Dr Mohammad Alibakhshikenari
Dr Mohammad Alibakhshikenari
Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellow
University of Galway
mohammad.alibakhshikenari@universityofgalway.ie
Profile
Dr. Mohammad Alibakhshikenari received the Ph.D. degree with the European label and Excellent Cum Laude in electronics engineering from the University of Rome “Tor Vergata” (UNITOV), Italy, in February 2020. From May to December 2018, he was a Ph.D. Visiting Researcher with the Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden. His training during this visit included a research stage at Swedish Company “Gap Waves AB.”. From July 2021 to August 2024, he was with the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M), Spain, as a Principal Investigator of the CONnecting EXcellence (CONEX)- Plus Talent Training Program and Marie Skodowska-Curie Actions.
During this Program he has spent two secondments at the: 1) Microwave Engineering Center for Space Applications (MECSA), Rome, Italy, from April to August 2024, and 2) SARAS Technology Ltd., Company, Leeds, U.K., from December 2022 to May 2023. In addition, during this program he had some short research visits at the: 1) University of Catania, Italy, in May 2024, along with an invited lecture entitled “Terahertz Antennas based on Metasurface and SIW” for the master’s and Ph.D. students, and postdoctoral researchers; 2) University of Messina, Italy, in May 2024; 3) University of Bradford, U.K., in May 2023; and 4) Edinburgh Napier University, U.K., in April 2023.
From 1st September 2024 to 30th June 2025 he was with UNITOV as a Senior Researcher. On 1st July 2025 he joined to University of Galway, Ireland, as a ROSETTA fellow. His research interests include electromagnetic systems, antennas and wave-propagations, metamaterials and metasurfaces, RF and microwave technologies, sensors, synthetic aperture radars (SAR), 5G and beyond wireless communications, multiple input multiple output (MIMO) systems, RFID tag antennas, substrate integrated waveguides (SIWs), impedance matching circuits, millimeter-waves and terahertz integrated circuits, gap waveguide technology, beamforming networks, and reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS)”. According to Stanford University yearly analysis, he has been among the World’s Top 2% Scientists of highly cited scientific authors, since 2020.
Contact Information
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohammad-alibakhshikenari-043745250/
Scopus ID: 57192946347
ORCID ID: 0000-0002-8263-1572
ROSETTA Project
Enhancing the Quality of Millimeter-Wave Satellite Communications by Space Multiplexing and Innovative Beamforming Matrices Using Gap-Waveguide Technology
With the rapid advancement of satellite communications, the millimeter-wave frequency band is gaining significance due to its expansive spectrum, broad bandwidth, and capacity to facilitate antenna and circuit miniaturization. Space multiplexing is crucial for boosting the efficiency of millimeter-wave communications for satellite networks. Employing beamforming techniques in antenna arrays increases the data capacity and provides a flexible beam-switching capability for space multiplexing. The current beamforming matrices (BFMs) suffer from time delay beamforming due to phase errors, limiting angular range and bandwidth, they are further constrained by their large size, high losses, and nonplanar structures.
This fellowship proposal will address the challenges inherent in BFMs in antenna-array systems for practical applications in space multiplexing to enhance the performance of satellite communication networks through millimeter-wave spectrum.
Therefore, this fellowship proposal aims to implement advanced BFMs by exploiting the low loss and efficient propagation properties of Gap-Waveguide technology. Utilizing this technology enables the implementation of the proposed BFMs with advantages of compact dimensions, minimal transmission losses, wide operational bandwidth, highly efficient propagation, multi-beam functionality, enhanced scanning capabilities, and cost-effective within antenna arrays systems for space multiplexing in satellite networks by enhancing the efficiency of millimeter-wave communications.
The technology to be developed in this research fellowship holds significant promise for Ireland’s wireless technology and telecommunication industry, as well as its research communities. These advancements are pivotal for enabling reliable and high-performance communication and sensing capabilities across diverse applications, including satellite-based internet services, earth observation, weather monitoring, and defense surveillance. Additionally, by increasing the energy efficiency of satellite communication systems operating over millimeter-wave spectra, this fellowship contributes to sustainability efforts and reduces environmental impact yielding substantial advantages for the wireless infrastructure industry not only within Ireland but also beyond its borders while simultaneously enhancing the quality of life for the citizens.
ROSETTA Supervisor and Host Institution
Supervisor: Dr Takfarinas Saber
Host: University of Galway