Zhenyun Qian

Associate Research Professor,  Electrical and Computer Engineering

Contact

Office

  • 617.373.2751

About

Zhenyun Qian received his B.S. degree in Electronic Science and Engineering from Southeast University, Nanjing, China, in 2011, the M.S. and Ph.D. degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Northeastern University, Boston, MA, in 2013 and 2017, respectively. His research interests include piezoelectric/thermo-mechanical transducers, 2D materials enhanced NEMS devices, low-power/zero-power sensors, MEMS-based optical switches, and flexible electronics. He has published more than 40 papers in the field of MEMS/NEMS. Zhenyun Qian was the recipient of the Outstanding Paper Award at the 18th International Conference on Solid-State Sensors, Actuators and Microsystems (Transducers 2015) and the Best Paper Award at the 2017 European Frequency and Time Forum & International Frequency Control Symposium (IFCS-EFTF 2017).

Honors & Awards

DARPA Riser 2018

2017 Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Self-financed Students Abroad

Selected Publications

• S. Kang, Z. Qian, V. Rajaram, S. Calisgan, A. Alù, M. Rinaldi, “Ultra-narrowband Metamaterial Absorbers for High Spectral Resolution Infrared Spectroscopy”, Advanced Optical Materials, 2018, 1801236.
• V. Rajaram, Z. Qian, S. Kang, S. Calisgan, N. McGruer, and M. Rinaldi, “Zero-Power Electrically Tunable Micromechanical Photoswitches”, IEEE Sensors Journal, vol.18, issue 19, pp. 7833 – 7841, 2018.
• Z. Qian, S. Kang, V. Rajaram, C. Cassella, N. McGruer and M. Rinaldi, “Zero Power Infrared Digitizers Based on Plasmonically-enhanced Micromechanical Photoswitches”, Nature Nanotechnology, 12(10), pp. 969 – 973, 2017.
• Z. Qian, Y. Hui, F. Liu, S. Kang, S. Kar and M. Rinaldi, “Graphene Aluminum Nitride NEMS Resonant Infrared Detector”, Microsystems & Nanoengineering, doi: 10.1038/micronano.2016.26, 2016.
• Z. Qian, F. Liu, Y. Hui, S. Kar and M. Rinaldi, “Graphene as a Massless Electrode for Ultrahigh-Frequency Piezoelectric Nanoelectromechanical Systems”, Nano Letters, 15 (7), pp. 4599–4604, 2015.

Alumni

Sep 08, 2025

Zepsor Technologies Taps Spark Fund to Scale Zero-Power Sensor Solutions

ECE Professor Matteo Rinaldi and Associate Research Professor Zhenyun Qian founded Zepsor Technologies, an innovative tech company that has developed a zero-power sensor that could reduce the demand for battery replacements. 

Matteo Rinaldi and Zhenyun Qian

Faculty

Jan 02, 2025

Patent for Zero-Power Sensing Technology

ECE Professor Matteo Rinaldi and Associate Research Professor Zhenyun Qian were awarded a patent for “Zero power micromechanical switch-based sensing and monitoring system.”

Matteo Rinaldi and Zhenyun Qian

Faculty

Aug 08, 2024

Patent for Ultra-Low Power Sensor for Remote Monitoring

ECE Professor Matteo Rinaldi and Associate Research Professor Zhenyun Qian were awarded a patent for “Sensor and method using bi-stable digitizing micromechanical switches for analog measurement of input signals.”

Matteo Rinaldi and Zhenyun Qian

Faculty

Mar 12, 2024

Patent for Designing Zero-Power Sensors for Crop Water Management

ECE Professor Matteo Rinaldi and Associate Research Professor Zhenyun Qian were awarded a patent for “Zero-power wireless system for crop water content monitoring.”

Faculty

Feb 26, 2024

Northeastern Among Top 100 Universities for Utility Patents

Northeastern University, recognized for its excellence in innovation and entrepreneurship, has once again been named one of the top 100 universities worldwide for securing utility patents by the National Academy of Inventors.

Faculty

Feb 14, 2023

$4 Million DARPA Grant for Ultra-Small, Fast, High-Resolution Infrared Sensors

Matteo Rinaldi, professor of electrical and computer engineering (ECE), and director of the Northeastern SMART research center, is leading a $4 million DARPA grant under the DARPA Optomechanical Thermal Imaging (OpTIm) program.

Matteo Rinaldi and Zhenyun Qian

Faculty

Jan 18, 2023

Patent for Designs for a Zero Power Plasmonic Microelectromechanical Device

ECE Professor Matteo Rinaldi and Research Assistant Professor Zhenyun Qian were awarded a patent for designing a “Zero power plasmonic microelectromechanical device.”

Matteo Rinaldi and Zhenyun Qian

Faculty

Jun 09, 2022

Monitoring Crop Fields with Zero-Power Sensors

ECE Professor Matteo Rinaldi and Research Assistant Professor Zhenyun Qian were awarded a patent for “Zero-power wireless chemical sensor for agricultural pests and disease monitoring.” Abstract Source: USPTO An ultra-miniaturized, […]

Matteo Rinaldi and Zhenyun Qian

Faculty

Jun 04, 2020

Developing ‘Off But Alert’ Wireless Sensors to Protect People and Assets from Fire

ECE Associate Professor Matteo Rinaldi and Research Assistant Professor Zhenyun Qian was awarded a $550K NSF grant for “Zero-power Wireless Flame Detector for Ubiquitous Fire Monitoring.” They will be working with industrial partner United Technologies Corporation (UTC).

Matteo Rinaldi and Zhenyun Qian

Faculty

May 07, 2020

Rinaldi & Qian Awarded Patent Zero Power Plasmonic MEMS

ECE Associate Professor Matteo Rinaldi and Research Assistant Professor Zhenyun Qian were awarded a patent for “Zero power plasmonic microelectromechanical device”.

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