Dr Muhammad Zubair, SMIEEE, SMOptica, SFHEA

Dr Muhammad Zubair received his PhD in Electronic Engineering from Politecnico di Torino, Italy, followed by postdoctoral research at the SUTD-MIT International Design Centre, Singapore. Prior to joining Leicester, he held academic and research appointments at the University of Glasgow, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Information Technology University (ITU), Lahore, and the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD).

His research focuses on applied electromagnetics, metamaterials, and metasurface engineering, combining computational modelling, artificial intelligence, and advanced electromagnetic design to develop next-generation technologies for wireless communications, sensing and imaging inclduing healthcare applications, and sustainable energy systems.His work spans radio-frequency to optical frequencies, bridging fundamental electromagnetic theory with practical engineering applications.

Dr Zubair has contributed as PI/ Co-PI or Research Co-Lead to projects funded by organisations including UKAEA, EPSRC (UK), the Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF), the British Council,  Collab LLR (Research England Development Fund), HEC Pakistan, PHEC Pakistan, Singapore Temasek Laboratories, and the US Department of Defense. He has published over 200 peer-reviewed research articles and book chapters, and has been recognised among the Stanford–Elsevier World's Top 2% Most-Cited Scientists since 2022.

His contributions have been recognised through several international honours, including the IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society Young Professional of the Year Award (2026), URSI Young Scientist Award, RSC Materials Horizons Emerging Investigator, Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering Ambassador, and IEEE AP-S Young Professional Ambassador, among others. He is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA), Senior Member of IEEE and Optica, and serves on the IEEE AP-S Technical Committee 11 on Sensing, Imaging, Health and Medicine. He also serves as Associate Editor or Guest Editor for several international journals, including IEEE Journal of Electromagnetics, RF and Microwaves in Medicine and Biology, IET Microwaves, Antennas & Propagation, Journal of the Optical Society of America A, and the Wiley International Journal of Antennas and Propagation.

Recent Highlights

• IEEE AP-S Young Professional of the Year Award 2026: University of Leicester News – Waves of Success for Leicester Electromagnetism Expert

• IEEE Antennas & Propagation Magazine: Finding My Path in Electromagnetics: Lessons Across Borders and Disciplines (Career Reflection)

My research focuses on advancing electromagnetics through the integration of theory, computational modelling, metamaterials, metasurfaces, and intelligent design methodologies. The work spans fundamental electromagnetic science and its translation into practical technologies for future communications, sensing and imaging, sustainable energy systems, and advanced electromagnetic devices. These activities are organised into four interconnected research themes.

Fundamental Electromagnetics and Computational Modelling

My research develops theoretical and computational frameworks for modelling electromagnetic wave–matter interactions across multiple scales.

Research Topics: Fractional Electromagnetics, Computational Electromagnetics, Quantum Antennas, Charge Transport/ Electron Emission, AI for Electromagnetic Design.

Applied Electromagnetics and Metasurfaces for Advanced Connectivity

My research explores intelligent electromagnetic surfaces, wave engineering, and programmable electromagnetic environments for next-generation communication systems.

Research Topics: Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS), Integrated Sensing and Communications (ISAC), Optical Wireless Communications, Meta-Holography, Future 6G Networks.

Applied Electromagnetics and Metasurfaces for Sensing and Imaging

My research develops electromagnetic sensing and imaging technologies for the non-invasive characterisation of materials, biological systems, and infrastructure.

Research Topics: Microwave Imaging, Biomedical Imaging, Non-Destructive Testing, Electromagnetic Sensors, Metalenses.

Applied Electromagnetics and Metasurfaces for Green Energy

My research investigates engineered electromagnetic materials and metasurfaces for energy harvesting, spectral engineering, and next-generation thermophotovoltaic systems.

Research Topics: Thermophotovoltaics (TPV), Solar Thermophotovoltaics (STPV), Metasurface Thermal Emitters, Agrivoltaics.

My publication record comprises 200+ peer-reviewed journal articles, conference papers, and book chapters, spanning applied electromagnetics, metamaterials, metasurfaces, sensing, imaging, energy systems, and computational modelling. The selected publications below are organised according to my four research themes. A complete and up-to-date publication list is available on Google Scholar.

Books and Book Chapters

Research Monograph

• M. Zubair, M. J. Mughal, and Q. A. Naqvi, Electromagnetic Fields and Waves in Fractional Dimensional Space. Springer, Berlin, Germany, 2012. ISBN: 978-3-642-25357-7.

Invited Book Chapter

• M. Q. Mehmood, J. Rho, M. Zubair*, "Electromagnetic Wave Manipulation with Metamaterials and Metasurfaces for Future Communication Technologies," in Backscattering and RF Sensing for Future Wireless Communication. Wiley, 2021. ISBN: 978-1-119-69565-3. doi:10.1002/9781119695721.ch9.

Selected Journal Publications

Fundamental Electromagnetics and Computational Modelling

• A. Abohmra, M. Zubair*, M. U. Rehman, H. Abbas, M. A. Imran, and Q. H. Abbasi*, "Frontiers in Quantum Antennas: Theoretical Foundations, Practical Applications, and Future Outlook," IEEE Open Journal of Antennas and Propagation, 2025. doi:10.1109/OJAP.2025.3545596.
• M. Zubair*, A. Fatima, N. Raheem, Y. S. Ang, M. Q. Mehmood, and Y. Massoud*, "Coordinate System Invariant Formulation of Fractional-Dimensional Child-Langmuir Law for a Rough Cathode," Advanced Physics Research, vol. 2, no. 7, 2200120, 2023. (Featured as Front Cover).
• M. W. Ramzan, K. Riaz, M. Q. Mehmood, M. Zubair*, and Y. Massoud*, "Generalized Fractional WKB Approximation for Electron Tunneling Across Rough Metal Interface," Proceedings of the Royal Society A, vol. 479, 20220600, 2023.
• M. Zubair, Y. S. Ang, and L. K. Ang, "Thickness Dependence of Space-Charge-Limited Current in Spatially Disordered Organic Semiconductors," IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, vol. 65, no. 8, pp. 3421-3429, 2018. doi:10.1109/TED.2018.2841920.
• M. Zubair, M. A. Francavilla, F. Vipiana, D. Zheng, and G. Vecchi, "Dual-Surface Electric Field Integral Equation Solution of Large Complex Problems," IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, vol. 64, no. 6, pp. 2520-2527, 2016. 
• M. Zubair and L. K. Ang, "Fractional-Dimensional Child-Langmuir Law for a Rough Cathode," Physics of Plasmas, vol. 23, no. 7, 2016.

Applied Electromagnetics and Metasurfaces for Advanced Connectivity

• S. Hassouna, M. Zubair*, A. Raza, M. Ahmed, A. A. Nasir, J. Kazim, M. A. Imran, and Q. H. Abbasi*, "RIS-Aided Integrated Sensing and Communications: A Cyber-Physical System Perspective on Security and Resilience," IEEE Transactions on Consumer Electronics, 2026. doi:10.1109/TCE.2026.3674062.
• R. Khalid, J. Kim, N. Mahmood, A. Candeo, A. Rehman, M. Mehmood, M. Zubair*, Z. Bozóki, and J. Rho, "Fluid-Induced Reconfigurable Polarization-Insensitive Metasurfaces for Optical Wireless Communications," Advanced Optical Materials, vol. 13, 2402872, 2025. doi:10.1002/adom.202402872.
• R. Khalid, Q. Wu, N. Mahmood, J. Deng, A. Nemati, K. Sreekanth, H. Cabrera, M. Q. Mehmood*, J. Teng*, M. Zubair*, "Fluid-responsive Tunable Metasurfaces for High-Fidelity Optical Wireless Communication," Materials Horizons, Emerging Investigator Series, 2024. doi:10.1039/D4MH00592A.
• R. Khalid, J. Kim, N. Mahmood, H. Cabrera, M. Q. Mehmood*, A. Danner, M. Zubair*, and J. Rho, "Fluid-Infiltrated Metalens Driven Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces for Optical Wireless Communications," Advanced Science, 2024.
• A. Rafique, N. Ul Hassan*, M. Zubair*, I. H. Naqvi, M. Q. Mehmood, C. Yuen, M. Di Renzo*, and M. Debbah, "Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces: Interplay of Unit Cell and Surface-Level Design and Performance under Quantifiable Benchmark," IEEE Open Journal of the Communications Society, vol. 4, pp. 1583-1599, 2023.
• M. A. Naveed, M. A. Ansari, I. Kim, T. Badloe, J. Kim, D. K. Oh, K. Riaz, T. Tauqeer, U. Younis, M. Saleem, M. S. Anwar, M. Zubair*, M. Q. Mehmood*, and J. Rho*, "Optical Spin-Symmetry Breaking for High-Efficiency Directional Helicity-Multiplexed Metaholograms," Nature: icrosystems & Nanoengineering, vol. 7, Article 5, 2021. (Highlighted Article).

Applied Electromagnetics and Metasurfaces for Sensing and Imaging

• V. K. Chaudhary, M. Zubair+, J. Kazim, M. Imran, and Q. H. Abbasi, "Non-Destructive Testing for Composite Materials: Methods, Challenges, and Future Outlook," IEEE Sensors Reviews, vol. 3, pp. 257-284, 2026. doi:10.1109/SR.2026.3661000.
• A. J. Satti, E. Lee, I. Javed, K. Kim, J. Kim, M. A. Naveed, M. Zubair*, Q. H. Abbasi, M. Q. Mehmood, and J. Rho, "Nearly 180° Field-of-View Metalens for Miniaturized Imaging Systems," Laser & Photonics Reviews, vol. 20, no. 3, e00098, 2026. doi:10.1002/lpor.202500098.
• N. Mahmood, Y. Park, N. Butt, J. Kim, D. Gao, M. Zubair*, T. Tauqeer*, L. Gao, M. Q. Mehmood*, and J. Rho*, "Ultraviolet-Visible Spin-Resolved Chip-Scale Spectroscopy," Advanced Functional Materials, vol. 35, 2507112, 2025.
• N. Butt, J. Kim, N. Mahmood, Y. Park, D. Kang, D. Gao, M. Zubair*, T. Tauqeer*, L. Gao, M. Q. Mehmood*, and J. Rho*, "Polarization-Controlled Multifunctional Metasurfaces for Ultraviolet-Visible Dual-Band Imaging," Advanced Functional Materials, vol. 35, 2410512, 2025.
• N. Khalid, M. Zubair+*, M. Mehmood, and Y. Massoud, "Emerging Paradigms in Microwave Imaging Technology for Biomedical Applications: Unleashing the Power of Artificial Intelligence," npj Imaging, vol. 2, no. 1, Article 13, 2024.
• N. Mahmood, J. Kim, M. A. Naveed, M. Zubair*, M. Q. Mehmood*, Y. Massoud*, and J. Rho*, "Ultraviolet-Visible Multifunctional Vortex Metaplates by Breaking Conventional Rotational Symmetry," Nano Letters, vol. 23, no. 4, pp. 1195-1201, 2023.
• U. Ali, A. Jabbar, X. Yi, M. A. Naveed, M. Q. Mehmood*, M. Zubair*, and Y. Massoud*, "A Novel Fractal Hilbert Curve-Based Low-Cost and Highly Sensitive Microwave Sensor for Dielectric Characterization of Liquid Materials," IEEE Sensors Journal, vol. 23, no. 20, pp. 23950-23957, 2023. (Featured Article).
• A. Arif, M. Zubair*, M. Ali, M. U. Khan, and M. Q. Mehmood*, "A Novel Cesaro Fractal EBG-Based Sensing Platform for Dielectric Characterization of Liquids," IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, vol. 69, no. 5, pp. 2887-2895, 2021. doi:10.1109/TAP.2020.3028201.

Applied Electromagnetics and Metasurfaces for Green Energy

• S. Ijaz, D. Kang, A. S. Rana, J. Kim, M. T. S. Chani, M. Zubair*, Q. H. Abbasi*, M. Q. Mehmood*, and J. Rho*, "Metasurface Absorber-Emitter Pair-Integrated High-Efficiency Thermophotovoltaic System," ACS Photonics, vol. 12, 2025.
• A. Rehman, S. Ijaz, T. Tauqeer, M. Usman, M. Zubair*, M. Mehmood*, and K. Niazi, "Towards Sustainable Agri-Photovoltaics Through System Design and Viability in Semi-Arid Conditions," Solar Energy, vol. 299, 113682, 2025.
• A. S. Rana, M. Zubair, Y. Chen, Z. Wang, J. Deng, M. T. S. Channi, A. Danner, and M. Q. Mehmood*, "Broadband Solar Absorption by Chromium Metasurface for Highly Efficient Solar Thermophotovoltaic Systems," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 171, 113005, 2023.
• M. A. Abbas, J. Kim, A. S. Rana, B. Ko, J. Seong, J. K. Kim, K. Park, M. Q. Mehmood*, M. Zubair*, and J. Rho*, "Nanostructured Chromium to Realize Thermally Stable Solar Thermophotovoltaic Systems," Nanoscale, vol. 14, pp. 6425-6436, 2022. (Nanoscale Most Popular Article 2022).
• A. S. Rana, M. Zubair*, A. Danner, and M. Q. Mehmood, "Revisiting Tantalum-Based Nanostructures for Efficient Harvesting of Solar Radiation in STPV Systems," Nano Energy, vol. 80, 105520, 2021.

* Corresponding/ Lead Co-Author

+ Equal Contribution Authors

I welcome enquiries from prospective PhD, visiting research students, and postdoctoral researchers. My supervision philosophy combines research excellence, interdisciplinary collaboration, and professional development, encouraging students and researchers to address fundamental engineering challenges while developing solutions with societal and industrial impact.

Current Research Opportunities

I welcome applications in the following areas (non-exhaustive):

• Applied and Computational Electromagnetics
• Metamaterials and Metasurfaces
• Intelligent Metasurfaces and AI for Future Wireless, Sensing, and Energy Systems
• Microwave Imaging and Electromagnetic Sensing
• Flexible, Printed, and Self-Powered Electronics
• Sustainable Electromagnetic Technologies

I am also happy to support strong candidates applying for externally funded scholarships (e.g. CSC, HEC, Commonwealth, and other national or international funding schemes).

Supervision Experience

To date, I have been supervisor/ co-supervisor of 16 PhD students (10 graduated; 6 current or incoming), 39 MS research students (30+ graduated), and 20+ undergraduate senior design projects across the University of Leicester, University of Glasgow, Information Technology University (ITU), and the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD).

Prospective students are encouraged to contact me by email with a CV, academic transcript, and a brief description of their research interests.

Current Teaching (University of Leicester)

• EG1122 DLI – Digital Electronics and Communications

• EG4231 / EG7231 – Real-time Simulation for Industry 4.0

• EG3005 – Third Year Project (Supervisor)

• EG4005 – Fourth Year Project (Supervisor)

• EG7020/EG7302 – MSc Individual Project (Supervisor)

Previous Teaching Experience

• Microwave and mmWave Circuit Design (MS, University of Glasgow; Guest Lecturer)

• Communication Systems (BS, Information Technology University)

• Computational Electromagnetics (MS/PhD, Information Technology University)

• Computational Photonics (MS/PhD, Information Technology University)

• Advanced Computational Photonics (PhD, Information Technology University)

• Advanced Optical System Design (PhD, Information Technology University)

• Advanced Topics in Optics and Photonics (PhD, Information Technology University)

• Digital Signal Processing (BS, Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology)

Professional Memberships and Service

• Member, EPSRC Peer Review College, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
• Senior Fellow, Higher Education Academy (SFHEA), Advance HE, UK
• Senior Member, IEEE
• Senior Member, Optica
• Member, Institution of Engineering and Technology (MIET)
• Member, IEEE AP-S Technical Committee on Sensing, Imaging, Health and Medicine (TC-11)
• Member, SPIE
• Member, Applied and Computational Electromagnetics Society (ACES)
• Registered Engineer (Lifetime), Pakistan Engineering Council

Editorial Activities

• Associate Editor, IEEE Journal of Electromagnetics, RF and Microwaves in Medicine and Biology
• Associate Editor, IET Microwaves, Antennas & Propagation
• Editorial Board Member, International Journal of Antennas and Propagation (Wiley)
• Editorial Board Member, PLOS ONE
• Guest Editor, Journal of the Optical Society of America A (Special Issue: Optics-Driven Computation Models, Algorithms, and Applications)
• Former Associate Editor, IEEE Access
• Moderator, IEEE TechRxiv
• Former Review Editor, Frontiers in Nanotechnology

Peer Review and Grant Assessment

I regularly review manuscripts for leading journals published by IEEE, Nature Portfolio, Wiley, Optica, Elsevier, Springer Nature, AIP, and IOP, covering applied electromagnetics, metamaterials, antennas, sensing, imaging, communications, photonics, and materials science.

I also serve as a reviewer for research funding agencies, including:

• Royal Academy of Engineering (UK)
• Henry Royce ICP (UK)
• Research, Development and Innovation Authority (RDI), Saudi Arabia
• Pakistan Science Foundation, Higher Education Commision Pakistan

Invited Talks and Professional Outreach

I regularly deliver keynote, invited, and distinguished lectures at international conferences, universities, IEEE chapters, and professional societies on topics including applied electromagnetics, metamaterials, metasurfaces, sensing and imaging, sustainable energy technologies, engineering education, and professional development.

Recent invited lectures include engagements at the IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society (AP-S), UNESCO/ICTP Winter College on Optics, University of Trento, University of Leicester, FIT 2025, IEEE ETOP, MedTech @ Leicester, ICTP East African Summer School on Optics and Lasers, and numerous IEEE AP-S Distinguished Young Professional lectures worldwide.

Selected Research Grants

My research has been supported by competitive funding from national and international research councils, and government agencies. I have contributed as Principal Investigator (PI), Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI), Research Co-Lead, Lead Researcher, Visiting Researcher, Collaborator, and Supervisor on projects spanning applied electromagnetics, metamaterials, sensing and imaging, healthcare technologies, communications, and sustainable energy.

Current Projects (University of Leicester)

• 2026: Improvement of Computational Electron Emission Models. Role: Principal Investigator. Funder: UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA).
• 2026–2029: Warm Homes, Healthy Lives: Exploring the Impact of Recycled Retrofit Materials on Fuel Poverty and Mould Prevention. Role: Co-Supervisor. Funder: Collaboratory Community Research Project.
• 2026–2027: STEP-KSA: Exploring UK–Saudi Engineering Education Pathways – Aligning TNE Partnerships with Saudi National Priorities. Role: PI. Funder: British Council.

Previous Projects

• 2025–2027: METAPHASE: Metamaterials-driven Photoacoustic Spectroscopy for Environmental Monitoring. Role: Affiliate Researcher Co-Lead (University of Glasgow). Funder: HU-RIZON Programme, Hungary.
• 2022–2024: Development of Portable, Low-Cost and Safe Electrical Impedance Tomography Imaging Device for Biomedical Applications. Role: Principal Investigator. Funder: Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan.
• 2022–2024: Design and Development of an Autonomous Structural Health Monitoring System Based on Wireless Sensor Networks. Role: Co-Principal Investigator. Funder: Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan.
• 2021–2023: Development of Human-Centric Robust ML-Driven IoT Smart Services. Role: Principal Investigator. Funder: Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF).
• 2021–2023: Development of Portable, Low-Cost Microwave Head Imaging System for Early Diagnosis of Brain Stroke. Role: Principal Investigator. Funder: Punjab Higher Education Commission (PIRCA).
• 2019–2021: Design and Development of a Low-Cost Microwave Imaging System for Early Breast Cancer Screening. Role: Principal Investigator. Funder: Higher Education Commission (Technology Development Fund), Pakistan.
• 2018–2022: Fractional Model of Charge Injection and Transport for Dirac Materials. Role: Foreign Collaborator. Funder: Singapore Ministry of Education (MOE Tier 2).
• 2017–2019: Computational Electromagnetics at Fractional Dimensions. Role: Lead Researcher / Foreign Collaborator. Funder: Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR).
• 2016–2017: Electromagnetic Computational Tools at Fractional Dimensions. Role: Lead Researcher. Funder: SUTD Temasek Laboratories.

Selected Merits & Recognitions:

• 2026: IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society (AP-S) Young Professional of the Year Award
• 2025: Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering (QEPrize) Ambassador, Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering Foundation, UK
• 2025: Senior Member OPTICA, formerly Optical Society of America - OSA (Class of 2025), Awarded by the Board of Directors, Optica, USA
• 2025: IEEE APS Young Professional Ambassador (Class of 2025), Awarded by the IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society.
• 2025: Senior Fellowship of Higher Education Academy (SFHEA), Awarded by Advance HE, UK.
• 2025: IEEE ETOP Change Champion Paper Awards (02), Awarded by IEEE Education Committee in recognition of two change champion works, presented at IEEE ETOP 2025, promoting diversity and outreach in engineering educatiion.
• 2025–Present: Adjunct Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering, Information Technology University, Lahore
• 2024–Present: Affiliate Researcher, James Watt Schoool of Engineering, University of Glasgow, UK
• 2024: RSC Materials Horizons Emerging Investigator, Awarded by the Royal Society of Chemistry.
• 2023: UK Global Talent, Awarded by the Royal Academy of Engineering, UK, for ”exceptional promise” in the field of applied electromagnetics and EM metamaterials.
• 2022–Present: Stanford-Elsevier Top 2% Scholars, Consecutively listed among the top 2% most-cited scholars worldwide over three years, reflecting impactful contributions to academic research.
• 2024: IET MAP Top Downloaded Paper, Awarded for the paper titled “A Photopaper-Based Low-Cost, Wideband Wearable Antenna for WBAN Applications”, published in IET Microwaves, Antennas & Propagation.
• 2023: Nanoscale Horizons Most Popular Article, Recognized for the paper titled “Spin-Isolated Ultraviolet-Visible Dynamic Metaholographic Displays with Liquid Crystal Modulators”, featured as a cover article in Nanoscale Horizons.
• 2022: Vice Chancellor’s Appreciation, Awarded with certificate of appreciation by the worthy Vice Chancellor of Information Technology University for exemplary contributions to teaching, research and institutional services over the past five years.
• 2022: Nanoscale Most Popular Article, Acknowledged for the paper titled “Nanostructured Chromium
  to Realize Thermally Stable Solar Thermophotovoltaic Systems”, published in Nanoscale.
• 2021: URSI Young Scientist Award, Received from the International Union of Radio Science for significant contributions to electromagnetic engineering and innovative research approaches.
• 2021: IEEE AP-S Best Chapter Award (Chapter Secretary, Islamabad)
• 2021: Punjab Innovation Research Challenge Award, Recognized for the project “Development of Portable, Low-Cost Microwave Head Imaging System for Early Diagnosis of Brain Stroke.” Funded by Punjab Higher Commisssion, Pakistan.

• Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA), Advance HE, UK
  Awarded in recognition of achievement of the Descriptor 3 of Professional Standards Framework (PSF 2023), demonstrating sustained impact on teaching and learning through academic leadership, curriculum development and peer mentoring.
• PhD in Electronic Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, Italy
  Specialization in Applied Computational Electromagnetics and Metamaterials