Noise Aware Sensors
The
Waterloo
Institute
for
Nanotechnology
(WIN)
has
four
main
thematic
research
areas;
Smart
and
Function
Materials,
Connected
Devices,
Next
Generation
Energy
Systems
and
Therapeutics
and
Theranostics.
To
showcase
the
work
going
on
within
these
areas,
WIN
will
be
holding
monthly
Thematic
Seminars
featuring
our
members
and
their
research
group
members.
This
month's
WIN
Thematic
Seminar
will
highight
the
Connected
Devices
theme
with
research
presented
by
Alaaeldin
Ahmed
(PhD)
and
Professor
Eihab
Abdel-Rahman
from
the
Department
of
Systems
Design
Engineering.
Abstract:
Intrinsic
noise
processes
impose
fundamental
limitations
upon
the
signal-to-noise
ratio
(SNR)
of
MEMS
&
NEMS
sensors.
Typically,
noise
suppression
and/or
higher
actuation
levels
have
been
used
to
increase
the
SNR.
The
former
imposes
stringent
operating
conditions,
such
as
working
in
vacuum
and
at
extremely
low
temperatures.
The
latter
is
limited
by
the
power
handling
capacity
of
the
sensor.
We
propose
a
paradigm
shift
that
turns
noise
from
an
impediment
to
a
constituent
component
of
the
sensor.
We
present
proof-of-concept
noise-driven
sensors
that
operate
without
external
actuation.
A
resonant
sensor
is
deployed
to
`colour'
the
intrinsic
thermal
bath
energy.
Quantitative
changes
in
the
magnitude
of
the
resonant
peak
are
observed
for
stimuli
that
affect
the
thermal
noise
level,
such
as
temperature
or
pressure,
while
shifts
in
the
resonant
frequency
are
observed
for
stimuli
that
affect
the
structural
stiffness
or
mass.
We
demonstrate
pressure
and
temperature
noise-driven
sensors
offering
an
opportunity
to
deliver
practical
NEMS
sensors
that
function
at
room
temperature
and
under
ambient
pressure.
Beyond
that,
we
foresee
extending
this
concept
to
noise-aware
sensors
that
exploit
noise
in
linear
and
nonlinear
regimes
and
seek
to
utilize
statistically
stationary
noise
processes
throughout
the
frequency
domain.
Biography:
Alaaeldin
Ahmed
received
his
Ph.D.
from
the
University
of
Waterloo
in
System
Design
Engineering.
He
specialized
in
nano/micro-electromechanical
systems
and
nonlinear
system
dynamics.
His
thesis
was
on
permittivity
sensors
using
a
special
nonlinear
surface
acoustic
wave.
In
2019,
he
received
the
WIN
Nanofellowship,
and
he
is
currently
a
postdoctoral
research
fellow
at
Univeristy
of
Waterloo.
Eihab
Abdel-Rahman
is
Professor
of
System
Design
Engineering
at
the
University
of
Waterloo.
A
nonlinear
dynamicist
by
training,
his
research
interests
are
in
micro
and
nano
sensors
and
actuators.
He
has
co-authored
more
than
250
journal
and
conference
papers.
Prof.
Abdel-Rahman
is
a
member
of
the
American
Society
of
Mechanical
Engineers
and
the
European
Society
of
Mechanics,
associate
editor
for
the
ASME
journal
“Computational
and
Nonlinear
Dynamics”,
and
section
editor-in-chief
for
the
MDPI
journal
“Actuators”.