Lead Investigator: Saptarshi Das, Ph.D.
Ackley Professor of Engineering
MRI Fellow
Appointments
Pennsylvania State University
- N-333 Millennium Science Complex University Park, PA 16802
- sud70@psu.edu
- 814-863-2639
Dr. Das received his B.Eng. degree (2007) in Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering from Jadavpur University, India, and Ph.D. degree (2013) in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Purdue University. He was a Postdoctoral Research Scholar (2013-2015) and Assistant Research Scientist (2015-2016) at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL). Dr. Das joined the Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics (ESM) at Penn State University in January 2016. Dr. Das was the recipient of the Young Investigator Award from the United States Air Force Office of Scientific Research in 2017 and the National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER award in 2021. Das Research Group at Penn State leads a new multidisciplinary area of science, namely biomimetic sensing, neuromorphic computing, and hardware security inspired by natural designs found in the animal world that allow evolutionary success in resource-constrained environments.
Andrew Pannone
Ph.D.
Andrew completed his Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
degree in Engineering Science and Mechanics at The Pennsylvania State University in 2020.
Graduating from the Schreyer Honors College, Andrew also pursued minors in
Nanotechnology, Physics, and Engineering Mechanics. He was awarded the University
Graduate Fellowship in 2020 and selected as a NASA space technology graduate researcher in
2023. He is currently a fifth-year Ph.D. student in the Engineering Science and Mechanics
Department. His research focuses on the realization of intelligent instruments through the
integration of neuromorphic hardware and chemical sensors based on two-dimensional
nanomaterials.
Muhtasim Ul Karim Sadaf
Ph.D.
Muhtasim Ul Karim Sadaf earned his
undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering and Polymer Science from Shahjalal University
of Science and Technology, Bangladesh, in 2017. He then pursued a master’s degree in
chemistry at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), graduating in 2020. His
research there centered on nanomaterials, functional polymers, piezo-triboelectric energy
harvesting, and sensors. In 2021, he began his Ph.D. in Engineering Science and Mechanics
(ESM) at Penn State. His work includes neuromorphic computing with a focus on sensor fusion
technology, inspired by the multisensory integration abilities of biological systems. He has also
explored 2D material-based FETs, emphasizing performance, and worked on monolithic 3D
integration of 2D materials highlighting the potential of 2D materials in advancing Moore’s
Law.
Mayukh Das
Ph.D.
Mayukh completed his Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.)
degree in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering from Jadavpur University in 2020. He is
a Ph.D. candidate in Engineering Science and Mechanics at Penn State University. His research
focuses on contact engineering to achieve high-performance p-type field effect transistors and
the integration of high-K dielectrics with 2D materials for device applications. Previously his
focus was towards bioinspired and ultra-low powered neuromorphic computing hardware and
smart sensors based on two-dimensional (2D) materials for next-generation robotics and
autonomous vehicles. Besides device physics, he is also interested in coding, machine learning,
neural networks, thermodynamics, material characterization, and applied mathematics.
Dipanjan Sen
Ph.D.
Dipanjan received his B.Tech. in 2018 in Electronics and
Communication Engineering from Meghnad Saha Institute of Technology (MAKAUT) and
M.Tech. in 2021 in VLSI Design and Microelectronics Technology from Jadavpur University,
India. He is currently doing his Ph.D. in Engineering Science and Mechanics at Penn State
University. His research focuses on the integration of 3D and 2D Insulators with Large-Area
MoS2 for Multifunctional Electronic Devices, dielectric interface engineering in 2D FETs, as
well as ferroelectric transistors for computing and storage. Besides research, he is an enthusiast
in music and cricket.
Subir Ghosh
Ph.D.
Subir completed his bachelor’s degree in Electronics and
Communication Engineering from Heritage Institute of Technology, Kolkata, in 2018. He then
pursued a master’s degree in Electron Devices at Jadavpur University, where his research
focused on Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations for 2D materials, graduating in 2021.
Since fall 2022, Subir has been pursuing his Ph.D. at Penn State University, concentrating on
the fabrication and characterization of Two-Dimensional Materials. His current research
involves developing advanced sensors through monolithic heterogeneous 3D integration of
MoS2 and graphene for near-sensing computing, as well as working on complex LSI circuits
for realizing OISC and microprocessors using 2D FETs apart from that previously he has also
worked on neuromorphic computing and strain effect on 2D materials. Previously, Subir
worked as a Junior Research Fellow at the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, on a project
related to 2D channel and contact engineering. He also gained industry experience as a VLSI
Engineer at DxCorr Design Technology.
Ziheng Chen
Ph.D.
Ziheng received his Bachelor of Engineering in
Functional Material from Beijing University of Chemical Technology (BUCT) in 2021. He
later received his Master degree in Material Science and Engineering from Columbia
University in 2023. He is currently a second-year Ph.D. student in the Engineering Science
and Mechanics department at Pennsylvania State University. His research focuses on
advanced sensors using 2D material-based FET and monolithic 3D integration of 2D devices
to develop scaled SRAM.
Anirban Chowdhury
Ph.D.
Anirban is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in
Electrical Engineering at Penn State University, focusing on the fabrication and
characterization of two-dimensional (2D) materials. His current research is centered on
optoelectronic reservoir computing using In₂Se₃. Anirban holds an M.S. in Electrical
Engineering from the University of Notre Dame (2024) and an M.Tech. in Microelectronics
and VLSI from the Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Shibpur (2021).
During his master’s, he conducted significant research using SILVACO TCAD for ZnO-based
biosensors. Prior to starting his Ph.D., Anirban worked as a Junior Research Fellow at IIT
Roorkee on gate-all-around FET (GAAFET) modeling and simulation, and also as a SRAM
Memory Design Engineer at DxCorr Design Technology. He obtained his Bachelor’s degree
in Electronics and Communication Engineering from Meghnad Saha Institute of Technology,
Kolkata (2017).
Arpan Ghosh
Ph.D.
Arpan completed his B.Tech. in Metallurgical and
Materials Engineering in 2022 from National Institute of Technology Durgapur. He
completed his master’s in metallurgical and Materials Engineering from Indian Institute of
Technology Kharagpur. He is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Engineering Science and
Mechanics at Penn State University.
Samriddha Ray
Ph.D.
Samriddha earned his Bachelor’s degree in
Electronics and Communication Engineering from Heritage Institute of Technology, Kolkata.
He then pursued a Master’s degree at KU Leuven, Belgium, and completed a year-long
research internship at IMEC (Inter university Microelectronics Centre), Belgium. In 2024, he
began his PhD in the ESM department at Penn State. His research focuses on the design and
analysis of advanced circuit architectures and logic using 2D material devices, as well as
neuromorphic and next-generation computing.
Krishnendu Mukhopadhyay
Ph.D.
Krishnendu received his Bachelor of
Engineering Degree from the department of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering
at Jadavpur University, India. He did his Master of Technology at Center for Nanoscience and
Engineering department of Indian Institute of Science Bangalore. He worked on 2D materials
fabrication and characterization during his masters. He is currently pursuing his PhD in
Engineering Science and Mechanics at Penn State University.
Rishikesh T Nair
Ph.D.
Rishikesh completed his Bachelor of Technology
(B.Tech.) in Electronics and Computer Engineering from Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham,
India in the year 2024. He is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Engineering Science and
Mechanics at Penn State University. His research primarily focuses on
utilizing Machine Learning for improving the reliability of Graphene-based Chemosensors.
Jishnu M Kumar
Ph.D.
Jishnu completed his undergraduate in Electronics
and Computer Engineering from Amrita Viswa Vidyapeetham in 2024. He is currently
pursuing his PhD in Engineering Science and Mechanics at Penn State University. His
research focuses on graphene based chemisensors and their applications.
Pranavram Venkatram
Ph.D.
Pranavram completed his dual degree with
B.Tech in Electronics and Communication Engineering and M.Tech in VLSI system design in
2024 at the Indian Institute of Information Technology, Design and Manufacturing ,
Kancheepuram (IIITDM Kancheepuram),India. He is pursuing his Ph.D in Engineering
Science and Mechanics at Penn State University. His research focuses on investigating and
developing self-powered, efficient circuits using 2D FETs.
Md Sajjad Alam
Ph.D.
Sajjad earned his B.Sc. in Electrical and Electronic
Engineering from East West University, Bangladesh, and his M.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering
from Kookmin University, South Korea. He has been recognized with multiple fellowships at
Penn State, including the Leighton Riess Graduate Fellowship in Engineering, the Milton &
Albertha Langdon Memorial Graduate Fellowship, and the Melvin P. Bloom Memorial
Graduate Fellowship. Before starting his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, he worked as a
Researcher at Ajou University, South Korea. His current research involves developing scalable
2D FETs, with an emphasis on reducing contact resistance and achieving precise threshold
voltage control for low-power, high-performance logic applications. During his leisure time,
he enjoys playing football, hiking, and exploring the wonders of nature.
Soyeon Lee
Ph.D.
Soyeon Lee earned her M.S. in Materials Science and
Engineering from Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) in 2024. She is
currently a one-year Ph.D. student in Engineering Science and Mechanics at Pennsylvania
State University. Her research interest focuses on contact engineering for high performance
2D material-based field-effect transistors (FETs). In her free time, she enjoys cooking,
reading, and watching K-dramas.
Anshul Rasyotra
Post Doc.
Anshul Rasyotra is a Postdoctoral Researcher at Penn State University, where he investigates two-dimensional materials for advanced dielectric and neuromorphic functionalities. He received his Ph.D. from the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, focusing on the synthesis, electrochemical applications, and dielectric properties of 2D materials derived from metal diborides. He holds a B.Tech in Chemical Engineering from the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Srinagar. His long-term vision is to work on the interface of materials synthesis, electrochemistry, and device physics to uncover fundamental principles governing 2D materials and leverage them for electrochemical energy conversion and energy-efficient sensing and computing architectures.
Interns
Anushka Yadav
Intern
Anushka completed her M.Sc in Physics from the
National Institute of Technology, Durgapur in 2022. She joined Banaras Hindu University in
the same year as a Research Scholar. Her research focuses on the synthesis and characterization
of quantum dots. She explores their applications in optical and fluorescence-based sensing.
Currently, she is a Visiting Research Scholar at Penn State University, USA under Das research
group.
Seema Rani
Intern
Seema Rani is a PhD scholar at the Institute of Nano
Science and Technology (INST), Mohali, where she is currently in her fifth year of doctoral
research. She holds a Master’s degree in Physics from Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak
(2020). As a Fulbright Fellow, she is presently a visiting research scholar in the Das Research
Group, working on the development of 2D retinomorphic hardware as part of her Fulbright
project.
Fabio Carletti
Intern
Fabio Carletti received the B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Electronics Engineering from Politecnico di Milano in 2020 and 2023 respectively. Today he is actively pursuing the PhD in Information Technology at Dipartimento di Elettronica, Informazione e Bioingegneria of Politecnico di Milano working primarily on bidimensional memristive devices and 3DXP technologies. Currently he is a Visiting Research Scholar at Penn State University, USA under Das research group.
Past Members
| Name | Designation | Current Position |
|---|---|---|
| Mr. Aditya Raj | Research Staff | — |
| Dr. Darsith Jayachandran | Ph.D. Student | IBM Research |
| Dr. Akshay Wali | Ph.D. Student | Argonne National Laboratory |
| Dr. Akhil Dodda | Ph.D. Student | Western Digital |
| Dr. Amritanand Sebastian | Ph.D. Student | Micron Technology Inc. |
| Dr. Joseph R Nasr | Ph.D. Student | ASM International |
| Dr. Andrew J Arnold | Ph.D. Student | Intel Corporation |
| Dr. Daniel S Schulman | Ph.D. Student | Intel Corporation |
| Mr. Drew Buzzell | MS Student | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) |
| Mr. Shakya Chakrabarti | MS Student | Apple Inc. |
| Mr. Michael Felins | MS Student | Northrop Grumman |
| Dr. Ali Razavieh | Postdoctoral Scholar | GLOBALFOUNDRIES Inc. |
| Dr. Harikrishnan Ravichandran | Ph. D | Brookhaven National Laboratory |
| Dr. Najam Sakib | Ph. D | Intel |
| Dr. Thomas F Schranghamer | Ph. D. | Intel |
| Dr. Yikai Zheng | Ph. D | – |
| Małgorzata Giza | Former interns | – |
| Akshay Varma | Former interns | – |
| Rameez Raja Shaik | Post Doc. | Global Foundries |