Ranjan Singh, professor of electrical engineering at the University of Notre Dame and pioneer in terahertz photonics, spintronics and metamaterials, has been named founding editor-in-chief of Applied Physics Letters (APL) Engineering Physics.
According to Singh, the journal aims to encourage cross-disciplinary research, since innovation often happens at the boundaries between fields.
“We welcome work across all areas where physics drives engineering solutions,” said Singh, “from photonics and quantum technologies to robotics, automation, advanced materials, nanoscience and biomedical devices.”
APL Engineering Physics publishes interdisciplinary research that leverages principles of physics to tackle complex engineering challenges and develop technological innovations. As an open access journal, its articles are freely accessible to readers worldwide.
Professor Singh’s research focuses on terahertz (THz) science and technology, which uses electromagnetic waves between infrared and millimeter waves. This band of the spectrum has such unique properties as high chemical sensitivity, the ability to penetrate plastics and clothing, and a low photon energy that makes it safer than X-rays for certain medical uses.
Using new materials with unique quantum and topological properties, his team develops next-generation chips for faster wireless communication, ultra-sensitive sensors, and better displays. By examining the physics of materials such as Dirac and Weyl, they aim to create more powerful small-scale quantum devices.
“The unifying theme of my research is simple,” said Singh, “and it is about using the science of light and matter to create technologies that do not exist yet.”
“My team combines physics with artificial intelligence, silicon interconnects, quantum science, and new materials. These efforts could enable faster wireless networks, earlier cancer detection, smarter security systems, ultra-fast computing, and even new tools for understanding the human brain.”
After earning his Ph.D. in photonics from Oklahoma State University, Singh continued his research as a postdoctoral fellow at Los Alamos National Laboratory. In 2013, he joined the faculty at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore as a professor of physics. There, he founded TeraX Labs, dedicated to the use of a range of electromagnetic frequencies for technologies such as 6G wireless communication, sensing and imaging.
Singh, who joined the faculty at Notre Dame in 2024, has co-authored over 225 scientific publications and received notable recognition for his pioneering work in terahertz metamaterial devices, including his election as a Fellow of OPTICA (OSA). He was named as a top 1% highly cited researcher in physics by Clarivate’s Web of Science in 2020, 2022, and 2023.
—Karla Cruise, Notre Dame Engineering