Duration: 3 hours
Quantum technologies are increasingly influencing how electromagnetic systems are modelled, controlled and designed, from qubit devices and quantum sensors to programmable environments, wave-based computation and quantum-assisted optimisation. This short expert course introduces the emerging field of quantum electromagnetics from the perspective of applied electromagnetics, antenna theory, propagation, wave physics and computational modelling.
The course begins with a compact introduction to the quantum-mechanical principles most relevant to electromagnetics: states, observables, superposition, entanglement, measurement, open systems and dissipation. These concepts are then connected to electromagnetic wave phenomena through analogies with quantum evolution, modal expansions, scattering and resonances in both random media and coupled cavities. Particular attention is given to how qubits and quantum devices can be described using electromagnetic models, including circuit-QED, cavity-QED, radiative coupling, decoherence, noise and environmental interactions.
The course will then discuss the physical meaning of entanglement and its relevance to emerging applications in communication and sensing. Examples will include quantum-secure communications, quantum key distribution, quantum radar and quantum sensing, where non-classical correlations provide new ways of thinking about security, detection, information transfer and measurement under noise and uncertainty.
Quantum-mechanical effects with useful electromagnetic counterparts will also be introduced. One example is quantum tunnelling, which can be related to evanescent waves, sub-cutoff propagation, near-field coupling and the geometrical structure of wave information. This connection offers a bridge between quantum intuition and electromagnetic information theory, especially in understanding how spatial information is stored, transported, attenuated or recovered by wave fields.
The final part of the course will introduce quantum-assisted electromagnetic design, including quantum-inspired optimisation, hybrid quantum–classical frameworks and their possible use in large, complex, stochastic or reconfigurable electromagnetic systems.
The emphasis throughout the course will be on physical insight, modelling principles and emerging opportunities. The course is intended for researchers and engineers in antennas, propagation, scattering, computational electromagnetics, metamaterials and wireless systems who wish to understand how quantum concepts can enrich electromagnetic modelling and future design methodologies. No prior expertise in quantum computing is assumed.
Gabriele Gradoni earned his Ph.D. in electromagnetics from Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy, in 2010. He was a Visiting Researcher with the Time, Quantum, and Electromagnetics Team at the National Physical Laboratory, Teddington, U.K., in 2008. In the period from 2010 to 2013 he was a Research Associate at the Institute for Research in Electronics and Applied Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA. From 2013 to 2016, he was a Research Fellow at the School of Mathematical Sciences, University of Nottingham, U.K., where he became a Full Professor of Applied Mathematics and Electromagnetics Engineering in 2023.
From May 2023, he has been a Full Professor and Chair of Wireless Communications at the 6G Innovation Centre, Institute for Communication Systems, University of Surrey, Guildford, U.K. In Surrey, he leads the work area on Quantum Electromagnetics Theory and Practice. He was a Royal Society Industry Fellow from 2020 to 2024 at British Telecom, U.K. Since December 2022, he has held positions as a Visiting Fellow at the Department of Computer Science and Technology, University of Cambridge, U.K., and as an Adjunct Professor at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, USA. His research spans probabilistic and asymptotic methods for wave propagation in complex systems, metasurface modelling, wave chaos, and quantum computational electromagnetics, with applications in electromagnetic compatibility and modern wireless communication systems.
Prof. Gradoni is a member of the IEEE, URSI, and the Italian Electromagnetics Society. His work has been recognized with several international awards, including the URSI Commission B. Young Scientist Award in 2010 and 2016, the Italian Electromagnetics Society Gaetano Latmiral Prize in 2015, and an Honourable Mention for the IEEE TEMC Richard B. Schulz Transactions Prize Paper Award in 2020. Furthermore, he received multiple Best Paper awards at international conferences, including the Best Electromagnetics Award at EuCAP 2022.
Full Professor and Chair of Wireless Communications,
6G Innovation Centre, Institute for Communication Systems, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK
Reflectarrays and transmitarrays have emerged as the new generation of high-gain antennas which have attracted an increasing interest in the antenna/electromagnetic community because of their low-profile, low-mass, and low-cost features. These antennas are a hybrid design, which combines the many favorable features of reflectors, lens, and printed arrays, and offer many notable advantages over traditional reflectors and lens high-gain antennas. The advantages of reflectarrays and transmitarrays make them very desirable for various communication systems, especially those with mobile platforms. Their applications in space exploration, satellite communications, remote sensing, and radar systems are also on the rise, and will continue to increase in the future.
The aim of this short course is to present a comprehensive overview of reflectarrays and transmitarrays system design and state-of-the-art technology. Specifically, the following topics will be addressed:
Recent design and reconfiguration using pixelated reflectarray antennas.
Illustrative examples for several designs that can serve as good references for attendees.
In summary, the presentation will provide the fundamental capabilities and skills required for a researcher interested in the field of reflectarray and transmitarray antennas.
Atef Z. Elsherbeni received an honor B.Sc. degree in Electronics and Communications, an honor B.Sc. degree in Applied Physics, and a M.Eng. degree in Electrical Engineering, all from Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt, in 1976, 1979, and 1982, respectively, and a Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from Manitoba University, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, in 1987. He started his engineering career as a part time Software and System Design Engineer from March 1980 to December 1982 at the Automated Data System Center, Cairo, Egypt. From January to August 1987, he was a Post-Doctoral Fellow at Manitoba University. Dr. Elsherbeni joined the faculty at the University of Mississippi in August 1987 as an Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering. He advanced to the rank of Associate Professor in July 1991, and to the rank of Professor in July 1997. He was the Associate Dean of the College of Engineering for Research and Graduate Programs from July 2009 to July 2013 at the University of Mississippi. He then joined the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) Department at Colorado School of Mines in August 2013 as the Dobelman Distinguished Chair Professor. He was appointed the Interim Department Head for EECS from 2015 to 2016 and from 2016 to 2018 he was the Electrical Engineering Department Head. He spent a sabbatical term in 1996 at the Electrical Engineering Department, University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) and was a visiting Professor at Magdeburg University during the summer of 2005 and at Tampere University of Technology in Finland during the summer of 2007. In 2009 he was selected as Finland Distinguished Professor by the Academy of Finland and TEKES.
Dr. Elsherbeni is an IEEE Life Fellow and ACES Fellow. He is the Editor-in-Chief for ACES Journal, and a past Associate Editor to the Radio Science Journal. He was the Chair of the Engineering and Physics Division of the Mississippi Academy of Science, the Chair of the Educational Activity Committee for IEEE Region 3 Section, and the general Chair for the 2014 APS-URSI Symposium and the President of ACES Society from 2013 to 2015. Dr. Elsherbeni is selected as Distinguished Lecturer for IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society for 2020-2023. He is also the recipient of the 2023 IEEE APS Harington-Mittra Award for his contribution to computational electromagnetics with hardware acceleration.
Engineering Department, Colorado School of Mines
The course is free for all participants in the conference; to follow the course you need to send an email to [email protected] with subject: “Registration for Prof. Atef Elsherbeni’s short course”