Applications of phonon-electron devices for microwave frequency signal processing

Devices that allow controllable interactions between electrons and phonons—acoustoelectric devices—have undergone a resurgence of interest in the last 8 years due to rapid advanced in heterogeneous integration of piezoelectric materials and semiconductors. Here, I will describe some of the novel devices and systems that are emerging from this field. I will discuss my group’s work demonstrating devices such as phononic amplifiers, mixers, switches, and others. Finally, I will discuss the prospects of these devices for insertion into wireless technologies both existing and future, as well as novel applications.