PhD Studentship: Physics/Engineering (Metamaterials) - Metasurfaces for mm-wave Communications
Funded PhD studentship in Physics/Engineering (Metamaterials) at the University of Exeter’s Centre for Metamaterials Research and Innovation (CMRI), in partnership with the UK Government’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl). Applications are restricted to UK nationals eligible for security clearance.
About the role
In this 4-year PhD project you will design, build, and test ultra-thin, structured metasurfaces for mm-wave communications. The work combines fundamental physics of electromagnetic materials with practical applications in 6G technology. You will undertake a mixture of experiment, theory, and numerical simulations in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the Streatham campus in Exeter.
The research question is how to effectively shape electromagnetic radiation at mm-wave scales. Instead of conventional printed-circuit antennas, you will use passive Huygens’ metasurfaces—specially structured surfaces on the scale of hundreds of microns—that reshape incident electromagnetic waves without reflection. The project involves designing a suite of mm-wave Huygens’ metasurfaces aligned with Dstl-specified applications, characterizing existing untested samples, and manufacturing the most promising designs.
Funding
- Stipend at the UKRI rate (£20,780 per annum from 1 October 2025)
- Enhanced project budget of £20,000 for costs including travel
Supervisors
- Professor Simon Horsley – Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Exeter
- Professor Alastair Hibbins – Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Exeter