In this talk I give an overview of the algorithms we have developed at UCSD to significantly lower the energy consumption in computing systems. We derived optimal power management strategies for stationary workloads that have been implemented both in HW and SW. Run-time adaptation can be done via an online learning algorithm that selects among a set of policies. We generalize the algorithm to include thermal management since we found that minimizing the power consumption does not necessarily reduce the overall energy costs.

This tutorial will summarize key developments at the local (i.e. California), national, and global levels with respect to the current status of the energy crisis, investments in alternative energy, the need for further research and development, and the policy and regulatory framework.  For obvious reasons, this will not be a comprehensive review.

The National Ignition Facility (NIF), the world’s largest and most energetic laser system built for studying inertial confinement fusion (ICF) and high-energy-density (HED) science, is now operational at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). NIF’s 192 beams are configured to create pressures as high as 100 GB, matter temperatures approaching 10^9 and densities over 1000 g/cmm^3. With these capabilities, the NIF will enable exploring scientific problems in strategic defense, basic science and fusion energy.

The modeling, simulation and analysis of integrated building energy and control systems that significantly reduce energy consumption poses challenges that are not well addressed by standard building simulation pro- grams. This seminar discusses how modular system modeling based on the object-oriented equation-based Modelica language and on co-simulation can address these challenges. We demonstrate applications that are enabled by this new approach and that are outside the scope of standard building simulation programs.

Recent advances in photonics and directed energy systems now allow us to realize what was only a decade ago, simply science fiction. It is no longer. Spacecraft from fully-functional gram-level wafer-scale systems (“wafer sats”) capable of speeds greater than ¼ c  that could reach the nearest star in  20 years to spacecraft for large missions capable of supporting human life with masses more than 105 kg (100 tons) that could reach speeds of greater than 1000 km/s can be realized.

The United Nations has declared 2015 as the International Year of Light in order to recognize the importance of raising global awareness about how light-based technologies promote sustainable development and provide solutions to global challenges in energy, education, agriculture and health.

Low threshold visible lasers are useful for a number of applications including full color mobile projectors, optical data storage, heads-up displays in automobiles, in medicine and plastic fiber communication. Lasers emitting in the blue and green are generally realized with GaN-based InGaN/GaN quantum wells (QWs) as the gain media. Self-organized quantum dots (QDs), which form by strain relaxation, offer distinct advantages over quantum wells and their emission can be extended to longer wavelengths (~ 630 nm).

Discussion of Moore’s Law and analysis of its impact on computer architecture. With computer clock rates leveling, other methods to achieve high performance computing must be found.  This talk will discuss the role of software, its current state and trends, and application specific heterogeneous computing in achieving next generation high performance computing.

Dissimilatory metal-reducing bacteria (DMRB) are a class of microorganisms that inhabit many subsurface environments including marine sediments. They occupy a distinct metabolic niche wherein they can acquire energy by coupling oxidation of organic matter with reduction of insoluble oxidants such as mineral deposits. This capability requires that DMRB transfer electrons to their outer surface where electron-transfer can occur to an insoluble oxidant which is distinct from the dominant paradigm in which soluble oxidants are transported into cells for reduction during metabolism.

Integrated photonics has the potential to greatly reduce the size, weight, and power (SWaP) while improving the performance and reliability of photonic systems. This technology has already impacted telecommunications and is expected to transform data center communications, high performance computing, microwave photonics, and sensing. This talk will describe examples of integrated photonic technologies being developed in our research group and also discuss a novel application for integrated photonics, namely, space optical communications.