Research area
High-Frequency Power Electronics and Integrated Power Management
Our goal is to enable next-generation technologies through the design of advanced high-frequency switch-mode power supplies for highly dynamic and power-dense applications.
We combine state-of-the-art research and teaching facilities with close collaboration across industry and academia to develop innovative power-electronic solutions and new technologies to address emerging challenges in energy conversion and power management. Our research spans power-conversion systems ranging from microwatt-scale energy harvesters to kilowatt-class power delivery systems for computing and industrial applications.
High-Frequency Power Conversion
Next-generation power electronic systems are often developed by pushing switching frequencies higher and adopting devices with improved figures-of-merit. Our research investigates alternative pathways to achieve performance gains through novel converter architectures, hybrid energy processing, and multi-objective optimization methodologies. Converter designs are tailored to specific application requirements and constraints, improving efficiency, power density, dynamic performance, and system integration.
- High-frequency converter architectures
- Hybrid and switched-capacitor converters
- Wide Band-Gap Devices (SiC, GaN)
- Multi-objective optimization
Integrated Power Management for Computing Systems
Modern computing platforms demand power delivery systems capable of supporting rapidly varying workloads while maintaining high efficiency and reliability. DHFE develops integrated power management solutions for CPUs, GPUs, TPUs, AI accelerators, servers, and data-center infrastructure, addressing challenges in power density, voltage regulation, dynamic performance, and system cost.
- AI and high-performance computing power delivery
- Voltage regulator design
- Fast transient response
- FPGA-based digital control
- High-bandwidth sensing and monitoring
Energy Harvesting and Ultra-Low-Power Electronics
Autonomous electronic devices – sensor nodes, drones, robots, IoT – are often required to operate with highly constrained energy resources while maintaining operation, down to the microwatt level. Precise energy management and harvesting are essential for reducing or eliminating battery dependence and enabling long-term autonomous operation. Our research develops energy-aware power-management solutions that maximize harvested energy, conversion efficiency, and operational lifetime for emerging IoT and distributed sensing applications.
- Energy harvesting interfaces
- Ultra-low-power converter design
- Self-powered electronic systems
We welcome enquiries from industry, research institutions, and students interested in collaborative research and innovation within high-frequency power conversion, integrated power management, and energy-aware electronic systems.
Selected publications
- Tim McRae, "Current sensor-free transfer window alignment with combined energy harvesting and current measurement capabilities," Power Electronic Devices and Components, Volume 12, 2025. doi: 10.1016/j.pedc.2025.100107
- A. Stupar, T. McRae, N. Vukadinovic, A. Prodić, J. Taylor, "Multi-Objective Optimization of Multi-Level DC–DC Converters Using Geometric Programming," in IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics, vol. 34, no. 12, pp. 11912-11939, Dec. 2019, doi: 10.1109/TPEL.2019.2908826.
- T. McRae, R. Maheshwari and T. Ebel, "Comparative Analysis of DC-DC Converters for Electrolyzers using Geometric Programming," PCIM Europe 2024; International Exhibition and Conference for Power Electronics, Intelligent Motion, Renewable Energy and Energy Management, Nürnberg, Germany, 2024, pp. 2185-2194, doi: 10.30420/566262310.
- T. McRae, T. Souvignet, B. Eleftheriades, A. Prodić and B. Allard, "Flying Capacitor Voltage Programed Mode Control for Switched-Capacitor Converters," in IEEE Journal of Emerging and Selected Topics in Power Electronics, vol. 8, no. 3, pp. 2082-2094, Sept. 2020, doi: 10.1109/JESTPE.2019.2953909.
- T. McRae and A. Prodić, "Design Oriented Analysis of Switched Capacitor DC–DC Converters," in IEEE Open Journal of Power Electronics, vol. 1, pp. 2-13, 2020, doi: 10.1109/OJPEL.2019.2959553.