Postgraduate Studentships
Proposed Project Title: Complex Waveforms in Reconfigurable and Nonlinear Metamaterials
Principal Supervisor: Dr Alex Schuchinsky

Project Description:

Advent of metamaterials opened new perspectives for engineering artificial media with enhanced control of their linear and nonlinear characteristics. Intricate structures that mimic the electromagnetic properties of crystals and molecules can now be fabricated by manipulating constituent particles and their assemblies at micro and nano scales. This allows metamaterials and metasurfaces to be designed with the specified electromagnetic response which can be further controlled by external electric and/or magnetic stimuli. The latter functionality, which enables dynamic tunability of artificial media, is of growing importance for realisation of adaptive devices and systems.    

To date, research in metamaterials and their prospective applications has been primarily concerned with the time-harmonic and linear electromagnetic phenomena. Reconfigurable metamaterials pose new challenges associated with the inherent nonlinearities of the constituent tunable materials. These nonlinearities have major impact on information carrying signals and performance of practical devices. Therefore the detailed study of complex waveforms in artificial media becomes an urgent need for the design of novel reconfigurable metamaterials and their ubiquitous applications.

In this project, novel architectures of planar and stacked metasurfaces with nonlinear and tunable inclusions will be investigated. The fundamental properties and mechanisms of pulsed and modulated waveform interactions with reconfigurable metamaterials will be examined in the context of their emerging applications.

Objectives:

The project main objectives are to investigate

• Novel architectures of nonlinear and reconfigurable electromagnetic metamaterials
  • Properties of metamaterial response to complex waveforms
  • Feasibility of potential control of modulated signals and transients by metamaterials
  • Applications of novel metamaterial structures to functional microwave devices

Academic Requirements:

A minimum 2.1 honours degree or equivalent in Computer Science or Electrical and Electronic Engineering or relevant degree is required.

GENERAL INFORMATION

This 3 year PhD studentship, potentially funded by the Department for Employment and Learning (DEL), commences on 1 October 2015.

Eligibility for both fees and maintenance (£13,863 in 2014/15, 2015/16 TBC) depends on the applicants being either an ordinary UK resident or those EU residents who have lived permanently in the UK for the 3 years immediately preceding the start of the studentship. Non UK residents who hold EU residency may also apply but if successful may receive fees only.

Please note: DEL awards are available for Home and EU candidates only.

Applicants should apply electronically through the Queen’s online application portal at:
https://dap.qub.ac.uk/portal/

Further information available at:
http://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/eeecs/StudyattheSchool/PhDProgrammes

Contact details:

Supervisor Name: Dr Alex Schuchinsky
Tel: +44 (0) 289097 1736
QUB Address: ECIT Institute
Email: a.schuchinsky<στο>qub.ac.uk

Deadline for submission of applications is 27 February 2015

For further information on Research Area click on link below:
http://www.ecit.qub.ac.uk/Research/HighFrequencyElectronicCircuits/