Dr Craig Donaldson

Research Fellow

Physics

Contact

Personal statement

I received the B.Sc. (Hons.) degree in physics from the University of Strathclyde in 2004, then the MSc degree in high power radio frquency science and engineering from the same institute. Following this I received the Ph.D. degree in 2009 in physics from the University of Strathclyde.

In the proceeding years I have been working as a researcher within the Atoms, Beams and Plasmas group within the physics of the University of Strathclyde. My research interests lie in realizing high power mm-wave and THz gyrotron amplifier and oscillators. These have many applications, such as a source for EPR/DNP, telecommunication and space object identification. Through this research world leading microwave output has been demonstrated initially with a gyrotron backward wave oscillator showing 88-102 GHz tunable microwave output with power of 13 kW. Later a gyrotron traveling wave amplifier was developed that showed 90-96 GHz amplification bandwidth with 3.4 kW output power.

Currently, work is ongoing to explote the applications of these devices to real-world situations.

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Publications

Progress on the UoS PL-BWO experiment
Maclnnes P, Donaldson C, MacLachlan A J, Whyte C G, Ronald K, Phelps A D, Cross A W
2023 IEEE International Conference on Plasma Science (ICOPS) IEEE International Conference on Plasma Science (ICOPS) Vol 2023 (2024)
https://doi.org/10.1109/icops45740.2023.10481430
Feedhorn synthesis using a parameterized aperture field distribution
Zhang Liang, Whyte Colin G, Donaldson Craig R, Ronald Kevin, Cross Adrian W
IEEE Electron Device Letters Vol 45, pp. 252-255 (2024)
https://doi.org/10.1109/LED.2023.3345222
Helically corrugated interaction regions for W-band gyrotron-Traveling Wave Amplifiers
Donaldson Craig R, Zhang Liang, Robertson Craig W, MacInnes Philip, Whyte Colin G
2023 53rd European Microwave Conference (EuMC) 2023 53rd European Microwave Conference (EuMC) 2023 53rd European Microwave Conference (EuMC) (2023)
https://doi.org/10.23919/eumc58039.2023.10290435
Microwave undulator to generate short-wavelength FEL radiation
Zhang Liang, Donaldson Craig R, Robertson Craig W, Whyte Colin G, Cross Adrian W, Clarke Jim
2022 15th UK-Europe-China Workshop on Millimetre-Waves and Terahertz Technologies (UCMMT) 2022 15th UK-Europe-China Workshop on Millimetre-Waves and Tetrahertz Technologies (UCMMT) 2022 15th UK-Europe-China Workshop on Millimetre-Waves and Terahertz Technologies (UCMMT), pp. 1-3 (2022)
https://doi.org/10.1109/ucmmt56896.2022.9994836
Quasi-optical output for a high gain, broadband W-band amplifier
Donaldson C R, Smith G M, Robertson D A, Robertson C W, Zhang L, MacInnes P, Whyte C G
2022 47th International Conference on Infrared, Millimeter and Terahertz Waves (IRMMW-THz) (2022)
https://doi.org/10.1109/irmmw-thz50927.2022.9895885
Status and ongoing development of a KW-level broadband W-band gyro-TWA
Zhang Liang, Donaldson Craig R, Whyte Colin G, Cross Adrian W
2021 51st European Microwave Conference 2021 51st European Microwave Conference (EuMC), pp. 1042-1045 (2022)
https://doi.org/10.23919/eumc50147.2022.9784268

More publications

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Research Interests

Broadband, high power, mm-wave/terahertz gyrotron travelling wave amplifiers for telecommunications and space object identification; Gyrotron backward wave oscillator; Electron beam generation; Beam-wave interaction; novel manufacturing techniques; electrodeposition and electroforming; and pulsed power technologies.

Professional Activities

Space-Comm Expo
Participant
11/9/2024
Space Academic Network (SPAN) (External organisation)
Advisor
3/9/2024
Optimization and measurement of an orthomode input coupling system for W-band gyro-amplifiers
Keynote speaker
24/4/2024
Helically corrugated interaction regions for W-band gyrotron-Traveling Wave Amplifiers
Speaker
20/9/2023
IEEE Open Journal of Antennas and Propagation (Journal)
Peer reviewer
2021
IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques (Journal)
Peer reviewer
2020

More professional activities

Projects

Leo ISAR Option 10
Whyte, Colin (Principal Investigator) Donaldson, Craig (Co-investigator)
01-Jul-2024 - 01-Feb-2025
RCloud ISAR2 R-Cloud+ RQ0000051831 - Phase 2 Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar (ISAR) Study and De-Risking Programme
Whyte, Colin (Principal Investigator) Donaldson, Craig (Co-investigator) Robertson, Craig (Co-investigator)
01-Apr-2024 - 31-Mar-2025
Serapis Option 3B - continuation
Whyte, Colin (Principal Investigator) Donaldson, Craig (Co-investigator)
01-Jul-2023 - 01-Nov-2023
Serapis option 2A
Whyte, Colin (Principal Investigator) Donaldson, Craig (Co-investigator)
01-Jul-2023 - 01-Sep-2023
Serapis Option 3C
Whyte, Colin (Principal Investigator) Donaldson, Craig (Co-investigator)
01-May-2023 - 01-Sep-2023
Demonstrating Key technology for cm resolution ISAR imaging of LEO...
Whyte, Colin (Principal Investigator) Cross, Adrian (Co-investigator) Donaldson, Craig (Research Co-investigator)
18-Oct-2021 - 31-Mar-2023

More projects

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Contact

Dr Craig Donaldson
Research Fellow
Physics

Email: craig.donaldson@strath.ac.uk
Tel: 548 3355