UCI professor earns investigative grant

An assistant professor at UC Irvine received a highly selective Young

Investigator grant from the Office of Naval Research.

Peter Burke, assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and

Computer Engineering, will receive $300,000 over three years -- the

maximum award.

His research proposal, “Quantum Information and Noise Studies with

Semiconductor Nanodevices,” was one of only 10% selected this year.

Nanotechnology is an emerging area in which researchers create novel

electronic and optical devices and materials the size of a few atoms.

Burke hopes to eventually create a computer with one bit per atom and

use the laws of quantum physics to manipulate, transmit and store

information in new and more powerful ways.

Young Investigator grant recipients are chosen on the basis of

previous professional achievement, the submission of a research proposal

and evidence of strong support by their universities.