Asif Islam Khan

Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
of Asif Islam Khan (Ph.D. Applicant for Fall 2008 Quarter)
My purpose of applying at the PhD program of the Department of Electrical and Computer
Engineering at Cornell U. stems from the fact that the state-of-the-art researches done here on
nanotechnologies, especially on nano-photonics and -electronics are closely aligned with my research
interests and some of my research experiences.
My interest in quantum mechanics instilled in me a profound intellectual curiosity for the
mysteries of Nature at the nanoscale since secondary school. And through the course of my undergraduate training as an electrical engineering at Bangladesh U. of Engineering and Technology,
the most reputed and highest ranked engineering university in the country, I got a good research
exposure to the art of engineering the Nature at the nanoscale that motivates me to pursue my
graduate studies in nano-science and -technology. In my 3rd year, I along with one friend developed
a non-equilibrium Green function (NEGF) based Schr
odinger-Poisson solver for 1-D nanostructures
which gave me my maiden insight into quantum phenomena at the nanoscale. Our self-motivated
research on effects of wave function penetration into gate oxide on electron distribution in nanoscale
double gate (DG) MOSFETs won us the 1st prize in IEEE R-10 UG Student Paper Contest 06.
As I started my 4th year research on computational nanoelectronics under Prof. Anisul Haque,
my first challenge was to find a suitable topic that was technologically important and tractable
under my intellectual capability and knowledge base as an undergraduate student and our limited
computation resources. Having surveyed Intl Roadmap for Semiconductors 05 and literature on
device modeling and scaling issues and emerging devices, I found that, although effects of wave
function penetration into gate oxide on different parameters (gate capacitance, drain current) have
been examined for bulk MOSFETs, such analyses have always been done using 1-D models and
hence have neglected 2-D effects, such as DIBL, which become extremely important with device
scaling. Hence, we decided pursue a systematic study of how wave function penetration effects on
ballistic drain current in nanoscale double gate MOSFETs evolve with the scaling of dimensions
(gate length and silicon body thickness) using a 2-D quantum device model. For this research, I
mastered some of the most advanced concepts in quantum transport through Dattas seminal text
Quantum Transport: Atom to Transistor on my own with hands-on modeling experience through
MATLAB coding. I incorporated a NEGF based, unconventional and accurate technique to apply
open boundary condition at the gate-oxide interface in the solution of the 2-D Schr
odinger equation
in the simulation scheme. It is satisfying to mention that submission of our manuscript to J. Appl.
Phys. is in the offing and we would be the first to demonstrate and explain the relation between
device scaling and wave function penetration effects on ballistic drain current when published. I
also participated in an interdisciplinary quantum logic research and reported for the first time in
literature ion trap realizable ternary quantum version of some reversible logic circuits, including
Fredkin gate in the IEEE 37th Intl Symp. Multiple Valued Logic 08 (ISMVL2008). As a recognition of our groups research, I have recently been selected as a reviewer of the multiple-valued
quantum logic track for ISMVL 2008 to be held at Texas in May 08. Through my research involvements, I got an excellent training on the art of scientific research - the art of explaining numerical
results not as mathematical or programming artifacts, rather as physical phenomena, the art of
scientific writing relying less on equations and using concepts accessible to intended audience, and
on exercising analytical ability, adherence and intellectual integrity. And with this exposure, I am
confidence to be able to handle the rigor of graduate level research.
Through my IEEE activities I got a training on management, leadership and interpersonal skills.
I served IEEE BUET Student Branch (SB) as the Secretary during 04-05 and as the Chair during
05-07. I was the brainchild of two new activities, IEEE BUET SB Paper Contest 06 and IEEE
Xtreme Programming Contest, 06. Both of these activities upheld our SB in the international
arena; out of the 3 papers from our branch 2 (including 1 of mine) won the top 2 prizes in IEEE
Page 1 of 2

Asif Islam Khan

Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering

R-10 Student Paper Contest 06 and one BUET team, x33d was placed 9th in the programming
contest, making our branch the only one in R-10 to secure a place in the top 10. As a recognition
of the concerted effort of all the IEEE volunteers under my leadership, the plant tours of our
SB was featured by The Institute, the newspaper of IEEE, in Editor Kathy Kowalenkos article
Organizing tours to technical facilities in the Dec. 05 issue. Having to manage such diverse range
of academic and leadership activities, I groomed into myself excellent personal management skills
like time management, perseverance and punctuality. In view of such experiences, I feel that I will
be able to adapt into cooperative milieu of the graduate research and also fit into leadership roles
in research and in my career.
Having read some of the papers of Cornell Nanophotonics Group and having conceived the
scope and tremendous impact of their research, especially that of the recent seminal work on Si
based all-optical on-chip switching devices, I can firmly say that my interests are closely aligned
with this groups research. I have developed a strong foundation in electromagnetism through
UG courses Electromagnetic Fields and Waves and Microwave Engineering and graduate course
Microwave Theory and Techniques and self motivated reading of Feynman lectures of Physics,
vol. II. I find my background on electromagnetism and quantum theory of solids are also strong
enough to understand the basic principles of nanophotonic structures. My computational modeling
skills that I developed for nanoelectronic device modeling and current research involvement in
evolutionary/genetic algorithm for automated design of multivalued quantum logic circuits can
also be effective for theoretical predictions and design of novel nanostructured photonic devices.
This groups research on all optical switching, plasmonic structures, photonic structure design and
bio-sensing are of my particular interests. Prof. Tiwaris research on nanoscale electronics and
compound and heterostructure electronic devices is also parallel with my interests and my research
expertise too. Besides, research of Semiconductor Optoelectronics and Quantum Optics Group
is also of my interest. Having maintained excellence in academic and research credentials and
leadership activities1 in my undergraduate level, I am confident that I would also be able to excel
in the graduate research at Cornell University.
It was not until I attended the nanomaterial workshop at the Abdus Salam Intl Center for
Theoretical Physics that, I could perceive the diverseness of nanotechnologies and its distinctness
from other promising fields like astrophysics, neuroscience in its impact on society. As I am guiding
several students on quantum logic research and saw my 2nd year students grasping eagerly and
proactively ideas of Moores law, nanomachines, top-down and bottom-up in their first electronics
course with me, I feel I have an innate ability to convey basic and new concepts and motivate
students to explore and research. I believe, being a professor of nano-science in a research university,
I can further Feynmans vision not only by advancing the state of the art nanotechnology, but
also by illuminating new avenues of thought for my students. Through my detour research on
engineering history and socio-technology that won the 2nd prize in IEEE History Paper Contest
04 and IEEE Enterprise Award 06 respectively, I could perceive social implications of technology.
Having mingled with the best minds of the South Asia from backgrounds as diverse as from fine
arts to engineering at the 1st SAARC University Students Exchange Program at Delhi in Dec.
07, I could understand how people from other disciplines view the role of technology in shaping
societys future and I could perceive why it is necessary to guide technological developments to
fulfill societys expectations. As the future of nanotechnology has inspired as much caution as
optimism, I intend also to utilize my expertise into policy issues to safeguard its advancement
towards a direction that is peaceful and addresses some of the most intriguing problems of our
society. Graduate study in ECE at Cornell U. with its strength in nano-research and long held
reputation for producing veritable leaders in the science and technology arena will give me the
perfect opportunity to advance towards my career goal.
1

My
resume
with
a
complete
http://teacher.buet.ac.bd/aikhan/cv.pdf.

list

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