YP Talks

Meta-surfaces have emerged as a transformative platform for tailoring electromagnetic wave–matter interactions through subwavelength engineering. This talk will present recent advances in the design and realization of multifunctional meta-surfaces that simultaneously enable polarization conversion and high-sensitivity sensing with efficient RF energy harvesting. Emphasis is placed on ultrathin, compact architectures capable of achieving polarization control, broadband absorption, and angular stability while maintaining high figure-of-merit in refractive index sensing, particularly in terahertz regimes for biomedical applications such as tumor detection. The integration of tunable materials and reconfigurable mechanisms further enables adaptive functionalities, including switchable absorption and dynamic wave manipulation. Additionally, strategies for enhancing energy harvesting performance through impedance matching, multiband operation, and near-field coupling will be discussed.

Dr. Rajan Agrahari is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Patna, India. He received his Ph.D. in electronics engineering from IIT (BHU) Varanasi, specializing in computational electromagnetics, nano-photonics, and metamaterials. Prior to joining NIT Patna, he worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the International Research Centre for Nano-photonics and Metamaterials, ITMO University, Russia, and has also held a research position at Pennsylvania State University, USA. Dr. Agrahari’s research contributions lie at the forefront of multifunctional meta-surfaces, terahertz sensing, RF energy harvesting, and advanced electromagnetic systems. His work has led to the development of ultrathin, reconfigurable meta-surfaces for applications in biomedical sensing, wireless energy systems, and next-generation communication technologies. He has published extensively in leading journals, with several of his works recognized as highly cited and top-viewed articles. He is the recipient of the IEEE Transactions on Nanotechnology Best Paper Award (2023), the MTT-S Outstanding Chapter Officer Award (2024), and the Young Professionals Excellence Award (WAMS 2026). He also holds multiple granted Indian patents in meta-surface and antenna technologies and leads several sponsored research projects funded by ISRO and other agencies.

Reconfigurable dielectric resonator antennas (DRAs) have emerged as a key enabling technology for next-generation wireless systems, including 5G, 6G, and IoT applications. Owing to their inherent advantages, such as high radiation efficiency, low loss, wide bandwidth, and compact size, DRAs are increasingly integrated with reconfigurability features to achieve multifunctional performance. Recent trends focus on frequency, polarization, radiation pattern, and hybrid reconfiguration using techniques such as PIN diodes, varactors, MEMS, and tunable materials. Machine learning optimization and metamaterial-based approaches are also gaining attention for intelligent and adaptive antenna design. Advanced developments include mm-wave and terahertz DRAs, multi-mode excitation, and array configurations for beam steering and high-gain applications. These innovations address the growing demand for spectrum efficiency, cognitive radio, and energy harvesting systems. Overall, reconfigurable DRAs represent a promising solution for compact, flexible, and high-performance antennas in future wireless communication systems.

Dr. Pinku Ranjan is working as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering at Atal Bihari Vajpayee-Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management (ABV-IIITM), Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India since 2019, with overall 15+ years of research and teaching experience. He completed his Ph.D. with integrated M.Tech in Electronics Engineering from IIT (ISM) Dhanbad in October 2017. He earned his B.Tech in Electronics and Communication Engineering from JNTU Hyderabad in 2010. He has published over 150 research papers in national and international journals and conferences. Currently he is an Associate Editor of International Journal of Antennas and Propagation (Wiley). His main research areas include Dielectric Resonator Antennas and Reconfigurable Antennas, MIMO and 5G Antennas, Monopole, Hybrid, and Circularly Polarized Antennas, Wearable Antennas and Bio-Electromagnetics, Metamaterial Antenna/absorber/Biosensors, Antenna for IoT Devices, Machine Learning and Deep Learning for antenna optimization, and Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS). He is a Senior Member of IEEE and has supervised more than 35 M.Tech and 50 B.Tech students. He received the Best Researcher Award in 2024 and the Atal Young Faculty Award in 2025 at ABV-IIITM Gwalior. He is a prestigious awardee of the “Young Faculty Research Fellowship (YFRF)” under the Visvesvaraya PhD Scheme for Electronics & IT, awarded by MeitY, Government of India, in 2026.

This invited session is delivered under the IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society (APS) Young Professionals (YP) Ambassador Program and combines professional engagement with technical insight into emerging antenna technologies. The session begins with a brief overview of the IEEE YP and APS YP initiatives, emphasizing their role in supporting early-career engineers and researchers through technical knowledge dissemination, leadership development, and global networking within the antennas and propagation community. The technical portion features two focused overviews addressing key frontiers in antenna engineering. The first explores the evolution of on-chip antennas, driven by the growing demand for highly integrated RF, microwave, and millimeter-wave systems. The second overview addresses energy harvesting antennas as enablers of self-sustaining electronic systems for IoT, biomedical, and remote sensing applications. Together, this session highlights how advances in antenna integration and wireless power are shaping the future of compact, autonomous, and sustainable wireless systems.

Dr. Arup Ray (Member, IEEE) received the B.Tech. and M.Tech. degrees in Electronics & Instrumentation and Communication Engineering from the University of Kalyani, India. He earned his Ph.D. degree in 2022, with his dissertation focused on the design methodologies and integration challenges of on-chip antennas with RF front-end circuits such as low-noise amplifiers (LNAs) and rectifiers. In 2022, Dr. Ray joined Qualcomm India Private Limited, Bangalore, as a Senior Engineer and is currently working as a Senior Lead Engineer in the RFIC team. His work involves electromagnetic modelling, RF component design, and coupling mitigation at the chip and package level. He has contributed to three novel ideas at Qualcomm, all of which have been filed as U.S. patent applications. He has authored or co-authored nine journal papers and three conference papers in the areas of RFIC design, antenna integration, and electromagnetic simulation. He has served as a peer reviewer for IEEE Antennas and Wireless Propagation Letters, IEEE Transactions on Components, Packaging, and Manufacturing Technology, Springer Scientific Reports, IETE Journal of Research, and IET Microwaves, Antennas & Propagation.

In traditional electromagnetic systems, we typically rely on time-harmonic (continuous wave) signals. However, these signals are bound by a fundamental limitation: their power density decays relatively quickly as they travel. This talk introduces an alternative approach that challenges these conventional limits by utilizing specifically shaped, short-duration pulses. By shifting the focus from standard waves to “formed pulses” within rectangular waveguides, we can achieve a time-average power density that decays much slower than the conventional case. This phenomenon offers a promising path toward more efficient energy transmission. We will explore a preliminary understanding of why this works, specifically focusing on the “ultrawideband” effect, and discuss early results that could pave the way for new advancements in high-speed, high-efficiency electromagnetic structures.

Niharika Kaja is a PhD candidate at the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC), specializing in computational electromagnetics under the mentorship of Dr. Deb Chatterjee. Her research focuses on the radiation characteristics of rectangular waveguides when subjected to short rise-time pulses. In addition to her doctoral studies, Niharika serves as a Research Assistant with the Missouri Institute of Defense and Energy (MIDE), where she contributes to the development of cavity-backed PGMS structures. A 2023 UMKC Master’s alumna, she is dedicated to bridging the gap between theoretical electromagnetic modeling and advanced engineered systems.