining back-end-of-line (BEOL) compatible high mobility n- and p-type oxide semiconductor transistor through disorder insensitive material design, band structure engineering and defect suppression. Through low temperature in situ synthesis and integration with functional materials such as ferroelectrics, I will discuss enabling BEOL compatible oxide semiconductor-based high-density embedded memory. Finally, I will discuss how oxide semiconductor-based monolithic 3D logic and memory can enable building specialized hardware tailored for accelerating key mathematical operations pertinent for AI workloads such as performing linear matrix operations or solving nonlinear coupled differential equations.
Biography: Dr. Sourav Dutta is currently a memory device research engineer at Components Research at Intel. His current research focuses on novel high-density embedded memory for Intel's next generation technology nodes. He received his Ph.D. in 2018 from the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology under Prof. Azad Naeemi. From 2018 to 2021, he was a postdoctoral research scholar with Prof. Suman Datta at University of Notre Dame. His research focused on emerging nanoelectronics devices with functional materials such as oxide semiconductors and ferroelectrics. He has worked on back-end-of-line (BEOL) compatible high performance oxide semiconductor transistor, high density embedded memory using oxide semiconductor and ferroelectric material, and monolithic 3D integration of logic and memory for compute-in-memory and collective computing applications. Dr. Dutta is the recipient of the 2018 Sigma Xi Best Doctoral Dissertation Award from Georgia Institute of Technology.
Host: J Yang, H Wang, C Zhou, S Cronin, W Wu
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 132
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Marilyn Poplawski
This event is open to all eligible individuals. USC Viterbi operates all of its activities consistent with the University's Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited factor. -
Munushian seminar speaker - John A. Rogers, Friday, February 24th at 9am in EB 132
Fri, Feb 24, 2023 @ 09:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: John A. Rogers, Northwestern University
Talk Title: Director of the Querrey-Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics
Series: Munushian Seminar Series
Abstract: A remarkable feature of modern integrated circuit technology is its ability to operate in a stable fashion, almost indefinitely, without physical or chemical change. Recently developed classes of electronic materials create an opportunity to engineer the opposite outcome, in the form of 'transient' devices that dissolve, disintegrate, degrade or otherwise physically disappear at triggered times or with controlled rates. Water-soluble classes of transient electronic devices serve as the foundations for applications in zero-impact environmental monitors, 'green' consumer electronic gadgetry and bio-resorbable medical implants. This talk describes the foundational concepts in materials science, electrical engineering and assembly processes for bio/ecoresorbable electronics in a variety of formats and with a range of functions. Bioresorbable wireless stimulators that accelerate neuroregeneration of injured peripheral nerves and pacemakers that minimize risks after cardiac surgeries represent some recent system level examples.
Biography: Professor John A. Rogers obtained BA and BS degrees in chemistry and in physics from the University of Texas, Austin, in 1989. From MIT, he received SM degrees in physics and in chemistry in 1992 and the PhD degree in physical chemistry in 1995. From 1995 to 1997, Rogers was a Junior Fellow in the Harvard University Society of Fellows. He joined Bell Laboratories as a Member of Technical Staff in 1997 and then served as Director of the Condensed Matter Physics Research Department from the end of 2000 to 2002. He then spent thirteen years on the faculty at University of Illinois, most recently as the Swanlund Chair Professor and Director of the Seitz Materials Research Laboratory. In the Fall of 2016, he moved to Northwestern University where he is Director of the recently endowed Querrey-Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics. He has co-authored nearly 900 papers and his co-inventor on more than 100 patents. His research has been recognized by many awards, including a MacArthur Fellowship (2009), the Lemelson-MIT Prize (2011), the Smithsonian Award for American Ingenuity in the Physical Sciences (2013), the Benjamin Franklin Medal from the Franklin Institute (2019), and a Guggenheim Fellowship (2021). He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Medicine and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Host: ECE-Electrophysics
More Information: Flyer Munushian seminar John Rogers.pdf
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 132
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Marilyn Poplawski
This event is open to all eligible individuals. USC Viterbi operates all of its activities consistent with the University's Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited factor. -
Nano Science & Technology Seminar - Mo Chen, Friday, 2/23 at 11am in EEB 248
Fri, Feb 24, 2023 @ 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Mo Chen, California Institute of Technology
Talk Title: A Hybrid Platform for Quantum Computing
Series: Nano Science & Technology
Abstract: Material defects are ubiquitous. Seven decades ago, defects challenged the new-born semiconductor industry, and today they are one of the major roadblocks for quantum technologies. Solid-state quantum devices, in particular, superconducting qubits, stand out as one of the leading platforms for fault-tolerant quantum computing. However, the performance of superconducting qubits is limited by the presence of various microscopic forms of two-level state (TLS) defects in the amorphous surfaces of the materials that make up the qubits. Previous attempts to address this issue mostly focused on circuit designs that reduced the negative impact of TLS, but advancements have plateaued since around 2012. In this seminar, I will introduce an orthogonal approach that engineers the TLS into a highly useful quantum resource that could positively impact the superconducting qubit's performance. First, I will introduce a hybrid platform which utilizes acoustic bandgap metamaterials to structure phonon modes and significantly enhance the TLS lifetime. Next, I will discuss quantum sensing techniques developed for color centers in diamond, and their applications to this hybrid system to gain further insights into the defect physics. Lastly, I will discuss the prospects of quantum computing based on the hybrid platform.
Biography: Mo Chen is a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Applied Physics and the Institute for Quantum Information and Matter at the California Institute of Technology. He received his B.S. in Optics from Fudan University in 2012 and his S.M. and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2015 and 2020, respectively. His research interests are focused on gaining a fundamental understanding of device physics and applying that knowledge to engineer novel quantum devices, such as qubits, quantum sensors, and quantum memories.
Host: J Yang, H Wang, C Zhou, S Cronin, W Wu
More Information: Mo Chen Flyer.pdf
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 248
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Marilyn Poplawski
This event is open to all eligible individuals. USC Viterbi operates all of its activities consistent with the University's Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited factor. -
MoBI Seminar: Individual Differences in Face Recognition Abilities
Mon, Feb 27, 2023 @ 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Dr. Frédéric Gosselin, Full Professor, Département de Psychologie, Université de Montréal
Talk Title: Individual Differences in Face Recognition Abilities
Abstract: Abilities for face recognition vary greatly even among neurologically typical individuals. At one end of the spectrum, developmental prosopagnosics show great difficulty recognizing faces, despite not having sustained any brain injuries. At the other end of the spectrum, super-recognizers easily recognize faces they have not seen in years, even if these faces have physically changed in a substantial manner. Understanding how perceptual mechanisms are linked with individual abilities can offer important and straightforward insights for improving face processing in both individuals with poor face recognition abilities and people whose jobs require strong face processing ability. We recently characterised the brain computations of participants of various face recognition abilities using high-density electroencephalographic signals and a combination of behavioural tests, artificial neural network models, and machine learning analyses. We found that individual face recognition ability can be decoded from brain activity in an extended temporal interval for face and non-face objects. We show that both visual and semantic brain computations contribute to these individual differences.
Biography: Frédéric Gosselin is a Full Professor in the Département de psychologie at Université de Montréal, and, with Dr. Anne Gallagher, the co-founder and co-director of cerebrum. He is a world-leading expert in high-level vision. He is the co-inventor of the Bubbles technique. He has also developed the popular SHINE toolbox for controlling low-level image properties. In his research, he uses a combination of psychophysical, neuropsychological, brain imaging and computational methods. Recently, his work has focused on individual differences in face recognition abilities. Dr. Gosselin is the founder and CEO of Elephant Scientific Consulting Inc.. His company has been advising multinational corporations such as Unilever, Cirque du Soleil and Netflix for 20 years.
Host: Dr. Karim Jerbi, karim.jerbi.udem@gmail.com and Dr. Richard M. Leahy, leahy@sipi.usc.edu
Webcast: https://usc.zoom.us/j/99092780975?pwd=aWcydXI1YmFxaXZaQ3VKRHhzOGJqUT09Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 539
WebCast Link: https://usc.zoom.us/j/99092780975?pwd=aWcydXI1YmFxaXZaQ3VKRHhzOGJqUT09
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Mayumi Thrasher
This event is open to all eligible individuals. USC Viterbi operates all of its activities consistent with the University's Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited factor.
