Spotlight on Young Researchers: Alex Gansen

 

Alex Gansen first dabbled in research during his Masters studies in physics at the University of Fribourg (Switzerland), and then decided he wanted to take on the challenge of a PhD, so the Luxembourg national returned to his home country. Alex has just submitted his thesis at the end of the 4th year of his AFR PhD in computational electromagnetics at the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) in collaboration with the College of Engineering in Swansea. He sees the close links between local industry and research in Luxembourg as a great advantage for the future of research in the Grand Duchy.

After his studies in physics with a focus on Soft Matter physics, Alex wanted to do more applied research. He even declined a PhD offer in Switzerland because the other PhD project he was offered at LIST was more appealing – so what’s this project about?

Computational electromagnetics or generally computational engineering is a relatively young discipline. The popularity significantly increased in the 80s due to decreasing prices of computers making the equipment affordable to more people. Computational electromagnetics revolves around modelling the interaction of electromagnetic fields with physical objects and the environment.

Simulation of Electromagnetic wave (light) crossing a dielectric sphere

“In my work, I mainly concentrate on a special configuration of electromagnetic fields, called electromagnetic waves which are nothing else than light in the broadest sense. It may be the visible light from the sun or invisible ‘light’ in the radio frequency regime used for communication or Wi-Fi. Maxwell’s equations form the mathematical basis of classical electromagnetism[1].”

“These equations can only be analytically solved for trivial interaction cases. For example, how light is scattered from a sphere. If we are, however, interested how radiation is reflected from complex structure like an aircraft these equations need to be solved numerically.”

As part of his PhD, Alex investigates how electromagnetic waves interact with matter: “My task is to develop better numerical algorithms for solving Maxwell’s equations faster and with lower memory requirements. Furthermore, I work on the simulation of so called metamaterials, these are artificial materials with properties that do not exist in nature. They lead to very challenging interactions with light.”

“Programming is like writing a book except when you miss a single comma on page 126 the whole book makes no sense”

So what does computational electromagnetics look like in practice on a daily basis? “Imagine I work on a specific problem. For example, how is the light reflected/transmitted after interacting with dielectric slab like a plate of glass? First, I have to derive the equations (starting from Maxwell’s equations) describing this interaction analytically (pen and paper). In the next step I think about how I can write them numerically (in a way a computer understands it). Then I start to program.

“Finally I test my program by comparing my results with some test cases that can be solved analytically. If both solutions agree my program works. Otherwise I have to find the error. This would be a perfect day. In reality it may take months to derive and especially implement such equations. There is a very nice quote with respect to this ’Programming is like writing a book except when you miss a single comma on page 126 the whole book makes no sense’.”

The main aim of Alex’s work is to improve the speed and reduce the memory requirements compared to other electromagnetic commercial solvers or methods. An example is computing the transmission of light through a material: This is vital for the development of objects such as antennas, because the radiation should be able to go through a given material. This can also be extended to things such as a wifi signal, which should not be blocked by a thin wooden door, just as the signal emitted by a smartphone should not be blocked by the cover of the phone.

Simulation of the transmission through an aircraft’s radome (nose of an aircraft)

Solving problems nobody has solved before

Alex says he had a great time time during his PhD, putting this down to his “amazing supervisors, and the fact that “I really like what I’m doing, tackling and solving problems nobody solved before, contributing to the technological development of society.”

As for what the future holds, Alex has not yet decided if he wants a long career in research, citing how difficult it is to get a permanent contract in research, and the impact this can have on the ability to settle down.

However, Alex sees a great deal of potential for research in Luxembourg and finds it a smart move to connect research with local industry in the way it is being done in the Grand Duchy:

“The link between research and local industrial partners is reinforced, leading to interesting and much more applied research projects and collaborations. Of course one of the reasons behind this is that 80% of the GDP comes from services, mainly banking. It is always very risky to depend on a single source of income especially nowadays with all the problems on the financial market.”

“Generally, Luxembourg has in my opinion a great potential because, in contrast to the rest of the world, the government is investing a lot of money into new infrastructure and research in general.”

Inspiring a new generation of researchers

Alex also took part in the 2017 edition of Chercheurs à l’école, which took place from 27 – 31 March. Chercheurs à l’école is an FNR initiative where researchers visit schools across the country to talk about life as a researcher.

Taking about the experience of taking part in Chercheurs à l’école, Alex says:

“It was the first time I participated in the researchers at school and I decided to go to the Lycée Ermesinde in Mersch, because this high school differs from its concept a bit from ‘normal’ schools by offering many activities to their students besides the normal classes and encouraging them to participate in. It was well organised and the staff was informed about our arrival. Furthermore all the necessary equipment was available and working.

The session was from 12:30 to 14:45, so the students participating sacrificed their lunch break for us. I shared the session with another researcher from the University of Luxembourg. All the attendants were polite, motivated and followed the different presentations carefully. It was for me a pleasure to present my work to them and talk about the everyday life of a researcher from my point of view.

I hope I could answer all their questions to their satisfaction and motivate some students to start a career as researcher, maybe even in the field of computational engineering. If I get the opportunity, I will definitely participate again and I can only encourage more researchers to do so to motivate as many students as possible.”


[1] Set of equations that underpin all electric, optical and radio technologies, such as power generation, electric motors, wireless communication, cameras, televisions, computers


Published on 6 April 2017

Alex Gansen
"A researcher also has a life outside the lab! : )"

SEE ALSO..

AFR PhD thesis ranked best in UK in Computational Mechanics domain

RELATED PROGRAMMES

About Spotlight on Young Researchers

Spotlight on Young Researchers is an FNR initiative to highlight early career researchers across the world who have a connection to Luxembourg. This article is the 5th in a series of around 20 articles, which will be published on a weekly basis. You can see more articles below as and when they are published.

Spotlight on Young Researchers: Nina Hentzen

Nina Hentzen, an organic chemist working on the chemical synthesis of collagen, is fascinated by research at the interface of chemistry and biology. The Luxembourg national is in the second year of her AFR PhD at ETH Zürich – and has just been selected to attend the renowned 2017 Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting.

Spotlight on Young Researchers: Konstantinos Papadopoulos

During his computer science studies, Konstantinos Papadopoulos realised how many unexplored areas there are in the field and his desire for becoming a researcher was born. Now in the 2nd year of his PhD at the SnT at the University of Luxembourg, the Greek national works on developing innovative new approaches to security surveillance.

Spotlight on Young Researchers: Nature does it best

What is the connection between the gut of a termite and renewable energy? What binds them is anaerobic digestion, the process by which microorganisms break down biodegradable material without oxygen. We speak to four young researchers in the Biosystems and Bioprocessing Engineering group at the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) about how understanding the termite gut could help unlock the full potential of anaerobic digestion, and the associated benefits for green and cleantech.

Spotlight on Young Researchers: Anjali Sharma

In school, we are taught three states of matter: solid, liquid and gas. The focus of University of Luxembourg PhD candidate Anjali Sharma’s research lies between solid and liquid: liquid crystal. She studies them in unusual shapes that are no larger than the width of a human hair, yet they are considered as large by the scientists of the field. As part of her research, the Indian national got an opportunity for a rare experiment: Taking her research into a zero gravity environment.

Spotlight on Young Researchers: Toward a risk assessment system for natural and biological systems

Is it possible to use mathematical indicators to alert about natural disasters and help in the early detection of disease and health issues? Over the past 15 years, scientists have been working on bridging mathematical theory and empirical evidence to do just that. To move the science forward, a key challenge is the underlying mathematical problem, as well as determining how the indicators should be applied.

Spotlight on Young Researchers: Assessing the sustainability of Luxembourgish agriculture

Deforestation and soil degradation is one of many consequences of climate change. Food production systems alone are responsible for around a quarter of annual emissions. Researchers in Luxembourg are working with local actors to create models to help assess the sustainability of Luxembourgish farms.

Spotlight on Young Researchers: Silvia Girardi

Silvia Girardi is a sociologist with an interest in studying policies that aim to contrast poverty. As part of her joint PhD at Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER) and KU Leuven, the Italian national looks at the social policies that support low-income households in Luxembourg, taking the perspectives of the citizens on the receiving end, and the social workers involved in implementation.

Spotlight on Young Researchers: Towards predicting ageing-related diseases

A rapid increase in both life expectancy and global population size has led to a rise in the prevalence of chronic ageing-associated diseases. Brain and heart age-associated diseases including hypertension, stroke, heart failure, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases are leading causes of mortality and disability worldwide. Researchers are working on much-needed ways to predict these diseases.

Spotlight on Young Researchers: Foni Raphaël Lebrun-Ricalens

Quantum computing is one of the hottest topics in physical sciences. As part of his AFR PhD at the University of Sussex, Luxembourg national Foni Raphaël Lebrun-Ricalens works on developing a quantum computer – a technology that has the potential to revolutionise computing. Recently, he was also asked to evaluate the science behind the ‘quantum realm’ in the final ‘Avengers’ film.

Spotlight on Young Researchers: The historical relationship between the European Community and the Soviet Union

As war rages in Ukraine, the topic PhD candidate Claude Ewert has been researching for the past three years is perhaps more relevant now than ever: the relationship between the European Community and the Soviet Union. The historian is gathering valuable information on the EC’s early foreign policy and the obstacles that had to be overcome to try to make the Community speak with one voice.

This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you agree to the use of cookies for analytics purposes. Find out more in our Privacy Statement