Applications are invited for the above post to work with Prof. David Thomas and Dr Ana Vukovic on a fully funded project entitled “Characterising Electromagnetic Fields of Integrated Electronic Systems in Enclosures – A Ray-Wave Approach”. The successful applicant will specialise in Experimental characterisation of noisy fields and liaise with the research associates to be appointed on the project in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering and the Department of Mathematics to perform parallel theoretical and computational aspects of the project.

The Experimental part of the project will develop characterisation techniques for the correlation of noisy broadband fields from complex electronic sources. The theoretical part of the project will develop efficient analytical and numerical tools for the modelling of radiated transient electromagnetic fields inside and outside of multifunction electronic devices. A key theoretical approach will be to take advantage of the relationship between the correlation data used experimentally to characterise EM fields in such devices and density functions defined on the corresponding ray-dynamical phase space. In particular the project will exploit the Wigner Weyl formalism of quantum mechanics to approximate the propagation of field-field correlation functions in terms of the propagation of phase space densities using dynamical systems techniques. The theoretical models used will be guided by, and measured against, experimental data provided by the research associate working within the George Green Institute of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Nottingham. The project is carried out in collaboration with two companies with expertise in numerical simulation techniques: inuTech GmbH and CST AG.

Students must hold or be near completion of a First Class Degree, or equivalent, in a relevant branch of applied mathematics, physics or engineering. A good knowledge of experimental and theoretical approaches to dynamical systems and wave propagation is essential. In addition, background in more than one of the following areas is highly desirable: RF or Microwave laboratory measurements, high-frequency wave asymptotics, quantum chaos, ray theory, computational electromagnetics. Students should be confident, organised, have good communication skills and enjoy working as part of a team as well as independently. The successful student will be expected to contribute to the publication of scientific papers, and to their dissemination at relevant workshops and conferences.  

The studentship will cover PhD tuition fees and a tax free stipend for three years (£13,726 for the 2013-14 academic year) for UK/EU students, due to funding restrictions. An additional £2000 a year may be awarded for students with a 1st class degree / MSc Distinction from a UK Russell Group University or equivalent. The studentship is expected to start in September/October 2013.

Informal enquiries prior to making an application, may be addressed to: Prof. David Thomas email: dave.thomas@nottingham.ac.uk.

If you are interested in making an application, please contact Prof. David Thomas directly, via the ‘Apply’ button below, with a covering letter stating clearly how you fulfil the requirements of the studentship, and include a CV and the names and addresses of two academic referees. Interviews will take place at the University of Nottingham Please quote ref. ENG/725. 

Closing date: This studentship will remain open until filled.