research topics in electrical engineering

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Publisher correction: memristors on ‘edge of chaos’.

• Leon O. Chua

Mitigating interference within satellite megaconstellations

An article in IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communications presents a cooperative framework that integrates satellite routing and frequency assignment to avoid self-interference in large satellite constellations.

System technology co-optimization for advanced integration

This Review discusses system technology co-optimization across the technology–hardware–software stack to guide broader research and development efforts towards the realization of future heterogeneously integrated computing systems.

• Saptadeep Pal
• Arindam Mallik
• Puneet Gupta

Memristors on ‘edge of chaos’

This Review resolves the age-old problems of Galvani’s irritability, the Hodgkin–Huxley ‘all-or-none’ mystery, the Turing instability and the Smale paradox, by applying the findings in 2023 that memristors operating on the ‘edge of chaos’ can model the nonlinear dynamics of these problems, complementing the second law of thermodynamics.

Remote distance printing through acoustic holograms

An article in Nature Communications introduces the use of acoustic holograms in direct remote printing.

• Silvia Conti

Materials innovation and electrical engineering in X-ray detection

This Review examines fundamental principles and recent breakthroughs in X-ray detection and imaging technologies, with a focus on the interplay between electrical engineering techniques and materials science.

• Qiushui Chen
• Xiaogang Liu

Progress of organic photovoltaics towards 20% efficiency

Organic photovoltaics are flexible, lightweight and widely applicable, but they face commercialization challenges owing to stability and fabrication issues. This Review explores progress and technological bottlenecks in material innovation, morphology control, device stability and large-scale module fabrication for commercial use.

Towards transparent superconductor electronics

Further progress in quantum technologies will require the hybridization of superconducting and photonic platforms. Transparent superconducting oxides would be an ideal solution to avoid substantial losses caused by photon absorption of the superconducting components. Here we present design principles for such materials and discuss the foreseeable prospects of transparent superconductor electronics.

• Mikhail Belogolovskii

6G: the catalyst for artificial general intelligence

6G might integrate 5G and AI to merge physical, cyber and sapience spaces, transforming network interactions and enhancing AI-driven decision-making and automation. The semantic approach to communication will train AI while selectively informing on goal achievement, moving towards artificial general intelligence, presenting new challenges and opportunities.

• Emilio Calvanese Strinati

Opportunities and challenges of graph neural networks in electrical engineering

Graph neural networks (GNNs) are an important technology for electrical engineering, physics, materials science and biology. This Review discusses how GNNs can help these research fields and how electrical engineering can resolve the technical challenges of GNNs.

Bioinspired electronics for intelligent soft robots

Soft robots are evolving to perform increasingly complex tasks, with biomimicry having a fundamental role in their development. This Review details biomimetic strategies and pivotal advances in sensors, actuators and applications of intelligent soft robotics.

• Junhyuk Bang
• Seok Hwan Choi
• Seung Hwan Ko

Vehicle-based vision–radar fusion for real-time and accurate positioning of clustered UAVs

An article in IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communications presents a vehicle-based vision–radar system designed for precise, real-time positioning of UAV clusters.

Development of environmentally friendly high-capacity power cables

Long-distance transmission of large-scale renewable energy calls for reliable and stable high-capacity power cables with improved environmental friendliness. Hierarchical structure regulation enables synergistic optimization of electrical, thermal and mechanical properties in polypropylene-based insulation materials, aiding the development of environmentally friendly power cables.

• Jinliang He

The rise of semi-metal electronics

This Review examines the unique electronic properties of semi-metals and their microelectronics applications, highlighting recent advancements, challenges and future prospects for semi-metal-based technologies in logic, memory, interconnects and high-frequency devices.

• Tianyu Liang
• Yuxuan Cosmi Lin

Sustainable electrification in the era of AI

Sustainable electrification is essential for addressing climate change and leveraging artificial intelligence (AI). Electric grids have a fundamental role in decarbonizing the economy and enabling AI. Here we propose a comprehensive research agenda that integrates innovations in material discovery, computer architecture, smart grids and system theory to accelerate efficient, large-scale, low-carbon electrification.

• H. Vincent Poor

Bridging the gap between AI and robotics

Recent advancements in generative AI require multimodal information processing that incorporates images, videos and audio. This shift underscores the importance of integrating AI with robotics to address challenges such as Moravec’s paradox.

• Tetsuya Ogata

Metal oxide transistors 3D integration on low-thermal budget

An article in Nature Electronics presents a low-thermal fabrication process for 3D integration of metal-oxide transistors.

Revolutionizing electronics with advanced interfacial heat management

Efficient heat dissipation is crucial for electronics. Interfacial thermal resistance (ITR) poses considerable challenges that require innovative solutions. Machine learning approaches could enhance ITR predictions by analysing large datasets to guide the development of inorganic, amorphous and 2D materials for advanced thermal management in next-generation electronic devices.

Towards efficient ESD protection strategies for advanced 3D systems-on-chip

2.5D/3D technologies require designers to reduce electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection of the internal I/O interfaces. To avoid over-design of ESD protection, designers require a more fundamental understanding of the ESD events that occur at this level. Here we present insights, practical guidelines and research directions for circuit designers and suppliers of bonding tools.

• Shih-Hsiang (Shane) Lin
• Marko Simicic
• Nicolas Pantano

Sensor-based IoT data privacy protection

Sensors are extensively used in the Internet of Things (IoT) applications, enhancing daily convenience but also raising concerns about privacy leakage. To address this, we advocate for protecting data privacy at the moment it is generated by sensors, rather than trying to secure it afterwards.

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