Career History Research Laboratories

Curriculum Vitae of LR Arnaut

Luk R. Arnaut

1 Career History

1.1 Research Laboratories

1.1.1 Oct 2006 – May 2010: Technical Manager and Lead Scientist for DTI National Measurement System research projects on (I) Active Metamaterials; (II) Dynamic Complex (Incoherent) Electromagnetic Environments; (III) RF & Microwave Signal Propagation, Interference and Distortion in Multi-Terminal Wireless Communication Systems

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  Place: National Physical Laboratory (Teddington, UK)
  

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  Roles, outputs & achievements: Leading, managing, coordinating, mentoring and scientifically contributing to 9-member research group of junior & senior scientists. Lead formulation of research proposals (tendered) for 3-year projects funded by National Measurement Office (see 1.1.3). Scout, short-list & interview candidates for new staff. Coach junior scientists to RF/microwave measurements. Oversee project-related procurement. Report team's progress to Head of Division (monthly). Organise and conduct weekly progress meetings with research group. Develop internal and external collaborations. Attract and mentor overseas PG research students with specific skills. Actively engage in research work in area of personal expertise. Write & edit papers for publication. Present Annual Reports to Working Party of National Measurement Office. Lead and contribute to 3^rd-party projects with industrial involvement and/or funding (see 3.2).
  

Areas of R&D activity:

Wireless communications: multi-user communication systems (MIMO) in hgh-mobility complex multi-scattering environments; systematic experimental investigation of signal distortion, EM interference and bit-error rate in state-of-the-art protocols (W-CDMA, OFDM, Bluetooth, ZigBee) for indoor or outdoor propagation, diffraction and scattering, performance of in resonant environments. Study of EM interference and bit-error rate in ZigBee-based wireless sensor networks (WSNs). Statistical characterisation of indoor wave propagation, scattering and diffraction.
Metamaterials: active metamaterials based on negative impedances. Fano resonances in planar multi-split ring microresonators. Simulation of 2-D and 2.5-D frequency-selective surfaces with complex-shaped unit cells.
Random 3-D electromagnetic fields and coherence: field distributions and spatial correlation in nanometric and mesoscopic systems, nonstationarity and analyticity of 3D random EM fields.
Standardization and international collaborations: International standards development: Convenor of Joint Task Force CISPR/A-SC77B of IEC on reverberation chambers (IEC 61000-4-21.Ed.2) and Member of Joint Task Force CISPR/A-TC77 of IEC on measurement uncertainty (IEC 61000-1-6). Development of New Work Proposals, coordinating working group & brokering consensus approach, technical contribution (development of specialist Clauses). Local coordinator for COST 2100 collaboration on wireless communications. Member of Advisory Board for FP6 Network of Excellence “Metamorphose” on metamaterials; associated member of follow-up Virtual Institute. Convenor of IEC working group on electromagnetic reverberation chambers for EMC.

1.1.2 Jul 2004 - Aug 2007: NPL Scientific Liaison for external academic and industrial collaborations

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  Place: National Physical Laboratory (Teddington, UK)
  
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  Outputs & achievements: scouting of high-potential young scientists, negotiating with leading universities, R&D divisions of companies in specific areas of interest to NPL; developing collaboration agreements, making specific proposals for bi-directional exchanges of personnel, equipment, technology transfer, know-how.
  

Collaborations with Queens University, Belfast; St. Petersburg State Technical University, Russia; University of Ancona, Italy, CNES, France, etc. were set up, involving MSc and PhD researchers; links with commercial telecom companies were partially successful.

1.1.3 Jul 2001 - Sep 2009: Champion for DTI NMS Formulation Process on (I) Physical-Layer Wireless Communications, (II) Wave Chaos in Reverberation Chambers, and (III) Structured Passive Artificial Electromagnetic Materials

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  Place: National Physical Laboratory (Teddington, UK)
  
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  Outputs & achievements: definition of Research Projects for 3-year DTI NMSPU Programme. Developing work plans, milestones & deliverables for approval by National Measurement Office (NMO). Drafting, coordinating and aligning roadmaps for EM and communications. Conducting bilateral consultations with various NPL scientists & technical leaders, universities, R&D industry, governmental scientific institutions. Formulation research themes for future NPL activity within physical-layer electrical engineering; contributing & overseeing detailed research proposals & costings.
  

Won 7 out of 8 NMS/NMO proposals submitted between 1997 and 2010.

1.1.4 Oct 2001 - Apr 2003: Key Scientific Advisor on Mathematical Modelling to NPL Science Executive

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  Place: National Physical Laboratory (Teddington, UK)
  
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  Outputs & achievements: surveying and roadmapping of NPL know-how and software capabilities relating to statistical and analytical-theoretical modelling in physics and engineering; surveying and collating world-wide trends in mathematical modelling; providing recommendations; reporting to NPL Executive on next steps. Editor and contributor to 60-page report on numerical modelling and molecular modelling.
  

5. Sep 2006 - May 2010: Lead Scientist