Engineering Physics

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The Department of Engineering Physics offers programs of study leading to the M.A.Sc., M.Eng. and Ph.D. degrees in Engineering Physics. Areas of specialization include Photonics Engineering, Nano- and Micro-device Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, Smart Systems Engineering, and Biomedical Engineering.

Enquiries: 905 525-9140 Ext. 27925
E-mail: engphys@mcmaster.ca
Website: https://www.eng.mcmaster.ca/engphys/resources#graduate-students

Faculty / Fall 2024

Chair

Rafael N. Kleiman

Associate Chair, Undergraduate

Matthew Minnick

Associate Chair, Graduate

Adrian H. Kitai

Professors

Associate Professors

Assistant Professors

Gitanjali Kolhatkar/B.Sc., M.Sc. (Ottawa), Ph.D. (Sherbrooke)
Ryan B. Lewis/B.Sc. (Dalhousie), M.A.Sc., Ph.D. (British Columbia)
Matthew Minnick/B.Eng., Ph.D. (McMaster), P.Eng.

Industry Professors

Thambiayah Nitheanandan/B.Sc. (Faisalabad), M.Sc., Ph.D (Manitoba)
Alessandro Petruzzi/ M.Sc., Ph.D (University of Pisa)
Nikola K. Popov/B.Eng. (Kiril and Metodij), M.Sc. (Belgrade), Ph.D. (Zagreb)
Victor G. Snell/B.Sc. (Manitoba), M.Sc., Ph.D. (Toronto)
Peter Vilks/B.Sc. (Dalhousie), M.Sc., Ph.D. (McMaster)

Adjunct Professors

Adjunct Associate Professors

Christian Reiter/Dipl., Ph.D. (München)
Ayse Turak/B.Sc. (Queen’s), Ph.D. (Toronto)

Adjunct Assistant Professors

Simon Day/B.Sc. (St. Mary’s), M.Eng., Ph.D. (McMaster)
Mini Thomas/ B.Eng. (Shivaji), M.Eng. (I.I.T. Bombay)

Associate Members

Professors Emeriti

Research in Engineering Physics

Research in the Department of Engineering Physics emphasizes new engineering disciplines that have emerged in recent years. In these high technology areas the link between engineering applications and basic science is particularly important. The research activities stress the fundamental physics that relates to the new technologies, as well as its application to practical engineering problems.

The department conducts research in five designated fields:

Photonics Engineering
Nano- and Micro-Device Engineering
Nuclear Engineering
Smart Systems Engineering
Biomedical Engineering

Photonics Engineering research activities comprise a broad range of topics in optoelectronic devices, materials processing, laser physics and their applications. Specific topics include, for example, semiconductor lasers, photodetectors, photovoltaics, biosensor development, ultrafast phenomena and processes, display devices, planar light wave structures, nonlinear photonic devices, and optical fiber technologies. Traditionally the Department has been strongly focused on III-V semiconductors, but it has broadened the scope to research in silicon photonics. Overall the efforts in photonics relate closely to the work in nano- and micro- devices, and in addition link with new directions in energy systems.

Nano- and Micro-Device Engineering is based on several materials fabrication technologies, including molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), thin film deposition, plasma processing, and laser machining. The research is aimed at the development of devices for deployment in several industrial and medical sectors. The study of fundamental materials systems is often conducted in parallel with the engineering of targeted devices. Examples of research topics in this area include MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems), high-temperature superconductors, microfluidics, defect spectroscopy, low dimensional quantum structures, and biological systems.

Nuclear Engineering covers a wide range of areas related to long-term development of nuclear applications, such as power reactors, medical radio-isotope production, materials research, nuclear imaging, and nuclear waste management. For its experimental research, the Department has access to on-campus facilities, such as the McMaster Nuclear Reactor (MNR), the Centre for Advanced Nuclear Systems (CANS), hot cells, thermalhydraulic test loops, a nuclear chemistry lab, and several accelerators and sources, including a D-D fusion neutron source. The theoretical research areas include nuclear reactor physics, plant thermalhydraulics, actinide transport, safety system performance, CANDU reactors, generation-IV, Small Modular Reactor (SMR) designs, and fusion technology. In addition to the facilities within Engineering Physics, there are several collaborations with other McMaster Engineering Departments as well as with other Canadian and international institutions in Nuclear Engineering. The NSERC/UNENE Chair and Associate Chair in Nuclear Safety Analysis are also located at McMaster University.

Smart Systems Engineering integrates various sensors and actuators to analyze and control a process. Smart systems cover a wide range of technologies, ranging from nano- and micro-device engineering to nuclear power systems to health care devices. Nuclear power reactors, such as McMaster’s nuclear reactor, employ smart systems that measure and provide feedback for proper control of the reactor. In Engineering Physics, we are developing a “Smart Home” that seeks to integrate various home sensors to provide safer living for elderly persons. Researchers are seeking to integrate various electronic devices, making them faster and cheaper, while also giving them new functionalities.

Biomedical Engineering reflects our Department’s specializations on biophotonics and biosensors. Biophotonics includes the development of photonics technologies, particularly imaging, for applications in life sciences and medicine. For example, advanced optical microscopy technologies can be developed for drug discovery, precision medicine, and in situ diagnosis applications; miniaturized optical spectroscopy and imaging sensors can be integrated into wearable devices monitoring pulse rate and blood oxygenation. In addition to photonics, we use electronics to detect the presence and quantity of specific analytes present at biofunctional surfaces. Integrating electronic circuits with biorecognition layers enables biologically-relevant analytes to be measured for the purpose of managing diseases and monitoring health. Furthermore, researchers in our department are actively involved in using methods based on electromagnetics to process biologically-relevant samples, for example extracting and enriching nucleic acids and proteins present in biological fluidics.

Research Facilities

The Department benefits strongly from various McMaster Institutes, Centres, Schools, and facilities including the Centre for Emerging Device Technologies (CEDT), the Brockhouse Institute for Materials Research (BIMR), McMaster School of Biomedical Engineering, the McMaster Institute for Applied Radiation Sciences, and the McMaster Institute for Energy Studies. The technical capabilities available to our graduate students include, for example, clean rooms with industry standard capabilities, molecular beam epitaxy, chemical vapour deposition, nuclear radiation detectors, positron lifetime and Doppler-broadening systems, compact and high power lasers, and a wide host of analytical capabilities and data acquisition equipment. The McMaster Nuclear Reactor (5 MW) is located on campus and is the largest research reactor in Canada. This provides access to neutron and gamma beam ports, neutron irradiation and neutron activation analysis facilities, and neutron radiography for research in Nuclear Engineering (see above), but also facilities for reserach in materials, life and health sciences, and archeology. The Center for Advanced Nuclear System (CANS) provides a suite of hot cells and specimen analysis capability which is unique in Canada. The McMaster Smart Home for Aging-in-Place (SHAPE) is a recently established facility based on a 100-year-old house in a residential neighborhood to support sensor and sensing system development for in home health and living environment monitoring.

A variety of computing clusters is available for numerical simulations and design.

For a full description of research facilities, please see individual web sites.

University Network of Excellence in Nuclear Engineering (UNENE)

The University Network of Excellence in Nuclear Engineering (UNENE), created through the partnership of four leading Ontario universities, namely, McMaster University, Queen’s University, University of Waterloo, and University of Western Ontario, presents a unique, innovative learning experience through a Master’s Degree Program in Nuclear Engineering with emphasis on nuclear power reactor technology. UNENE is currently an alliance of 13 universities (of which nine are in Ontario), six nuclear industry partners(AMEC Foster Wheeler, Bruce Power, CNL, CANDU Energy Inc., COG, and OPG), and three government agencies (NWMO, CNSC and NRCAN) for the support and development of nuclear education, R&D capability in Canadian universities.

The UNENE program is designed to provide practicing engineers the enhanced knowledge, tools, technology as well as business and management skills, necessary to keep them at the forefront of their profession. The UNENE Master’s Degree program has the enthusiastic endorsement of its industrial partners and the government agencies

McMaster University Faculty members within the Faculty of Engineering and the School of Business contribute to the extensive selection of UNENE course offerings.

UNENE requires an Honours or four-year degree in engineering, science or mathematics and a B- average or better. UNENE also considers any relevant work or research history. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee acceptance.

Individuals who choose to apply for admission to McMaster University will, once their application is approved, be registered within the Department of Engineering Physics on a part-time basis. The Master’s Degree awarded by McMaster will be an M.Eng. with a Nuclear Engineering designation.

Enquiries: 905 525-9140 ext. 20168
Fax: 905 527-8409
Email: unene@mcmaster.ca
Websites: http://www.unene.ca
https://www.eng.mcmaster.ca/engphys/programs/degree-options/meng/unene-nuclear-engineering

Programs

• Engineering Physics, M. Eng.
• Engineering Physics, M.A.Sc.
• Nuclear Engineering UNENE

• Engineering Physics, Ph.D.

• Engineering Physics Courses
• University Network of Excellence in Nuclear Engineering (UNENE) Courses

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