Start date: 1 October 2025

The project will contribute to a major research initiative intended to develop generation after next technologies in applied electromagnetics. This project will be co-funded by Teledyne e2v.

The project will be concerned with the management of antenna sidelobes for applications in high power microwave systems. High power microwave transmitters increasingly are required to operate in complex environments where other nearby electronics, typically operating at much lower power levels, may be subject to undesirable interference. All antenna will form sidelobes, undesired secondary beams typically at rather lower power than the primary beam, but potentially still of moderate absolute power. Since these beams may make quite large angles to the intended primary beam, there is risk of problematic exposure to relatively nearby components. The project will explore schemes to mitigate these secondary signals.

 The main objectives of this project are:

• Investigation of options to minimise sidelobes in high power antenna
• Whilst maintaining high gain for primary beam
  • Including near, intermediate and far field
• Initially focussing on variation of slot type antenna
• Extending to a range of alternative antenna schemes
• Exploit advanced simulation techniques to predict antenna patterns
• Undertake experiments to verify the predications using facilities at the University or at the project partner Teledyne-e2V
• The student will develop a range of transferrable skills in ‘in demand’ areas including
• Numerical simulation
• Experimental techniques

The hub

The Doctoral Hub specialises in developing research and training the next generation of leaders in energy transfer technologies for defence and related sectors. The successful candidate will be based at the University of Strathclyde and throughout their PhD will benefit from the support and expertise of our diverse academic community, a community of students working towards similar goals, as well as our specialist industrial network.

Why Join Us?

• industrial collaboration: each PhD student within the Hub is partnered with an industry collaborator, providing placement opportunities to work and train alongside industry experts
• comprehensive training: the Hub offers a blend of academic and industrial training, preparing you for diverse career pathways in research or industry
• cohort experience: build your research network through inclusion in a vibrant cohort of PhD students that conduct research with academic leaders across leading UK institutions. Engage in online and face-to-face activities, including cohort-building events and collaborative learning exercises
• funding: a generous fully funded studentship (no fees and a monthly personal payment) with additional support for conferences, travel, training, consumables and extended placement with industry collaborators

The PhD student will be physically located in the Atoms Beams and Plasmas Group in the Physics Department at the University of Strathclyde.

The industrial partner, Teledyne-e2v, is a major international company with interests in high power Microwave and RF systems, Power and Systems Engineering. The partner will provide PhD supervision, a placement and be part of the larger STH community benefiting in the diverse academic and industrial network offered by the STH.

Further information

We strongly recommend that you contact the supervisors for this project before you apply. Professor Kevin Ronald: K.Ronald@strath.ac.uk.

It may be possible to accept applicants somewhat later than indicated above – however the opportunity, though it may recur in future years, is not open-ended.

There may be some flexibility in the deadline - contact the supervisor to discuss.