Prof. Wooram Lee

2026年11月6日(金)、大岡山キャンパス西8号館にて、イリノイ大学アーバナ・シャンペーン校のWooram Lee准教授にご講演いただきました。

シリコンによるRF信号処理をテーマに、サブテラヘルツ帯のビームフォーミングから超広帯域のスペクトルセンシングまで、最新の研究成果をご紹介いただきました。

Speaker: Prof. Wooram Lee (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)

Title: RF Signal Processing in Silicon: From Sub-THz Beamforming to Ultra-Broadband Spectrum Sensing

Abstract: The growing demand for ultra-high-data-rate connectivity and high-resolution imaging is pushing wireless technologies into the mmWave and sub-THz spectrum (30–300 GHz). While this spectrum offers unprecedented bandwidth, its practical use is challenged by severe path loss and the limited efficiency of silicon transistors at these frequencies. To overcome these challenges, I will present our recent innovations in RF-domain signal processing in silicon that enable scalable beamforming architectures and energy-efficient processing of extremely wide bandwidths. I first will introduce two key building blocks for scalable sub-THz beamformer arrays: a trombone-inspired sub-THz phase shifter that achieves calibration-free, precise phase control, and an ultra-compact, high-power sub-THz bidirectional transceiver front-end. I will then present an RF-domain signal processor inspired by phased-array principles that enables energy-efficient, ultra-broadband spectrum sensing beyond the limits of conventional digital approaches.

Bio: Wooram Lee is an Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He was an Associate Professor at Penn State University from 2021 to 2026. From 2015 to 2020, he was a Research Staff Member in the RF Circuits and Systems Group at the IBM T. J. Watson Research Center. He serves as an Associate Editor of the IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, a Guest Editor of the IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, a member of the Technical Program Committee for the IEEE Radio-Frequency Integrated Circuits (RFIC) Symposium, and a member of the Steering Committee of the IEEE International Microwave Symposium (IMS). He will serve as a Distinguished Microwave Lecturer (DML) of the IEEE Microwave Theory and Technology Society (MTT-S) for the 2027-2029 term. Prof. Lee’s research has been recognized with several prestigious awards, including the IEEE IMS 2026 Best Student Paper Award (as faculty advisor), the IEEE RFIC 2023 Best Student Paper Award (as faculty advisor), 2022 Asia-Pacific Microwave Conference (APMC) Prize (as a co-recipient), and the IEEE RFIC 2019 Best Industry Paper Award.