Most promising and emerging current ECE research-topics?

[rrlamichhane]

I'm more looking for fields in hardware side (Electrical Engineering) than software (Computer Engineering) here. I know to some extent but wanted everyone to share their knowledge on this.

Here's the few that I think will massively effect the world of technology in the near future (Pardon my ignorance in some aspects here):

1. Optoelectronics: Interfacing of silicon electronics with photonics and integration of photonics into classical silicon processors. This sounds extremely interesting has a potential to speed up our cloud servers communication and even connections within a microprocessor.
2. Energy Harvesting: Harvesting energy from microwaves in the ambiance sufficient enough to power the chips. I don't know to what extent can this be achieved.
3. Cybersecurity: With increasing emphasis on security and recent NSA news, this is a big deal. This involves both software and hardwares that support embedded cryptography.
4. Next-generation computers: Quantum computing is too far away! Graphene doesn't look very promising! Silicon is going to hit the saturation wall pretty soon! Is there anything going on that is faster than silicon without any dealbreakers to make it unfeasible?
5. What else? Please contribute.

Thanks.

 

[ModestyKing]

I was very glad I came across this before reading your post!
http://www.nature.com/news/the-super-materials-that-could-trump-graphene-1.17775
They speak of non-graphene 2D materials that have band-gaps, researchers have even made transistors working from these new materials. Read through it, and maybe follow the references if you like what you're hearing.

 

[Sajid_Ali]

MEMS/NEMS sensors in Internet Of Things probably .
Neuromorphic Computing is one thing you left out .