Hey! I am

Dr Aakash Bansal

I'm a

About

About Me

All the way from Delhi (India), an early career researcher based in the UK working on smart antenna systems and intelligent metasurfaces for terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks.

  • Name: Aakash Bansal
  • Address: Loughborough, UK
  • Email: in.aakash.bansal@ieee.org

Education

2013-2017

B.Tech. - Electronics and Communication Engineering

Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, India

Ranked among top 15 out of 200 students
Receipient of IEEE Computer Society Richard E. Merwin Student Scholarship 2016
Receipient of Exemplary Performance Award for Research and Training

Research Experience

2024-Present

Lecturer in Applied Electromagnetics

Loughborough University

Starting as a Lecturer, I am responsible for leading research projects, supervising research students, writing new research grants, inviting and maintaining national and international collaborations, co-manage research facilities, supporting teaching at the Department, fostering enterprise collaborations and commercialising research. You can access my university profile here.

2024-Present

Research Academy of Engineering UK IC Research Fellow

Royal Academy of Engineering and Loughborough University

Working with the Royal Academy of Engineering and Wireless Communications Research Group, I am developing new beam-steering antenna systems for CubeSats, and collaborating on several projects focused on RF design and measurements, consulting on industrial and academic projects across the globe, supervising research projects, and writing new research grants. You can read more about the project here.

2023-2024

Research Associate

Loughborough University

Working with the Wireless Communications Research Group, I am collaborating on several projects focused on RF design and measurements, consulting on industrial and academic projects across the globe, quasi-managing lab facilities on campus, supervising research projects, and writing new research grants.

2022-2023

Future Communications Systems Engineer

Satellite Applications Catapult

Active Beam-Steering Antenna System for OneWeb Satellite Handover
The work is aimed at developing a fast beam-steering ground station antenna at Ku band for applicaitons in satellite handover for OneWeb LEO satellite system. Further, a novel smart algorithm is being developed to assist the antenna system with quick beam-scanning, connecting with right satellite and enabling easy handover, to provide and fast and reliable network.

2019-2022

PhD Dissertation

Loughborough University

Active mmWave Antenna Array for 5G and IoT Applications
Supervisors: Dr. Chinthana Panagamuwa, Prof. William Whittow
This research aims to meet the increasing demand for faster data-rates and reliable connectivity for everyone everywhere, and to support new technologies such as the Internet of Things, millimeter-waves have been identified as a suitable spectrum for developing fifth-generation technology. New types of antennas are needed that can dynamically focus the radiation in specific directions to minimize losses and interference.
Traditionally, complex phase shifters feeding antenna arrays are used to beamform radiation patterns in different directions. These can be cumbersome and are not ideal for small installations. This work is looking into developing cheaper and more compact active antenna array systems for electronic beam-steering at 28GHz.

2019-Present

Engineering Research Assistant

Loughborough University

Supervisors: Dr. Sheryl Williams, Prof. William Whittow
Working on designing open-source robotic kits for kids to introduce basic logic-building and programming skills through scratch, responsible for handling STEM showcase and promoting STEM Education in and around Loughborough through workshops and supporting coding clubs in schools.
Working on antenna design and measurement consultancy project for various organisations with Prof. Will Whittow.

2017-2019

Research Associate

CSIR - Central Electronics Engineering Research Institute, Pilani (India)

Project: Planar RF Slow-wave Structure for Vacuum Microfabricated TWT
Supervisor: Dr. Vishnu Srivastava, Dr. R. K. Sharma
The project focused on developing a computationally efficient, integrated and dynamic model for the design of Staggered Double Vane Slow Wave Structure (SDVSWS) and beam-wave interaction analysis of a planar Traveling Wave Tubes (TWT) with a sheet electron beam. Staggered Double Vane-Slow Wave Structure (SDV-SWS) is used for its numerous advantages over other types of SWSs. The designed integrated model determines RF performance of a planar TWT directly from the given beam voltage and centre frequency by performing three different tasks, (i) determining geometrical parameters of an SDV-SWS of maximum possible bandwidth and high interaction impedance, (ii) determining RF circuit parameters of an SDV-SWS, and (iii) performing beam-wave interaction analysis of a planar TWT. The model was developed by adopting a numerical computing environment, MATLAB. Also, highly accurate numerical techniques with double precision such as the Sixth Order Runge Kutta Method was used for electron beam dynamic. The model was further used to design and simulate a 0.22THz Sheet Beam TWT of 100W output power.
A 3D model for a 0.22THz Planar Traveling Wave Tubes for fabrication has been made using the specifications generated from the analytical model and was tested using Ansys HFSS.

Volunteer Experience

2023-Present

Co-Lead, Active Metamaterials SIG

UK Metamaterials Network Plus
2019-2022

Voluntary Subwarden

Telford Hall, Loughborough University
2019-2022

Head of Innovation and Student Outreach

National Indian Student & Alumni Union UK
2019-Present

International Student Ambassador

International Office, Loughborough University (UK)
2018-2019

Innovation Coach and Consultant

Connecting Dreams Foundation
2016-2017

Industrial Representative

IEEE India SCT
2013-2017

Tech Team Volunteer to Chairperson

IEEE MSIT Student Branch

Skills

CST MWS

Ansys HFSS

Empire XPU

Keysight ADS

MATLAB & Simulink

MS Office

Network Analyzer

Anechoic Chamber

C/C++

Python

HTML & CSS

MCU Boards

Adobe Photoshop

Skills

Antennas

Antenna Arrays

Phased Array

Millimeter Waves

Leaky Waves

5G Antennas

Beamforming

Beam-Steering

Dielectric Lenses

RF Metamaterials and Metasurfaces

Satellite Communications

EM Attacks in Cyber Physical Systems

Awards

August 2022

Doctoral Researchers' Presidents' Award 2022

Loughborough University UK
July 2020

Sir Robert Martin University Prize 2020

Loughborough University UK
July 2020

Action Volunteer Bronze Award

Loughborough Studens' Union
May 2020

BrightSparks Award 2020

Electronics Weekly
June 2018

Exemplary Performance Award for Training & Research

Maharaja Surajmal Institute of Technology (GGSIPU, India)
2016

Richard E. Merwin Student Scholarship

IEEE Computer Society
2016

Global Startup Workshop Fellowship

Massachusetts Institute of Technology GSW 2016
2016

Funding for Self-Sustained LED Bulbs

Sristi - An IIM-A based NGO
2016

Outstanding Volunteer Award

IEEE Delhi Section

Collaborate

Collaborate

Worked on a number of projects, I am available to collaborate for new tasks.

I'm Available for You

Thinking of collaborating on something new? Get in touch!

Contact me

Testimonials

Testimonials

New Students

New Students

Students looking to do an MSc project or do a PhD with me, please feel free to contact me on in.aakash.bansal@ieee.org.
Please note, I am happy to consider new students from other universities who are looking for support in their current project, but they are conditional on an interview and necessary approvals.

Contact

Contact Me

LinkedIn

Aakash Bansal

Twitter

@ibansalab

Instagram

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Facebook

/ibansalab

Research Gate

Aakash Bansal