PhD in Electrical & Electronic Engineering

This PhD programme focuses on reconfigurable antennas for fast, high fidelity electromagnetic wave manipulation. Electromagnetic wave engineering plays a major role in many applications, from wireless communications to radar systems and electromagnetic imaging. In electromagnetically congested environments, the capability to synthesise engineered wavefronts by manipulating device-level responses is of vital importance./n/nThis project will develop programmable holographic metasurfaces that can establish dynamically reconfigurable beams for data transmission and electromagnetic cloaking. This technology will make use of microwave holography, offering all-electronic operation. Different from conventional phased arrays, these holographic metasurfaces will not require phase shifters, drastically reducing the hardware-layer complexity while offering significant size, weight, power and cost (SWaP-C) gains./n/nThe objectives of this project are as follows:/n• Programmable operation: Unlike static antenna architectures, the proposed holographic surfaces will adapt their electromagnetic response in real-time./n• Develop low-power and compact antenna technologies: In contrast to active phased arrays, which are bulky, expensive, and power-hungry, this project will develop metasurface-based solutions to provide lightweight and energy-efficient alternatives./n• Conformal surface architecture: Conventional metasurface antennas offer a flat-panel aperture layout. Despite the advantage of having a low-profile hardware layer, these flat-panel metasurfaces are not ideal for integration with aerial platforms (UAVs, etc). As an alternative, this research will develop conformal metasurfaces./n• Integration of intelligent control: By embedding AI-driven algorithms into the control layer, the project will aim to deliver cognitive adaptability against evolving electromagnetic threats./n• Scalability and deployability: The research will explore scalable architectures and fabrication approaches, paving the way for realistic deployment on UAV platforms./n/nDuring this PhD, you will undertake industry placements at Thales Belfast where you will gain an insight into some potential industry drivers for your research, and to translate your research in the later stages of the project./n/nLocation: Belfast - Northern Ireland