Branislav Notaros of Colorado State University

RF, antennas, wireless, microwave, radar, microelectronics, and lightwave technologies are exploding! The importance of electromagnetic theory and computation to these technologies can hardly be overstated. As a community, in 2023 we celebrated 150 years of Maxwell’s equations, and in 2024, the IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society (AP-S) celebrated its 75th Anniversary, with both the computational electromagnetics (CEM) and AP-S having interwoven developments of 75 years, a half of the history of Maxwell’s equations. This talk presents a quick overview of 75 years of research in CEM with an emphasis on current trends and future prospects of computation and design. The talk specifically discusses an area of paramount importance for computation and design where historically progress was slow presenting a synergistic combination of error estimation and control, adaptive refinement, and uncertainty quantification for CEM, which are essential for modern effective and reliable simulation-based design in mission-critical applications. The talk also presents examples of solving general real-world problems within emerging interdisciplinary topics, going from theory through applications to systems. The applications and systems include cyber-physical sensing systems in smart underground mining; design of RF coils/antennas for next-generation high-field, high-frequency magnetic resonance imaging scanners; direct electromagnetic coupling system for orthopaedic fracture-healing diagnostics with telemedicine framework; and optical and radar measurements, modeling, and characterization of snowflakes and snow. While these topics and applications are really “all over” science and engineering, the talk will focus on the strong interweaving common thread among all of them – electromagnetics

Biography:

Branislav M. Notaros is a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Director of Electromagnetics Laboratory, and University Distinguished Teaching Scholar at Colorado State University. Previously, he held assistant/associate-professor positions at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and University of Belgrade. His research contributions are in computational and applied electromagnetics. His publications include about 340 journal and conference papers, and textbooks “Electromagnetics” (2010) and “MATLAB-Based Electromagnetics” (2013) with Pearson Prentice Hall and “Conceptual Electromagnetics” (2017) with CRC Press. Prof. Notaros serves as Immediate Past President of the IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society (AP-S) and the Applied Computational Electromagnetics Society (ACES), Immediate Past Chair of the USNC-URSI Commission B, and Track Editor of the IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation. He served as General Chair of the IEEE APS/URSI 2022 Denver Conference, Chair of the IEEE AP-S Meetings Committee, Chair of the Joint Meetings Committee, and AP-S AdCom member. He was the recipient of the 1999 IEE Marconi Premium, 2005 IEEE MTT-S Microwave Prize, 2022 IEEE Antennas and Propagation Edward E. Altshuler Prize Paper Award, 2019 ACES Technical Achievement Award, 2014 Carnegie Foundation Colorado Professor of the Year Award, 2015 ASEE ECE Distinguished Educator Award, 2015 IEEE Undergraduate Teaching Award, and many other research and teaching awards. He is Fellow of IEEE and ACES. 

Email:

QJ Zhang of Carleton University

AI and machine learning are unconventional technologies with unique capability to address challenges in electromagnetic-based analysis and optimization in high-speed/high-frequency electronic components/packages and systems. With phenomenal progress in electromagnetic based computation algorithms, along with dramatic changes in the computing environment, high-fidelity electromagnetic models are now an important part of high-speed/high-frequency electromagnetic design automation. However new design challenges continue to rise. Electromagnetic structures and circuits are becoming more complex, and frequency is getting higher. More sophistication in multiphysics modeling and design are becoming increasingly necessary. Meaningful design problems easily become computationally prohibitive.

In this talk, we present AI/machine learning technologies for electromagnetic /multiphysics based modeling and optimization, and their applications to signal/power integrity analysis of highspeed/high-frequency electronic packages and subsystems. We will highlight emerging directions of knowledge-based, cognition-driven design. Incorporating domain-specific design knowledge/engineering equations into artificial neural networks, knowledge-based and deep-learning based computational technologies are producing fine-grained modeling and design solutions for problems which are otherwise computationally very expensive. New formulations of inverse neural network training algorithms allow instant solutions to electromagnetic inverse modeling problems addressing the technical challenges of non-uniqueness in inverse modeling. Emerging machine learning structures and optimization algorithms for electromagnetic based design and signal/power integrity analysis will be discussed.

Biography:

Dr. Zhang received the B.Eng. degree in EE from Nanjing University of Science and Technology (Nanjing) in 1982, and the Ph,D. degree in EE from McMaster University (Hamilton, Ontario) in 1987. He was a researcher engineer in Optimization Systems Associates Inc. (Dundas, Ontario) during 1988-1990 developing advanced microwave optimization software. He joined the Department of Electronics, Carleton University in 1990, where he is currently a Chancellor’s Professor.

Dr. Zhang’s research area is AI/machine learning, and optimization for designing high-speed/high-frequency components/packages and systems, which are building blocks of computers, wireless and wired systems in telecommunications, internet, and intelligent and autonomous systems.

Dr. Zhang advanced the theory and practice of microwave active and passive computer-aided design with innovations in linear and nonlinear device modeling and circuit optimization for which he received the IEEE Fellowship in 2006.

Dr. Zhang is one of the pioneers of neural networks and machine learning for microwaves which started in the early 1990s. Dr. Zhang’s continuous innovations in this area for over 30 years have established many research milestones, and contributed to the substantial development of the area. He authored (with Prof. K.C. Gupta) the first book of the area (Neural Networks for RF and Microwave Design, Boston, Artech House, 2000), and developed the first software (NeuroModeler, 1998) of the area. His neural network based modeling technology was adopted in industrial projects such as the Advanced Embedded Passives Technology Consortium (2000-2003) funded by the US Department of Commerce and the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (Michigan, USA). In 2012, neural network based transistor modeling technology pioneered by him and his student became a primary feature of Agilent/Keysight IC-CAP software, the microwave industry’s dominant modeling tool. Over 360 technical papers archive his pioneering contributions. Example of publication: Q.J. Zhang, K.C. Gupta and V.K. Devabhaktuni, “Artificial neural networks for RF and microwave design: from theory to practice,” IEEE Trans. Microwave Theory Techniques, vol. 51, 2003, pp. 1339-1350.

Dr. Zhang’s paper with his former PhD students F. Feng, W.C. Na, J. Jin, J.N. Zhang, W. Zhang, titled “Artificial neural networks for microwave computer-aided design: the state of the art,” IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, vol. 70, no. 11, pp. 4597-4619, Nov. 2022 became hugely influential. The paper is ranked the #1 most frequently accessed paper in a given month among all papers of IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, for each and every month for 11 months in a row since its publication in November 2022. At the time of writing this paragraph, the latest monthly statistics (October 2024) shows that this paper is currently still the #1 most frequently accessed paper of the IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques.

Zhen Peng of Univefrsity of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Even though we are seeking the highest possible fidelity, the computer representation will not be the same compared to the real world. These uncertainties may arise from imprecise knowledge of the system, small differences in manufacturing, or numerical errors in the simulations. For integrable, regular wave systems, these small differences can be considered as local perturbations of the entire system. Hence, the numerical solution is still a very good approximation to the exact solution of the physical problem. However, the situation can be quite different in non-integrable, wave-chaotic systems. The electromagnetic (EM) wave solutions can be extremely sensitive to details and initial conditions.

Wave chaos concerns solutions of wave equations, which in the semiclassical limit or short-wavelength limit can be described by chaotic ray trajectories. One class of wave-chaotic problems is confined EM systems, e.g., the antennas and electronics within large and complicated enclosures. Wave propagation may undergo multiple reflections/scattering from boundaries and internal structures, thus leading to randomized phase, polarization, and direction of wave fields. In the short wavelength limit, the wave scattering process may exhibit chaotic ray dynamics, albeit the underline wave equation is linear. The extreme sensitivity and nonequilibrium nature make it a challenging task to analyze the statistical behavior of the EM devices - environment interaction.

In this talk, we will discuss a new methodology based on the stochastic Green’s function (SGF) method. The SGF can be considered as a physics-oriented, statistical surrogate model for the solution of Maxwell’s Equations in the wave-chaotic media, derived from the physics of wave-chaotic dynamics and the mathematics of Wigner’s random matrix theory (RMT). Compared to existing statistical EM modeling approaches, the SGF rigorously resolves the coherent and incoherent propagations within a comprehensive form. Recently, we have also advanced the theory of SGF from the spatial domain (narrowband) to the spatio-temporal domain. The resulting space-time SGF characterizes both spatial and temporal variations and correlations of EM fields in high-frequency reverberation within confined EM environments.

The work accomplishes a physics-oriented, mathematically tractable statistical wave model with diverse applications, including the mode-stirred reverberation chamber, information transmission in wave-chaotic indoor channels, statistical design of time-reversal systems, wavefront shaping and focusing, sensing, and targeting.

Biography:

Dr. Zhen Peng is a Professor at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE ILLINOIS), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His research focuses on computational, statistical, and applied electromagnetics, advancing the modeling and simulation of classical and quantum electrodynamic physics using intelligent algorithms on state-of-the-art hardware. The outcome enables virtual experimentation for the prediction, discovery, and design of complex electromagnetic systems at unprecedented scales. Recent applications of his research include physical-layer modeling and innovations in NextG wireless systems, electrical analysis for heterogeneous integration, intra-system EMI/EMC in complex electronic platforms, and physics-based computing to enable autonomy and intelligence of electromagnetic systems.

His research contributions have been recognized through multiple awards, including three IEEE Transactions Paper Awards (2024 IEEE EMC Richard B. Schulz HMTP Award, 2018 IEEE CPMT Best Transaction Paper Award, and the 2014 IEEE Antennas and Propagation Sergei A. Schelkunoff Transactions Prize Paper), eight Conference Paper Awards (IEEE EMC Symposium, 2024 and 2018; EuCAP Best Electromagnetics Paper, 2022; EPEPS Best Conference Paper, 2021 and 2019; ICEAA–IEEE APWC Best Paper, 2018; IEEE Workshop on SIPI, 2016), and several Young Scientist Awards. He has also advised students who have received twelve Student Paper Awards at international conferences. In addition, he is a recipient of the NSF CAREER Award (2018) and the ACES Early Career Award (2015).

Dr. Peng is a Distinguished Lecturer of the IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society (2024–2026). He currently serves as Chair of the IEEE AP-S Technical Committee on Computational Electromagnetics, and previously served on the Board of Directors of the Applied Computational Electromagnetics Society (2019–2022). His editorial roles include serving as Associate Editor for IEEE Trans. MTT (2018-2020), IEEE Trans. CPMT (2023), IEEE OJAP (2023- present), IEEE TAP (2025- present). He also served as conference chair and co-chair for the Conference on Electrical Performance of Electronic Packaging and Systems (2022, 2021), and Technical Program Committee chair for the ACES symposium (2025).

Email:

Roni Khazaka of McGill University

Incorporating Signal and Power Integrity in the Electronic Design Automation workflow is now essential for high performance systems. In this talk we present an SP/PI aware design flow and some of the key challenges and solutions for incorporating SP/PI as an integral part of the design flow. Using practical examples of interconnect and package designs as well as on-chip power distribution networks, we present the key limitations of current design flow as well as the challenges that distributed passive components present to both the design as well as the simulation/design automation process. We present state-of-the-art tools and methodologies for SI/PI design.

Biography:

Prof. Roni Khazaka received his Bachelor, Master, and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada in 1995, 1998, and 2002, respectively. In 2002, he joined the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada, where he currently is an Associate Professor in the department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Associate Dean, Academic Program, in the Faculty of Engineering. Prof. Khazaka is a senior member of the IEEE. In 2009, he was a Visiting Research Fellow with the University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka, Japan. In 2017, he was a Visiting Researcher with the Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy. He has authored over 100 journal and conference articles in the areas of signal and power integrity, model order reduction, macromodeling and high frequency circuit simulations. His current research interests include signal and power integrity, electronic design automation, numerical algorithms and techniques, the analysis and simulation of RF ICs, and high-speed interconnects and packages.

Prof. Khazaka served as the General Chair and General Co-chair of EPEPS 2018 and 2019 as well as the International Conference on Analog VLSI circuits, AVIC 2013. He is a member and current Chair of the IEEE MTT-S Technical Committee on Design Automation TC-02. Prof. Khazaka served as Treasurer and as Chair of the IEEE Montreal Section. He is currently the Chair of the IEEE Montreal Section joint EMC/EPS Chapter which won the local best Chapter award in 2020. Prof. Khazaka has also served on several IEEE technical program and organizing committees.

Email:

Levent Sevgi of ITU - Istanbul Technical University (Emeritus)

The role of Electromagnetic (EM) fields in our lives has been increasing. Communication, remote sensing, integratedcommand/ control/surveillance systems, intelligent transportation systems, medicine, environment, education, marketing, and defense are only a few areas where EM fields have critical importance. We have witnessed the transformation from EngineeringElectromagnetics to Electromagnetic Engineering for the last few decades after being surrounded by EM waves everywhere.Among many others, EM engineering deals with broad range of problems from antenna design to EM scattering, indoor–outdoorradiowave propagation to wireless communication, radar systems to integrated surveillance, subsurface imaging to novelmaterials, EM compatibility to nano-systems, electroacoustic devices to electro-optical systems, etc. The range of the devices weuse in our daily life has extended from DC up to Terahertz frequencies. We have had both large-scale (kilometers-wide) andsmall-scale (nanometers) EM systems. A large portion of these systems are broadband and digital and must operate in closeproximity that results in severe EM interference problems. Engineers must take EM issues into account from the earliest possibledesign stages. This necessitates establishing an intelligent balance between strong mathematical background (theory), engineeringexperience (practice), and modeling and numerical computations (simulation).

 This Distinguished/keynote lecture aims at a broad-brush look at current complex EM problems as well as certain teaching / training challenges that confront wave-oriented EM engineering in the 21st century, in a complex computer and technology-drivenworld with rapidly shifting societal and technical priorities.

Biography:

Prof. Dr. Levent Sevgi is a Fellow of the IEEE (since 2009) and the recipient of IEEE APS Chen-To Tai Distinguished Educator Award (2021). He was with Istanbul Technical University (1991–1998), TUBITAK-MRC, Information Technologies Research Institute (1999–2000), Weber Research Institute / NY Polytechnic University (1988–1990), Scientific Research Group of Raytheon Systems Canada (1998 – 1999), Center for Defense Studies, ITUV-SAM (1993 –1998 and 2000–2002) and with University of Massachusetts, Lowell (UML) MA/USA as a full-time faculty (2012 – 2013), DOGUS University (2001-2014), Istanbul OKAN (2014 - 2021), and ATLAS (2022-2024) Universities.

He served four years (2020-2023) as an IEEE AP-S Distinguished Lecturer. Since Jan 2024 he has been the chair of the IEEE AP-S DL Committee. He served one-term in the IEEE AP-S AdCom (2013-2015) and one-term and as a member of IEEE AP-S Field Award Committee (2018-2019). He had been the writer/editor of the “Testing ourselves” Column in the IEEE AP Magazine (2007-2021), a member of the IEEE AP-S Education Committee (2006-2021), He also served in several editorial boards (EB) of other prestigious journals / magazines, such as the IEEE AP Magazine (2007-2021), Wiley’s International Journal of RFMiCAE (2002-2018), and the IEEE Access (2017-2019 and 2020 - 2022). He is the founding chair of the EMC TURKIYE International Conferences (www.emcturkiye.org).

He has been involved with complex electromagnetic problems for nearly four decades. His research study has focused onelectromagnetic radiation, propagation, scattering and diffraction; RCS prediction and reduction; EMC/EMI modelling, simulation, tests and measurements; multi-sensor integrated wide area surveillance systems; surface wave HF radars; analytical andnumerical methods in electromagnetics; FDTD, TLM, FEM, SSPE, and MoM techniques and their applications; bio-electromagnetics. He is also interested in novel approaches in engineering education, teaching electromagnetics via virtual tools.He also teaches popular science lectures such as Science, Technology and Society.

He has published many books / book chapters in English and Turkish, over 180 journal/magazine papers / tutorials and attended more than 100 international conferences / symposiums. His three books Complex Electromagnetic Problems and Numerical Simulation Approaches, Electromagnetic Modeling and Simulation and Radiowave Propagation and Parabolic Equation Modelingwere published by the IEEE Press - WILEY in 2003, 2014, and 2017, respectively. His fourth and fifth books, A Practical Guide to EMC Engineering (Sep 2017) and Diffraction Modeling and Simulation with MATLAB (Feb 2021) were published by ARTECH HOUSE.

His h-index is 38, with a record of 5200+ citations (source: Google Scholar, Feb 2025).