Team
Principal Investigator
Prof. Costas Sarris received a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and a M.Sc. in Applied and Interdisciplinary Mathematics from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in 2002, and the Diploma in Electrical and Computer Engineering (with distinction) from the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), Greece, in 1997.
He joined the University of Toronto in 2002, where he is now a Professor at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
Prof. Sarris was a recipient of the 2021 Premium Award for Best Paper in IET Microwaves, Antennas & Propagation, the IEEE MTT-S Outstanding Young Engineer Award in 2013 and the Early Researcher Award (from the Ontario Ministry for Research and Innovation) in 2007. He is a Distinguished Lecturer of the IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society for 2024-2026.
Since 2019, Prof. Sarris has been the Editor-in-Chief of the IEEE Journal on Multiscale and Multiphysics Computational Techniques. He served as Guest Editor of two special issues of the Microwave Magazine on Machine Learning for Microwaves (2021-co-edited with Prof. Q.J. Zhang) and Time-Domain Numerical Methods (2010), an Associate Editor for the IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques (2009-2013) and the IEEE Microwave and Wireless Components Letters (2007-2009).
He was the TPC Chair of the 2023 and 2019 MTT-S Numerical Electromagnetics, Multiphysics and Optimization (NEMO) Conference and the 2015 IEEE AP-S International Symposium on Antennas and Propagation and CNC/USNC Joint Meeting in Vancouver, BC; the TPC Vice-Chair of the 2012 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium, Montreal, QC; the TPC co-Chair for the IEEE AP-S International Symposium on Antennas and Propagation and CNC/USNC Joint Meeting in Toronto, ON, and the Chair of the MTT-S Technical Committee on Field Theory and Computational Electromagnetics (2018-2020).
Prof. Sarris received the Faculty Teaching Award from the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering, University of Toronto in 2021, the Gordon R. Slemon (teaching of design) award in 2007 and four Departmental Teaching Awards (by confidential vote of ECE students, for excellence in undergraduate teaching) in Fall 2021, 2018, 2016 (3rd year Fields and Waves) and Spring 2005 (4th year Radio and Microwave Wireless Systems).
Post-doctoral Fellow
Aris Seretis
Aris develops generalizable radio propagation models by applying machine-learning techniques and utilizing physics-based propagation solvers.
Ph.D. students
Shutong Qi
Shutong works on scientific machine learning for computational EM and multiphysics problems.
Yuanzhi Liu
Yuanzhi is working on propagation models for reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS)-enabled communication channels, with ray-tracing and full-wave analysis.
Tianhui Xu
Tianhui is working on FDTD and Physics-Informed Neural Network based modeling of time-varying media.
M.A.Sc. students
Charley Xu
Charley works on machine learning based propagation models for wireless communication channels.
Saeed Jan
Saeed works on machine learning based propagation models for wireless communication channels.
Alumni
Our alumni have successfully pursued diverse careers in industry, academia and research labs. Below is the full list of M.A.Sc., Ph.D. , post-doctoral and visiting students who have worked with us and their current position.
Aristeidis Seretis Ph.D. thesis: Physics-Based Propagation Models Enabled by Machine Learning (post-doctoral fellow, CEMPACT).
Qiming Zhao Ph.D. thesis: Adaptive Modeling of Electromagnetic Structures with DGTD and Subcell FDTD Methods (Computational electromagnetics R&D staff, Flexcompute).
Sameer Sharma Ph.D. thesis:Design and Characterization of Touch Sensing, EMI Shielding and Wireless Power Transfer Structures for Wireless Devices (Staff Engineer, AMD, Toronto, ON).
Zhenming Huang M.A.Sc. thesis: Vector Parabolic Equation Based Propagation Modeling for sub-6 GHz 5G Systems in Tunnels (Ph.D. student at the University of Michigan).
Aaron Kogon M.A.Sc. thesis: Efficient Simulation of Driven Finite Periodic Structures using the Finite-Difference Time-Domain Method (Intel Corp., Toronto, ON).
Stefanos Bakirtzis M.A.Sc. thesis: FDTD-based Modeling of Diffuse Scattering in 5G Millimeter-Wave Frequencies and Integration with Ray-Tracing Models (Ph.D. student, University of Cambridge).
Degen Zhou M.A.Sc. thesis: Modeling and Design Optimization of Capacitive Touch Sensor Panels (Software engineer, NexJ Health Inc., Toronto, ON).
Neeraj Sood Ph.D. thesis:Ray-Tracing Propagation Models of Complex Guideway Geometries for the Deployment of Train Control Systems; M.A.Sc. thesis: Realistic assessment of novel wireless systems with ray-tracing based techniques (Senior Engineer, Intel, Toronto, ON).
Dr. Sami Baroudi (co-supervised with Prof. Jorg Liebeherr) Post-doctoral project: Physics-based protocol design for CBTC (Telecommunications Engineer at Hitachi Rail STS).
Kae-An Liu M.A.Sc. thesis: New Techniques for High-Order Field Sensitivity Analysis with the Finite-Difference Time-Domain Method (EMC/SI/PI Engineer, Intel, Portland, OR).
Xingqi Zhang Ph.D. thesis: Advanced Parabolic Equation-Based Propagation Modeling for Train Communication Systems; M.A.Sc. thesis: Development, Analysis, and Validation of Parabolic Equation/Ray-Tracing Techniques in Railway Environments (Assistant Professor, University of Alberta).
Weibin Hao Visiting Ph.D. project: Electromagnetic compatibility and interference analysis for train communication systems (Ph.D. student, Beijing Jiao Tong University).
Hans-Dieter Lang Ph.D. thesis:Optimization of wireless power transfer systems with multiple transmitters and receivers (Professor at the University of Applied Sciences Rapperswil, Switzerland).
Xiao-Kun Wei Visiting Ph.D. project: Spatially-filtered FDTD analysis of ground penetrating radar problems beyond the CFL limit (Ph.D. student, USTC).
Xihao Li (co-supervised with Prof. Piero Triverio) M.A.Sc. thesis: Model order reduction and stability enforcement of Finite-Difference Time-Domain equations beyond the CFL limit (Embedded Software Developer, Microsemi, Ottawa).
Shashwat Sharma M.A.Sc. thesis: Multiphysics Design Optimization of Microwave Ablation Antennas (now with FlexCompute).
Dr. Alon Ludwig Post-doctoral project: Near-field antennas, RF ablation, plasmonics, wireless power transfer (R&D Engineer, Mathworks, Boston, MA).
Dr. Andrew Austin Post-doctoral project: Uncertainty quantification, wireless channel modeling (Lecturer, University of Auckland, New Zealand).
Dr. Kevin Zhu (co-supervised with Profs. Hum and Mojahedi) Post-doctoral project: Optimal pulses for underwater communications, biomedical ultrasound imaging (R&D Engineer, ANSYS, Pittsburgh, PA).
Dr. Yaxun Liu (co-supervised with Prof. George Eleftheriades) Post-doctoral project: Adaptive Mesh Refinement FDTD/Plasmonics (Software developer, AMD, Toronto).
Jason Gu M.A.Sc. thesis: Enhancing the Efficiency of the Polynomial Chaos Expansion Finite-Difference Time-Domain Method.
Roberto Armenta Ph.D. thesis: The principle of coordinate invariance and the modeling of curved material interfaces in finite-difference discretisations of Maxwell's equations; M.A.Sc. thesis: Analysis of Radio Frequency Interference in Digital Subscriber Line Systems (TRIUMF Research Lab, Vancouver).
Xue (Sherry) Yu M.A.Sc. thesis: FDTD Modeling of Graphene-Based RF Devices: Fundamental Aspects and Applications (IC CAD R&D Engineer, Cadence, Boston, MA).
Chun Chang M.A.Sc. thesis: A spatially- filtered Finite-Difference Time-Domain Method with controllable stability beyond the Courant limit (Engineer, Ciena Corp., Ottawa).
Dongying Li Ph.D. thesis: Efficient Time-Domain Modeling of Periodic-Structure-Based Microwave and Optical Geometries (Assistant Professor, Shanghai Jiao Tong University).
Vinu Vairavanathan M.A.Sc. thesis: FDTD Characterization of Antenna-Channel Interaction via Macromodeling (Software Engineer, Cisco, Toronto).
Jackie Leung M.A.Sc. thesis: Hybrid Waveguide Theory-Based Modeling of Indoor Wireless Propagation (Lab Research Project Manager at The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto).
Reza Safian (co-advisor: Mo Mojahedi): Ph.D. thesis: Time and Frequency Evolution of Precursors in Dispersive Media and their Applications (Assistant Professor, Isfahan University, Iran).
Abbas Alighanbari Ph.D. thesis: Time-Domain Electromagnetic Modeling of UWB Indoor Wireless Channels and Systems (Assistant Professor, Shiraz University, Iran).
Pendar Yusefi M.A.Sc. thesis: A Hybrid Rectangular-Curvilinear FDTD Method for the Simulation of Twisted-Pair Bundles (UX Lead, Google Translate, San Francisco, CA).
Wenqian Han M.A.Sc. thesis: Analysis of Crosstalk in Twisted-Pair Cable Binders for DSL Applications (Engineer at Ciena Corp., Ottawa).
Gerard Baron M.A.Sc. thesis: Graphics Hardware Accelerated Time-Domain Modeling of Wireless Channel Geometries (technology product management at Ferraris and Baron, LLC).
Titos Kokkinos (co-supervised with Prof. George Eleftheriades) M.A.Sc. thesis: Periodic Finite-Difference Time-Domain Analysis of Negative-Refractive Index Metamaterials (Patent Examiner with the European Patent Office, Munich, Germany).