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Antennas Projects
3D Electromagnetic Structures – 3D Electromagnetic Art
This project investigates the development of novel 3D electromagnetic (EM) structures. These will be mainly periodic structures that can be used for filtering an incident wave, or changing the characteristics of the reflective wave. By going into the third dimension, it is expected to create new properties. These properties can be used to enhance propagation or sense the surrounding environment. The EM structures may resemble patterns typically used in 3D art. 3D folding, twisting and convoluting the metallic layers of the unit elements are a possible solution for improved performance. Alternatively, the characteristics of the dielectric substrate may be modified. 3D fabrication techniques such as 3D printing and 3D micromachining will be consider to achieve the intended shapes. The structures will be compared with the equivalent 2D surfaces in terms of frequency response and losses. The effect of having sharp or smooth edges as well as the different thicknesses of the conductive and dielectric layers will be analyzed. The EM structures will be modelled using an available software and the compared with experimental results.
Candidates should have, or are expecting to obtain in the near future, a degree in Electrical, Electronics Engineering or Physical Sciences.
Please contact Dr. Benito Sanz (B.Sanz@kent.ac.uk) for more details.
3D Printing of Wearable Antennas
This research investigates the use of additive manufacturing techniques for the development of antennas for wearable applications. 3D printing techniques will be evaluated for the fabrication of the substrate as well as the metallic layers of the antenna. The antennas will be integrated into wearable garments, which could also be printed in a single process. The antennas will be modelled in free space and then at a particular location on the body. The effect of the human body on antenna performance will then be evaluated. Technologies of interest are the Bluetooth, the WLAN bands, as well as the 4G frequency bands.
Candidates should have, or are expecting to obtain in the near future, a degree in Electrical, Electronics Engineering or Physical Sciences.
Please contact Dr. Benito Sanz (B.Sanz@kent.ac.uk) for more details.
Additive Manufacturing for the development of millimeter wave and Thz Antennas
The aim of this project is to investigate the use additive manufacturing (AM) techniques for the development of antennas for 5G millimeter wave systems and THz applications. A variety of AM will be investigated and their resolution will be assessed in relation to the requirements for devices operating at very small wavelengths. This project is likely to be run in association with external industrial and academic partners. The work will consist of electromagnetic simulations, AM fabrication and then experimental validation.
Candidates should have, or are expecting to obtain in the near future, a degree in Electrical, Electronics Engineering or Physical Sciences.
Please contact Dr. Benito Sanz (B.Sanz@kent.ac.uk) for more details.
Beam Steering using Active Electromagnetic Structures
The Antennas group at the University of Kent has developed a new technology that facilitates the switching and tuning of electromagnetic structures. This technology has been applied for the development of active frequency selective surfaces and electromagnetic band gap structures. The technique allows for a large range of options in terms of reconfiguration. Initial work on the use for beam switching antennas has been demonstrated and reported. This project aims to continue this research and produce novel designs that are suitable for current and future communication systems.
Candidates should have, or are expecting to obtain in the near future, a degree in Electrical, Electronics Engineering or Physical Sciences.
Please contact Dr. Benito Sanz (B.Sanz@kent.ac.uk) for more details.
Frequency Selective Wireless Control in Smart Buildings
This research investigates the issues of integrating Frequency Selective Surfaces (FSS) into built structures with an aim of controlling radio propagation within built structures. This project will involve the modelling and measurement of propagation within rooms and corridors both of scale models and real building which have been modified by incorporated FSS panels. The project will involve computer simulation and design as well as fabrication and transmission measurement of trial designs using microwave facilities at the University of Kent.
Candidates should have, or are expecting to obtain in the near future, a First Class or good 2.1 Honours Degree in a relevant branch of Communications Engineering. An appropriate degree at Masters level will be an advantage.
Please contact Dr. John Batchelor (J.C.Batchelor@kent.ac.uk) for more details.
Integrating RF structures with Novel Battery Technology
The project will be run in association with the Functional Materials Group in the School of Physical Sciences at the University of Kent. Battery technology is a significant factor for modern electronics as the weight and size of power cells, together with charge/discharge times, impacts heavily on convenience of use. These issues arise both in civil technologies such as mobile phones, laptops, notepads etc, but also in defence related systems where soldiers may have to carry a large amount of electronics with heavy associated batteries. New battery technologies are being proposed that do not require metal contacts and batteries could even be developed that could be integrated closely to clothing.
The project would involve a student to investigate suitable strategies for the design of RF communications structures such as antennas which could be mounted directly onto new types of battery. This will be done by simulation and also it is intended to use prototype batteries for testing. Antenna designs would be produced in simulation and tested in the Antennas Laboratory of the School of Engineering and Digital Arts.
Candidates should have, or are expecting to obtain in the near future, a First Class or good 2.1 Honours Degree in a relevant branch of Communication Engineering or Physics. An appropriate degree at Masters level would be an advantage. Experience of Antenna Engineering or battery technology would be desirable.
Please contact Dr. John Batchelor (J.C.Batchelor@kent.ac.uk) for more details.
RFID Sensing
The antennas group at Kent has developed a series of passive UHF RFID tags with very low profile suitable for mounting on a series of surfaces including people. We aim to increase the functionality of these tags by implementing a sensing function in them. This project may be in collaboration with the Functional Materials Group in the School of Physical Sciences and with the objective of creating passive tags able to sense parameters continously or discontinuously.
A previous degree in electronic/communications engineering with a physical component or a degree in physical science will be necessary.
Please contact Dr. John Batchelor (j.c.batchelor@kent.ac.uk) for more details.
Wearable RFID Tag Design
This research investigates how to design and optimise passive RFID tags with suitable efficiency when worn in very close proximity to skin. The work will also investigate how to fabricate and affix designs directly to skin while achieving a good quality match to the tag RFID chip. Many applications are envisaged for successful outcomes of this work.
Candidates should have, or are expecting to obtain in the near future, a First Class or good 2.1 Honours Degree in a relevant branch of Communications Engineering. An appropriate degree at Masters level will be an advantage.
Please contact Dr. John Batchelor (J.C.Batchelor@kent.ac.uk) for more details.
Photonics Projects
Ultrafast User Localisation for Beam-Steered Optical Wireless Systems
This project focuses on developing all-optical techniques for real-time user localisation in beam-steered optical wireless communication systems. By encoding spatial information into optical wavelength and processing signals entirely in the optical domain, the research aims to achieve ultra-low latency and very high update rates beyond the limits of electronic processing. The work will combine experimental photonics, system modelling, and performance evaluation, with relevance to next-generation indoor wireless networks and emerging high-capacity communication systems.
Please contact Dr Chao Wang (C.Wang@kent.ac.uk) for more details.
Advanced Optical Fibre Sensors for Energy and Hydrogen Applications
This project aims to develop high-sensitivity optical fibre sensors for monitoring key physical and chemical parameters in energy systems, with particular emphasis on hydrogen storage and safety. Using fibre-based sensing techniques such as fibre Bragg gratings and specialty fibres, the research will address challenges including harsh environments, long-term stability, and reliable interrogation. The outcomes will support safer and more efficient energy infrastructure, with strong potential for industrial collaboration.
Please contact Dr Chao Wang (C.Wang@kent.ac.uk) for more details.
Photonic Time-Stretch Imaging for High-Speed Diagnostics
This project investigates photonic time-stretch techniques to enable ultrafast imaging and signal acquisition far beyond the bandwidth of conventional electronic systems. By exploiting dispersive optical processing, the research will focus on capturing and analysing rapidly evolving physical or biological phenomena in real time. Potential applications include biomedical diagnostics, flow-based analysis, and industrial inspection, combining optical system design with experimental validation.
Please contact Dr Chao Wang (C.Wang@kent.ac.uk) for more details.
Microwave Photonics for Wideband RF Sensing and Spectrum Awareness
This project explores microwave photonic approaches to wideband RF sensing, enabling high-resolution analysis of radio-frequency signals using optical techniques. The research will investigate photonic generation, filtering, and detection of RF signals, targeting applications such as spectrum monitoring and situational awareness. The work will involve hybrid optical–electronic systems, high-speed measurement, and system-level optimisation.
Please contact Dr Chao Wang (C.Wang@kent.ac.uk) for more details.
Optical Reservoir Computing for Intelligent Sensing and Imaging
This project focuses on optical reservoir computing as a hardware-efficient approach to machine learning for high-throughput sensing and imaging. By exploiting the intrinsic dynamics of photonic systems, the research aims to perform real-time signal processing and pattern recognition with reduced computational complexity and energy consumption. Applications include intelligent optical sensing, imaging, and communications, bridging photonics with data-driven methods.
Please contact Dr Chao Wang (C.Wang@kent.ac.uk) for more details.
Integrated Photonic Platforms for Compact and Scalable Sensors
This project aims to develop compact and scalable photonic sensing and signal-processing platforms using integrated or chip-scale photonic technologies. The research will investigate how system-level performance can be preserved or enhanced while reducing size, cost, and power consumption. Emphasis will be placed on practical deployment considerations, making the outcomes attractive for real-world applications in sensing, communications, and instrumentation.
Please contact Dr Chao Wang (C.Wang@kent.ac.uk) for more details.
Low-Cost Radio over Fibre
While the use of fibre in the access network is increasing, bringing it into buildings and even people’s homes requires significant reduction in component costs and improvement in ease of use. This project investigates fibre systems for in-building and in-home deployments where the aim is to support a wireless connection to the user. To reduce costs it involves investigating various multimode (including polymer) fibre types, suitable components for these and their performance.
Candidates should have, or expect to obtain, a First Class or very good Upper Second Class Honours degree in Electronic Engineering or a related subject. An appropriate degree at Masters level would be an advantage. Interest/experience in optical and/or wireless communications is desirable.
Please contact Dr. Chao Wang (c.wang@kent.ac.uk) for more details.
Microwave Photonics Subsystems for communications, sensing and biomedical applications
Microwave photonics is an emerging interdisciplinary research area that studies the interaction between microwave and optical waves for widespread applications such as broadband wireless communications, radar, sensor networks, medical imaging, instrumentation and warfare systems.
This project investigates innovative photonic techniques to provide and enhance functions in microwave systems that are usually very challenging to carry out in the radiofrequency domain.
This project will involve extensive theoretical and experimental research on important microwave photonics subsystems, such as photonic generation, processing and characterization of microwave signals, optically controlled phased array antennas, microwave photonic sensor interrogation, and microwave photonics for biomedical imaging.
Candidates should have, or expect to obtain, a First Class or very good Upper Second Class Honours degree in Electronic Engineering, Physics or a related subject. An appropriate degree at Masters level would be an advantage. Candidates with interest/experience in optics/photonics are especially encouraged to apply.
Please contact Dr. Chao Wang (c.wang@kent.ac.uk) for more details.
Ultrafast real-time microscopy and spectroscopy
While various novel microscopy techniques that break the diffraction limit of light have been demonstrated, ultrafast high-throughput microscopy has been a very challenging task, due to the lack of high-speed and high-quality image sensor.
This project investigates an ultrafast continuous running imaging technique using ultrashort optical pulses. The project also involves development of the technique’s applications in high-throughput measurement, such as high-speed surface profiling and tomography, screening and manipulation of rare microparticles.
Candidates should have, or expect to obtain, a First Class or very good Upper Second Class Honours degree in Electronic Engineering, Physics or a related subject. An appropriate degree at Masters level would be an advantage. Candidates with interest/experience in optics/photonics are especially encouraged to apply.
Please contact Dr. Chao Wang (c.wang@kent.ac.uk) for more details.
Mobile Communications Projects
Broadband Mobile Communications
This research project will investigate the advanced technologies for high data rate wireless communications. The aim is to propose novel techniques in adaptive modulation and coding, multiple access, multiple input multiple output (MIMO), interference cancellation, resource allocation, and cooperative communications. The project will involve performance analysis and simulation of the proposed techniques applied to future mobile systems over broadband wireless channels.
Candidates should have, or are expecting to obtain in the near future, a First Class or good 2.1 Honours Degree in Electronic Engineering, Computer Science or a related discipline. An appropriate degree at Masters level will be an advantage.
Please contact Dr. Huiling Zhu (h.zhu@kent.ac.uk) for more details.