Multi-Material AM for Tailored Electromagnetic Properties and Bespoke Antennas

PhD studentship Sponsored by Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl)
Based at the Centre for Additive Manufacturing (CfAM)
University of Nottingham

This 3 year PhD studentship, is part of the Enabling Next Generation Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing) project in the University of Nottingham. Initially focussing on novel electronic and pharmaceutical/healthcare applications, the research team aims to move beyond single material AM by exploiting the potential to deposit multiple materials contemporaneously for the delivery of spatially resolved function and structure in three dimensions (3D). For further information, please visit https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/research/groups/cfam/ .


Project title: Multi-Material AM for Tailored Electromagnetic Properties and Bespoke Antennas

The project aims to develop additive manufacturing techniques for the production of materials and structures for antennas. It will investigate strategies for the controlled deposition of functional materials in 3d structures; the ultimate aim being a suite of techniques for the production of bespoke antennas and materials with tailored electromagnetic (EM) properties. The tools generated will provide antenna designers and engineers with design freedom and opportunities to create game changing sensing and communication technologies. The work will be equally applicable to the commercial sector as it is to defence, seeking to enhance and defining future capability in the area of information transmission.

This is an ambitious and challenging project. It will seek to develop additive manufacturing technology under especially challenging conditions, for example the requirement to print two or more materials with high resolution on a single printer. Substrate and superstrate materials with uniquely tailored electromagnetic properties will be investigated through the controlled deposition of functional materials including ferromagnetics, ferroelectrics and multiferroics. Moreover, precision deposition at subwavelength resolution scale opens the design space to metamaterials and their associated EM properties. In combined deposition with conductors and supporting antenna components, the materials and techniques developed through this project will pave the way to enabling new concepts in antennas including materials tuning and reconfigurable performance.

It is likely that this work will contribute to an international collaboration activity involving the US, Australia, New Zealand and Canada; this will be through Dstl as the sponsoring organisation.

The successful candidate will:
• Receive the training needed for a professional career in Additive Manufacturing and 3D printing
• Receive full Dstl studentship (fees and stipend) for 3 years
• Work directly with leading academics and industrialists
• Receive Travel and consumable allowance