Arya of Electromagnetics Group, Texas A&M University, USA TEEE MTT-S YP Outstanding Lecturer

Abstract of Talk:

Increasing threats of terrorism and contraband smuggling have led to a growing interest in high-frequency security sensors. Recently, systems combining active and passive microwave sensing into one unit have been proposed to improve reliability in the detection of contraband. However, the capability to measure material properties in real-time at stand-off distances of a few meters would greatly enhance the ability of security sensors to classify concealed items. This talk discusses a non-invasive approach to extract the complex permittivity and thickness of hidden or embedded dielectrics using multi-mode (active-passive) sensing. The design and operation of two types of microwave sensors are discussed – radar (active) and radiometer (passive), both operating in the K-band (18-26 GHz). Critical factors that degrade the performance of both systems often involve imperfections in the RF front-end as well as background clutter. To mitigate these issues, the following calibration techniques are presented to: (i) correct RF front-end distortion in frequency modulated continuous wave radars, (ii) correct mismatch and temperature-dependent insertion loss contributions in the RF front-end of radiometers, and (iii) correct background noise for radiometers in indoor applications. Electromagnetic models to predict the radar and radiometric responses of multi-layer dielectric targets are investigated and experimentally verified using dielectric stacks backed by a simplified human phantom (warm water). The models are then used to extract the dielectric constant, loss tangent, and thickness of an embedded layer within the stack with 5% accuracy. While presented from a security standpoint, the techniques presented in this talk may also be used in other applications like remote sensing, detection of buried fires, and food safety inspections. 

Biography:

Arya Menon is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Texas A&M University (TAMU). Dr. Menon received the Bachelor of Engineering degree in electronics and communication from Manipal Institute of Technology, India in 2014, M.S. in electrical engineering from the University of South Florida in 2016, and Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering from Oregon State University in 2021. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship at Texas A&M University in 2023. Her current research focuses on investigating bio-inspired intelligence in radar design. Her group focuses on three thrusts - hardware-software co-design for cognitive radars, creation of sharable wireless datasets, and sensor fusion with radar. Her other research interests include the design of radiometers, sensor calibration techniques, and dielectric characterization methods. Her research has earned multiple awards and recognition, including selection as a 2025 MTT-S Outstanding YP Lecturer, 2022 DARPA Riser for ‘Bioinspired Hardware-Software Co-Design for Intelligent High-Frequency Active Sensors’, the 2020 ARTFG Roger Pollard Student Fellowship (Silver), and the 2019 IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques Society Graduate Fellowship, among others. Dr Menon is also a passionate educator and was the recipient of the University of South Florida’s Provost’s Award for Outstanding Teaching in STEM by a Graduate Teaching Assistant in 2018 for her contributions towards developing laboratory experiments for a new undergraduate course in electromagnetics. 

Email:

Address:Texas, United States