Babak
Hassibi
Assistant
Professor of Electrical Engineering
PROFESSOR
HASSIBI'S RESEARCH is in communications,
signal processing, and control. He is currently most
interested in wireless communications, especially in the use
of multiple-antenna systems, where he has studied both the information-theoretic
and coding-theoretic aspects of such systems, as well as devised
practical high-rate space-time transmission schemes. Other
research interests include adaptive signal processing and neural
networks; blind channel equalization; statistical signal processing;
robust estimation and control, especially connections between
robustness and adaptation; and linear algebra, with emphasis
on fast algorithms, random matrices, and group representation
theory.
Professor
Hassibi received a BS from the University of Tehran in 1989,
an MS from Stanford University in 1993, and a PhD, also from
Stanford University, in 1996. Just prior to joining Caltech,
he was a member of the Technical Staff at Bell Laboratories.
Oskar
Painter (MS '95, PhD '01)
Assistant
Professor of Applied Physics
PROFESSOR
PAINTER'S RESEARCH interests are in nanofabrication,
optoelectronics, quantum electronics, and optics. His current
research investigates the new and interesting ways in which
light can be guided and trapped by the strong electromagnetic
dispersion present in high-contrast periodic materials (photonic
crystals). Optical devices formed in such materials are being
studied for a variety of applications ranging from next-generation
planar lightwave circuits to cavity QED studies of coherent
electron-photon processes.
Professor
Painter received his Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Electrical
Engineering in 1994 from the University of British Columbia,
his MS degree from Caltech in 1995, and his PhD in Electrical
Engineering from Caltech in 2001. Most recently he helped found
and has been working with cQuint Communications, a start-up
company focused on bringing a new fiber-optic packaging technology
to the telecommunications industry.
Rob
Phillips 
Assistant
Professor of Applied Physics
PROFESSOR
PHILLIPS'S RESEARCH centers on the development of
methods for treating multiple spatial scales simultaneously
with special emphasis on linking atomistic and continuum methods.
During recent years he has applied such methods to defects in
solids culminating in the recent publication of Crystals,
Defects and Microstructures (Cambridge University
Press, 2001). More recently, he has been engaged in bringing
similar methods to bear on problems of biological interest with
special reference to the emerging field of single-molecule biomechanics.
He is delighted to be at Caltech where the type of interdisciplinary
research he especially favors spreads across the various divisions.
Professor
Phillips received his BA in Physics from the University of Minnesota
in 1986, and both his MS in Physics (1986) and PhD in Physics
(1989) from Washington University. Prior to joining Caltech,
he was on the faculty at Brown University, and recently completed
a sabbatical at L'Institut National Polytechnique de Grenoble.
