OSE Seminar by Dr. Francesca Cavallo, on Slow-Wave Structures for Millimeter-through-THz Frequencies: A Convergent Research Approach Inspired by Cucumber Plants.

Departmental News

Prof. Francisco

Posted: September 12, 2022

Date: Thursday, September 15, 2022

Time:  12:15 PM - 1:15 PM

Location:  at CHTM, Room 103 and via Zoom

Speaker: 

Dr. Francesca Cavallo

Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and an investigator at the Center for High Technology Materials, (CHTM) at the University of New Mexico (UNM)

Abstract:

I will present a transformative route to obtain mass-producible helical slow-wave structures for operation in beam-wave interaction devices at millimeter-through-THz frequencies. The approach relies on guided self-assembly of conductive nanomembranes. The work coordinates simulations of cold helices (i.e., helices with no electron beam) and hot helices (i.e., helices that interact with an electron beam) with scalable fabrication and advanced characterization techniques. The theoretical study determines electromagnetic fields, current distributions, and beam-wave interaction in a parameter space that has not been explored before. These parameters include microscale diameter, pitch, tape width, and nanoscale surface finish. Informed by the simulation results, we design, fabricate, and characterize prototype helices that will potentially form the basis for affordable and widely deployable millimeter-through-THz vacuum electronic devices. These broadband amplifiers will be the core of future high-speed communication, radar, and measurement systems

 

Bio:

Dr. Francesca Cavallo is an Associate Professor of  Electrical and Computer Engineering and an investigator at the Center for High Technology Materials at the University of New Mexico (UNM). Her research focuses on synthesis, assembly, fundamental properties, and applications of inorganic sheets. Dr. Cavallo has more than twenty years of experience in nanoscale materials science and technology, electronics, optoelectronics, and electromagnetics. Her expertise spans nanosheet synthesis and processing,  nanostructured origami, strain-engineering, electrical-transport phenomena in multi-carrier systems, THz devices, and light-matter interactions. Dr. Cavallo has co-authored over 60 peer-reviewed publications in high-profile journals, filed 12 patents, and published numerous conference abstracts and proceedings. She is a recent recipient of an NSF CAREER Award. At UNM, Dr. Cavallo has raised 3,300,000 $ in funding from the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the National Science Foundation. Dr. Cavallo is also a strong promoter of equitable and inclusive learning practices and course-based undergraduate research.