About the project
This project will revolutionise electromagnetic defence by creating intelligent surfaces that act as physical neural networks. We will develop metasurfaces that learn in real-time to autonomously counteract jamming, secure communications, and manage sensor signatures, providing a critical advantage in the contested electromagnetic spectrum.
This project addresses the critical defence challenge of electromagnetic spectrum dominance. Adversarial jamming and surveillance demand systems that can autonomously adapt in real-time. We will pioneer intelligent metasurfaces, flat, software-defined materials, that function as physical neural networks (PNNs). These surfaces will process waves directly using analogue computation, enabling unprecedented, low-latency control over radiation patterns for secure communications and electronic defence.
The research will design, fabricate, and test novel metasurfaces integrating active transistors to break reciprocity and provide gain. The key innovation is developing machine learning algorithms to ‘train’ this hardware in-situ, using received signal metrics to iteratively optimise performance against goals like nulling jammers or steering secure beams. This represents a paradigm shift from pre-programmed surfaces to truly cognitive, self-optimising systems.
You'll gain multidisciplinary expertise in microwave engineering, electromagnetics, and machine learning, supported by our world-class labs. Training will be provided through the CISDnS cohort programme, including dedicated defence and security modules. This is a unique opportunity to conduct foundational research with immediate real-world application, making you an expert in a technology vital for national security. You must be eager to work at the hardware-software interface.
