18 Jan 2024
Job Information
- Organisation/Company
INSA Rennes- Department
IETR- Research Field
Engineering » Electronic engineering- Researcher Profile
First Stage Researcher (R1)- Country
France- Application Deadline
1 Apr 2024 - 12:00 (Europe/Paris)- Type of Contract
Temporary- Job Status
Full-time- Hours Per Week
35- Offer Starting Date
1 Oct 2024- Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?
Not funded by an EU programme- Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?
No
Offer Description
The PhD offer is focused on the study/design/experiment of electromagnetic MetaSurfaces (MS) for RADAR cross-section reduction. More precisely, the research program is centered on reconfigurable MS to implement spatiotemporal modulation. It will include theoretical analysis, design, fabrication and testing of prototypes.
Context
RADAR systems find numerous applications in both civil and military fields. Reducing the RADAR Cross-Section (RCS) of objects is an important issue in different contexts. For example, air or maritime navigation surveillance RADAR can be disrupted by the presence of high structures in their surveillance zone (typically wind turbines). The effectiveness of driving assistance RADAR can be compromised by the presence of objects with high RCS in their field of vision (advertising or traffic signs, bus shelters, etc.). Finally, satellites (civilian or military) can now be subject to unfriendly activities (anti-satellite fire for instance) made possible using RADAR for detection, localization or guidance.
RCS reduction is traditionally considered by adapting the shape of objects or partially or completely covering them with absorbing materials. In recent years, a new solution has been the subject of lots of research works: the use of metasurfaces (MS) [1].
In this context, three academic laboratories (IEMN, IETR and Lab-STICC) jointly obtained funding from the French National Research Agency (ANR) to work on techniques for reducing the RCS of satellites using MS. As part of two PhD, the CHORUS project will focus on the study of MS integrating absorbing materials and/or spatiotemporal modulation techniques.
Research axes and planned progress of the PhD
The proposed PhD will firstly focus on the spatiotemporal modulation of MS [2], the integration of absorbing materials within the MS will be considered in a second step.
MS are artificial surfaces made of diffracting and potentially absorbing cells distributed over the surface with a periodicity below the wavelength.
In the case of a passive MS, by judiciously choosing the cells of the MS, it is possible to control the electromagnetic reflection at any point on the surface and thus to achieve the desired properties: focusing of the reflected field, redirection of the field, field diffusion in multiple directions, absorption, depolarization, etc.
Another track, more complex technologically, consists of using identical cells throughout the MS but cells which can be reconfigured independently of each other. These cells integrate active elements such as switches and make it possible to dynamically modify the reflection properties of the MS. This concept of reconfigurable MS also opens a new dimension: the possibility of modifying the spectral content of the backscattered field. Indeed, the switches can be controlled with temporally varying signals based on binary modulation by pseudo-random sequences. In the aim of reducing SER, this spatiotemporal modulation offers promising possibilities by dispersing the backscattered signal both angularly and in frequency.
The PhD will focus on the exploration of this spatiotemporal modulation technique and will follow the steps:
- State of the art on spatiotemporal modulation of MS.
- Simulation study of the approach for RCS reduction.
- Design, fabrication and measurement of a prototype (sizing, design of a reconfigurable cell, digital signals routing, digital electronics conception, measurement campaign definition, measurements, results analysis).
- Simulation study of the combination of the spatiotemporal modulation technique and the use of absorbing materials within the MS for RCS reduction.
Dates, locations and PhD supervision
- Starting date: October 2024.
- Duration: 36 months.
- Full 3 years scholarship provided (gross salary of at least 2100 Euros / month).
- Locations: IETR Rennes (2 years) and Lab-STICC Brest (1 year), the duration of the two periods will be adjusted according to the work progress and the wishes of the candidate.
- PhD directors: Renaud LOISON (IETR) and Vincent LAUR (Lab-STICC).
- Co-supervision: PhD directors + Raphaël GILLARD (IETR).
Profile and application
- Profile: student in last year of master's degree or final year of engineering training in electronics and/or telecommunications.
- Apply by email to:
- Send: resume + motivation letter + transcripts (bachelor, first year of master’s degree) + reference letter(s) if possible (pdf format for all documents).
Bibliography
[1] Elineau, M., “Techniques de contrôle de la SER à l’aide de métasurfaces – Application à des surfaces à réflexion anormale ou à transition de propriétés en réflexion”, thèse IETR INSA Rennes.
[2] Zhang, L., Chen, X.Q., Liu, S. et al., “Space-time-coding digital metasurfaces”, Nat Commun 9, 4334 (2018), https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-06802-0 .
Requirements
- Research Field
- Engineering » Electrical engineering
- Education Level
- Master Degree or equivalent
- Research Field
- Engineering » Electronic engineering
- Education Level
- Master Degree or equivalent
Skills/Qualifications
Electronics
Microwaves
Antennas
Telecommunications
RADAR
- Languages
- ENGLISH
- Level
- Good
Additional Information
Work Location(s)
- Number of offers available
- 1
- Company/Institute
- IETR
- Country
- France
- City
- Rennes
- Postal Code
- 35000
- Street
- 20 Avenue des buttes de Coësmes
- Geofield
- Number of offers available
- 1
- Company/Institute
- Lab-STICC
- Country
- France
- City
- Brest
- Postal Code
- 29238
- Street
- Technopole Brest-Iroise
- Geofield
Where to apply
[email protected]
Contact
- State/Province
Brittany- City
Rennes- Website
https://www.ietr.fr
https://labsticc.fr/fr
https://www.insa-rennes.fr- Street
20 avenue des buttes de Coësmes- Postal Code
35000
[email protected]
STATUS: EXPIRED