Cardiff engineers scoop top prize for research paper

Three researchers from Cardiff University School of Engineering have been selected to receive the 2016 Microwave Prize, from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)’s Microwave Theory and Techniques Society (MTT Society).

The prize recognises the ‘most significant contribution by a published paper in the year 2014’, in the field of microwave theory and techniques.

Dr. Tim Canning, a Ph.D. student who graduated in 2015, and his supervisor Professor Steve Cripps (an IEEE fellow), as well as contributor Professor Paul Tasker, are to be recognised for their paper entitled ‘Continuous mode power amplifier design using harmonic clipping contours: theory and practice’. The paper was published in Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, in January 2014.

All three researchers are associated with the School of Engineering’s Centre for High Frequency Engineering, which is at the forefront of research into communications engineering. This paper demonstrates the Centre’s commitment to high-impact research.

The paper concerns a new theoretical formulation for designing electronic power amplifiers with the aim of reducing the power consumption of mobile communications systems. It builds upon the School of Engineering’s work on ‘waveform engineering’, which has been ongoing for a number of years.

The subject is particularly topical in an age where mobile technology is ever-present and presents an ever-increasing drain on global electrical power consumption. This drain represents a significant barrier to reducing carbon emissions and reducing the effects of global warming.

The award includes a $2,000 prize, which will be split between the three recipients, as well as a special commemorative plaque. This will be presented at the MTT Society’s annual Awards Banquet, which is due to be held in San Fransisco this May, alongside the International Microwave Symposium.