High-performance display technologies require light emitters that remain stable under intense operation while providing exceptional color purity. UC Berkeley researchers have developed stable metal halide perovskite red, green, and blue emitters that utilize both lead-based and lead-free materials. The technology relies on quantum dots integrated into specialized photoresist formulations. These formulations allow for the high-precision fabrication of patterned micro-light emitting diode devices with sub-micron pixel sizes. 

Achieving seamless robotic interaction with physical environments requires a sophisticated blend of sensory perception and logical reasoning. UC Berkeley researchers have developed "RealWorldPlay," a physical artificial intelligence system designed to enhance robotic action through a unified multimodal reasoning framework. The system integrates a visuo-tactile policy—combining sight and touch—with a large language model (LLM) that provides real-time verification feedback and strategic planning. By utilizing a "world model" to generate self-training data, the platform allows robots to autonomously set goals and learn from simulated scenarios, ensuring that their physical actions are both reasoned and verified before execution.

Traditional electronic materials typically exhibit electrical properties aligned in the same direction as the applied electric field. However, researchers at UC Berkeley have developed a new class of Aurivillius phase layered ferroelectric materials that enable unique "trans-capacitance" effects. These materials possess a coexistence of in-plane and out-of-plane polarization.

Determining the exact direction of a sound source typically requires large microphone arrays and significant computational power. Researchers at UC Berkeley have developed an intelligent acousto-electrical metamaterial system that simplifies this process. The technology utilizes a specialized acoustic transducer divided into multiple interconnected sections. Each section contains a unique arrangement of piezoelectric metamaterials designed to generate specific electric signals when stimulated by sound waves. Crucially, these sections possess distinct acoustic beam patterns—geometric sensitivities to sound—that allow the system to differentiate between incoming angles. Because the sections are in physical contact, they work in tandem to provide highly accurate "direction of arrival" (DOA) data within a compact, hardware-efficient form factor.

Developing robotic hands that can safely and effectively grasp a wide variety of objects remains a significant challenge, often requiring heavy motors and complex sensor arrays. Researchers at UC Berkeley have developed an underactuated dual-finger mechanism that features a unique force-triggered carpometacarpal (CMC) joint articulation. By utilizing underactuation—where a single motor drives multiple degrees of freedom—the design achieves high dexterity with minimal mechanical complexity. The CMC joint is engineered to respond passively to contact forces, allowing the fingers to wrap around objects of varying shapes and sizes automatically. This innovation enables a natural, compliant grip that mimics human hand mechanics, providing a lightweight and cost-effective solution for advanced manipulation.

Quantifying greenhouse gas emissions is a critical component of climate change research and environmental management. To facilitate long-term, high-frequency monitoring, UC Berkeley researchers have developed a fully autonomous methane flux chamber system. This continuously and remotely operable technology integrates a specialized methane sensor and an automated pump system within a flux chamber to measure gas exchange between the ground and the atmosphere. The system features a controller that manages evacuation and fresh air intake cycles based on real-time sensor data. Equipped with its own power source, data storage, and network connectivity, the device can operate in remote locations and transmit measurement data to external servers without the need for manual intervention.

Traditional imaging techniques often rely on bulky hardware or complex computational methods to resolve depth. UC Berkeley researchers have developed a three-dimensional imaging system that utilizes piezoelectric micromachined ultrasound transducers to capture high-resolution spatial data with an integrated approach that allows for compact, high-performance imaging that can be used in a variety of environments where traditional optical or radar systems might be limited.

Traditional 3D printing methods rely on layer-by-layer deposition, which often limits speed and introduces structural weaknesses. Computed Axial Lithography (CAL) revolutionized the field by using projected light to cure entire volumes at once, but it was previously constrained by the size of the illumination field. UC Berkeley researchers have advanced this technology with a Helical Cone Beam CAL system. By combining a rotating target volume with a synchronized translation mechanism, the system projects patterned cone beams in a helical path through radiation-reactive material. This allows for continuous printing of much larger objects than traditional CAL and even enables "inner printing"—the fabrication of new structures inside or around existing solid objects.

      On-chip ultrafast light devices with a compact footprint and low cost would provide a practical platform for applications such as optical signal processing, molecular sensing, microwave generation and nonlinear optical processes. With the help of recent advances in nanofabrication techniques, the ability to reach low propagation loss on-chip has driven the development of high-quality (Q) factor microresonators. These microresonators allow for microcomb and pulse generation under intense continuous wave (CW) pumping. However, low nonlinear conversion efficiencies and high repetition rates, fixed by the resonator geometry, make achieving ultrashort pulses with high peak power remains an ongoing challenge.       To overcome these challenges, UC Berkeley researchers have demonstrated the integration of an electro-optic-comb system and dispersion-engineered nonlinear waveguides on a thin-film lithium niobate platform. The compact, on-chip device can achieve 35-fs pulse generation, corresponding to 6.7 cycles at 1550 nm, via higher-order soliton compression. The present invention facilitates development of ultrafast nano-optics and nano-electronics.

       Spectral machine vision collects both the spectral and spatial dependence (x,y,λ) of incident light, containing potentially useful information such as chemical composition or micro/nanoscale structure.  However, analyzing the dense 3D hypercubes of information produced by hyperspectral and multispectral imaging causes a data bottleneck and demands tradeoffs in spatial/spectral information, frame rate, and power efficiency. Furthermore, real-time applications like precision agriculture, rescue operations, and battlefields have shifting, unpredictable environments that are challenging for spectroscopy. A spectral imaging detector that can analyze raw data and learn tasks in-situ, rather than sending data out for post-processing, would overcome challenges. No intelligent device that can automatically learn complex spectral recognition tasks has been realized.       UC Berkeley researchers have met this opportunity by developing a novel photodetector capable of learning to perform machine learning analysis and provide ultimate answers in the readout photocurrent. The photodetector automatically learns from example objects to identify new samples. Devices have been experimentally built in both visible and mid-infrared (MIR) bands to perform intelligent tasks from semiconductor wafer metrology to chemometrics. Further calculations indicate 1,000x lower power consumption and 100x higher speed than existing solutions when implemented for hyperspectral imaging analysis, defining a new intelligent photodetection paradigm with intriguing possibilities.

      Optical tweezers generated with light modulation devices have great importance for highly precise laser imaging and addressing systems e.g. excitation and readout of single atoms, imaging of interactions between molecules, or highly precise spatial trapping and movement of particles. To generate dynamic optical tweezers adjustable at the microsecond scale, acousto-optic deflectors (AOD) are commonly used to modulate the spatial profile of laser light. Dynamic optical tweezers are increasingly relevant for emerging technologies such as neutral atom quantum computers, and tightly focused laser spot arrays may enable advanced imaging and/or semiconductor processing applications. However, dynamic optical tweezer systems capable of rapid, aberration-free movement of one or multiple atoms in independent, arbitrary three-dimensional trajectories with minimal aberration have not yet been realized.      UC Berkeley researchers have developed a dynamic optical tweezer system that overcomes significant defects such as limited 2D motion and optical aberration present in existing art. Carefully designed waveform modulation of one or more acousto-optic deflector lenses (AODLs) enables atomic addressing and rapid tweezer motions while minimizing significant optical aberrations present in prior methods. The invention is capable of microsecond scale single or multi tweezer motion in arbitrary three-dimensional trajectories without the use of translation stages. The invention can flexibly address one atom, multiple atoms, or the entire array.

      Effective thermal management remains a critical challenge in designing and operating next-generation electronics, data centers, and energy systems. Devices are steadily shrinking and handling increased power densities. Traditional cooling strategies, such as heat sinks and immersive cooling systems, fall short in delivering the targeted, localized cooling needed to prevent or address thermal hotspots. Current solutions for localized hotspot cooling require active, energy-intensive methods like pumping of coolants and complex thermal architecture design.       To overcome these challenges, UC Berkeley researchers present a transformative passive method for localized, autonomous cooling of hotspots. The cooling system delivers effective, localized cooling across various device surfaces and geometries, including those geometries wherein cooling media must move against gravity. The benefits of the present system will be appreciated for computer chip and other electronics cooling, microgravity applications, battery thermal management. Beyond thermal management, the underlying system may also open novel avenues in fluid manipulation and energy harvesting.

      The demand for power electronics with smaller volumes, lighter weights, and lower cost has motivated ongoing investigation into alternative power passive component technologies. Miniaturization of power converters is bottlenecked by magnetics, whose power densities fundamentally reduce at small scales. Capacitors exhibit much more favorable densities at small sizes, but efficient voltage regulation and galvanic isolation are difficult to achieve without magnetics. Therefore piezoelectric components have emerged as compelling alternative passive components for power electronics. However,  their high-performance capabilities have been limited to applications of high load impedance due to the high characteristic of piezoelectric resonators (PRs) themselves.       To overcome this challenge, UC Berkeley researchers have developed novel piezoelectric resonator (PR) designs based on overtones, with enhanced power densities and reduced optimal load impedances. The overtone PRs have been demonstrated to have comparable efficiency to fundamental-mode PRs, while their capabilities for power handling density and lower optimal load impedances are increased. Use of overtone PRs can expand the utility of piezoelectrics to a wider scope of power electronics.

      Miniaturization and performance of power electronics is fundamentally limited by magnetic components, whose power densities inherently reduce at small scales. Piezoelectric resonators (PRs), which store energy in the mechanical compliance and inertia of a piezoelectric material, offer various advantages for power conversion including high quality factors, planar form factors, opportunity for batch fabrication, and potential for integration. Contrary to magnetic components, PRs have increased power handling densities at small scales. Noteworthy advancements have been made in magnetic-less, PR-based power converter designs, demonstrating significant achievements in both power density (up to 5.7 kW/cm3) and efficiency (up to >99%). However, while PRs are promising alternative passive components, they cannot be used as drag-and-drop replacements for magnetics; achieving high performance in a PR-based converter requires complicated control of multi-stage switching sequences. A need exists for more practical ways to leverage piezoelectrics in power conversion without such added complexity.      To address this challenge, UC Berkeley researchers have developed a piezoelectric component that may be leveraged to directly emulate the dynamics of a magnetic component. The “active inductor” can serve as a drag-and-drop replacement for bulky magnetic inductors in power converters. Power density and efficiency of underlying piezoelectrics are preserved while the design complexity associated with piezoelectric-based power converters is simplified. Detailed models and control strategies for the piezoelectric-based active inductors have been developed and usage demonstrated in a classic buck converter. The active inductor is further validated with closed-loop simulation results and open-loop experimental results, confirming its inductor-like behavior.

Optical atomic clocks have taken a giant leap in recent years, with several experiments reaching uncertainties at the 10−18 level. The development of synchronized clock networks and transportable clocks that operate in extreme and distant environments would allow clocks based on different atomic standards or placed in separate locations to be compared. Such networks would enable relativistic geodesy, tests of fundamental physics, dark matter searches, and more. However, the leading neutral-atom optical clocks operate on wavelengths of 698 nm (Sr) and 578 nm (Yb). Light at these wavelengths is strongly attenuated in optical fibers, posing a challenge to long-distance time transfer. Those wavelengths are also inconvenient for constructing the ultrastable lasers that are an essential component of optical clocks. To address this problem, UC Berkeley researchers have developed a new, laser-cooled neutral atom optical atomic clock that operates in the telecommunication wavelength band. The leveraged atomic transitions are narrow and exhibit much smaller black body radiation shifts than those in alkaline earth atoms, as well as small quadratic Zeeman shifts. Furthermore, the transition wavelengths are in the low-loss S, C, and L-bands of fiber-optic telecommunication standards, allowing the clocks to be integrated with robust laser technology and optical amplifiers. Additionally, the researchers have identified magic trapping wavelengths via extensive studies and have proposed approaches to overcome magnetic dipole-dipole interactions. Together, these features support the development of fiber-linked terrestrial clock networks over continental distances.

Ising machines represent a promising frontier in unconventional computing, designed to solve complex combinatorial optimization problems by mimicking the behavior of magnetic spins. However, the quality of the solution depends heavily on the precision of the "coupling" between individual spins. UC Berkeley researchers have developed an advanced sampling coupler specifically for Oscillator Ising Machines (OIMs). This spin coupling unit utilizes a high-precision sampling circuit and a programmable current source to establish interactions between oscillators. By sampling the waveform of one oscillator at the exact transition point of another, the system generates a discrete state value that determines the corrective current injected back into the oscillator. This method allows for finely tuned, programmable conductance parameters, enabling the Ising machine to reach lower energy states more reliably and achieve superior optimization results.

As the demand for higher memory density in modern computing continues to grow, traditional static memory architectures face physical scaling limits. To address this, UC Berkeley researchers have developed a novel static memory bit-cell that utilizes negative differential resistance (NDR) ferroelectric field-effect transistor (FeFET) devices. By exploiting the specific NDR characteristics inherent in these FeFETs, a stable binary data latch can be formed using as few as two devices, providing a path toward significantly more compact storage than standard SRAM cells. The design further incorporates a transfer FET to manage reading and writing functions, offering a streamlined circuit that reduces complexity while maintaining high performance.

This technology introduces a field-effect transistor (FET) designed with a ferroelectric (FE) material layer integrated directly into the gate-insulating stack. Developed by researchers at UC Berkeley, the device is distinguished by its ability to exhibit tunable negative differential resistance (NDR) within its output characteristics while remaining fully compatible with standard CMOS manufacturing processes. The device operates by manipulating the electrical polarization of the FE layer; at low drain-to-source voltage ($V_{DS}$), the positive polarization maintains a low threshold voltage ($V_{th}$), allowing current to increase. However, as $V_{DS}$ rises beyond a specific level, the polarization reduces and eventually flips, causing a sudden surge in $V_{th}$ and a corresponding rapid decrease in current. This unique transition creates an NDR region where the drain current drops even as the drain voltage increases, offering new possibilities for high-speed switching and compact circuit design.

UC Berkeley researchers have developed a high-performance microcapacitor technology that achieves record-breaking energy and power densities for on-chip storage. The microcapacitor is constructed within a 3D trench in an insulating layer, featuring a unique superlattice structure composed of alternating atomic layers of antiferroelectric and dielectric films. By engineering these films (such as hafnium oxide and zirconium oxide) near a field-driven phase transition, the devices leverage a "negative capacitance" effect that significantly amplifies charge storage. This architecture scales energy storage beyond the conventional thickness limits of standard thin films, delivering an energy density of at least 20 mJ/cm² and a power density of at least 10 kW/cm². These microcapacitors can be fabricated in large arrays using standard microelectronic processes, making them ideal for seamless integration directly onto silicon chips.

         Recent mass evacuation events, including the 2018 Camp Fire and 2023 Maui Fire, have demonstrated shortcomings in our communication abilities during natural disasters and emergencies. Individuals fleeing dangerous areas were unable to obtain fast or accurate information pertaining to open evacuation routes and faced traffic gridlocks, while nearby communities were unprepared for the emergent situation and influx of persons. Climate change is increasing the frequency, areas subject to, and risk-level associated with natural hazards, making effective communication channels that can operate when mobile network-based systems and electric distribution systems are compromised crucial.         To address this need UC Berkeley researchers have developed a mobile network-free communication system that can function during natural disasters and be adapted to most communication devices (mobile phones and laptops). The self-organized, mesh-based and low-power network is embedded into common infrastructure monitoring device nodes (e.g., pre-existing WSN, LoRa, and other LPWAN devices) for effective local communication. Local communication contains dedicated Emergency Messaging and “walkie-talkie” functions, while higher level connectivity through robust gateway architecture and data transmission units allows for real-time internet access, communication with nearby communities, and even global connectivity. The system can provide GPS-free position information using trilateration, which can help identify the location of nodes monitoring important environmental conditions or allowing users to navigate.

Researchers at UC Berkeley have designed a novel Dynamic Read Access Ferroelectric Memory (DyRAFeM) device that addresses the scalability limitations of conventional flash memory. The architecture features a substrate with a semiconductor channel positioned between a source and a drain, topped by a sophisticated gate stack. Unlike traditional ferroelectric field-effect transistors (FEFETs), this design integrates a metal layer forming a floating gate directly between the gate oxide and the ferroelectric layer. This specific configuration enables robust non-volatile memory functionality while allowing for significantly improved scaling. By optimizing the interaction between the floating metal gate and the ferroelectric material, the device provides a path toward higher-density, high-speed memory arrays suitable for the next generation of microelectronics.

Certain difficult optimization problems, such as the traveling salesman problem, can be solved using so-called analog Ising machines, in which electronic components (such as certain arrangements of diodes or electronic switches) implement an analog of a well-studied physical system known as an Ising machine. The problem is recast so that its solution can be read off from the lowest-energy configuration of the analog Ising machine, a state which the system will naturally evolve towards. While promising, this methodology suffers major drawbacks. Firstly, the number of subunits, known as “spins”, in the analog Ising machines, as well as the number of connections between these subunits, can grow substantially with problem size. Secondly, existing implementations of this principle rely on chip constructions which are optimized for one or a few problems, and are not sufficiently reprogrammable to be repurposed efficiently for other applications. To address these problems, researchers at UC Berkeley have developed a device known as a Field-programmable Ising machine which can be adapted to implement an analog Ising machine using a variety of hardware designs, such as the diodes and switches mentioned above. These Ising machines can be effectively reprogrammed to efficiently solve a wide array of problems across various domains. The inventors have shown that this design can be applied to SAT (“Satisfiability”) problems, a class known to be similar to the traveling salesman problem, in that the number of spins needed and their level of connectivity do not grow too quickly with problem size.

Silicon photonics is increasingly used in an array of communications and computing applications. In many applications, photonic chips must be coupled to optical fibers, which remains challenging due to the size mismatch between the on-chip photonics and the fiber itself. Existing approaches suffer from low alignment tolerance, sensitivity to fabrication variations, and complex processing, all of which hinder mass manufacture.To address these problems, researchers at UC Berkeley have developed a coupling mechanism between a silicon integrated photonic circuit and an optical fiber which uses a microlens to direct and collimate light into the fiber. Researchers have demonstrated that this device can achieve low coupling loss at large alignment tolerances, with an efficient and scalable manufacturing process analogous to existing manufacture of electronic integrated circuits. In particular, because the beam is directed above the silicon chip, this method obviates dry etching or polishing of the edge of the IC and allows the silicon photonics to be produced by dicing in much the same way as present electronic integrated circuits.

The inventors have discovered a new way to generate ultrafast back-gating, by leveraging the surface band bending inherent to many semiconductor materials. This new architecture consists of a standard bulk semiconductor material and a layered material on the surface. Optical pulses generate picosecond time-varying electric fields on the surface material. The inventors have successfully applied this method to a quantum well Rashba system, as this is considered today one of the most promising candidates for spin-based devices, such as the Datta Das spin-transistor. The technology can induce an ultrafast gate and drive time-dependent Rashba and quantum well dynamics never observed before, with switching faster than 10GHz. This approach minimizes lithography and will enable light-driven electronic and spintronics devices such as transistors, spin-transistors, and photo-controlled Rashba circuitry. This method can be applied with minimal effort to any two-dimensional material, for both exfoliated and molecular beam epitaxy grown samples. Electric field gating is one of the most fundamental tuning knobs for all modern solid-state technology, and is the foundation for many solid-state devices such as transistors. Current methods for in-situ back-gated devices are difficult to fabricate, introduce unwanted contaminants, and are unsuited for picosecond time-resolved electric field studies.  

Researchers at UC Berkeley have developed a flexible and scalable Thermal Test Vehicle (TTV) designed to address the critical challenges of thermal management in modern high-performance computing. As GPUs and CPUs push the limits of power density, cooling solutions require rigorous validation under realistic conditions. This TTV utilizes an integrated array of power transistors that function as programmable heat sources, allowing it to mimic the complex thermal profiles and localized hotspots of next-generation integrated circuits. With onboard measurement and control circuitry coupled with an integrated computer, the vehicle can dynamically adjust power loads and capture high-resolution temperature data. This enables the precise characterization of cooling performance across a wide range of operating environments, providing a standardized platform for validating liquid cooling, phase-change materials, and advanced heat sinks.