Curriculum Vita

 

 

Name: Omar Farooq Siddiqui

Emailofsiddiqui@yahoo.com, siddiqui@ksu.edu.sa

 

 

RESEACH INTERESTS

 

  • Periodic structures including metametrials
  • Antenna Theory, Microwave circuit theory
  • Electromagnetic theory
  • Photonic crystals
  • Numerical Electromagnetics (particularly FDTD method)
  • Cellular Systems
  • Propagation Modeling of Complex Environments

 

 

 

EDUCATION

 

1. Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, University of Toronto.

Dissertation: Resonance-Cone Propagation in Continuous Transmission-Line Grids and Microwave Applications

Advisor: G.V. Eleftheriades

 

2. M.S. in Electrical Engineering, University of Texas at Arlington.

Master’s Thesis: Modeling of Vegetation for Wireless Propagation

Advisor: Saibun Tjuatja

 

3. B.S. in Electrical Engineering, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, Pakistan,

 

 

 

HONOURS AND AWARDS

 

1. J. Edgar Mcalister Foundation Graduate Award

Awarded by School of Graduate Studies (SGS), University of Toronto, for excellent academic achievement.

April, 2006

 

2. Nomination: Nominated for the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Alfred Nobel Prize Nominated by IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques Society (MTT-S)

October, 2005

 

3. Best Student Paper Award at the International Microwave Symposium (IMS 2005), Long Beach, California

June 2005.

 

4. Best Paper Award in the area of Numerical Modeling at the International Microwave Symposium (IMS 2005, Long Beach, California

June 2005.

 

5. Edward S. Rogers Sr. Scholarship

University of Toronto, September 2001 – September 2005.

 

6. Undergraduate University Scholarship

Federal Board of Secondary Education, Islamabad, Pakistan, 1989-1993

 

7. Second Position in the Higher Secondary School Examination

Federal Board of Secondary Education, Islamabad, Pakistan, 1988

 

 

 

 

 

LIST OF PUBLICATIONS

 

 

Journal Articles:

 

1.  Omar Siddiqui and George V.Eleftheriades,“Resonant Modes in Continuous metallic grids over ground and related spatial-filtering applications”, Journal of Applied Physics, vol 99, pp 083102- 083110, April2006.

 

2.  G.V.Eleftheriadesand O.F. Siddiqui, "Negative refraction and focusing in hyperbolic transmission-line grids," IEEE Transactions onMicrowave Theory and Techniques, vol. 53, no. 1,pp. 396-403, January, 2005.

 

3.  Omar Siddiqui and George V.Eleftheriades , “Resonance-cone focusing in a compensating bilayer of continuous hyperbolic microstripgrids”, AppliedPhysics Leters, vol 85, pp 1292,August 2004.

 

4.  O.F. Siddiqui, S.J. Erickson, G.V.Eleftheriades and M. Mojahedi, "Time-domain Measurement of negative group delay in negative-refractive-index transmission-line metamaterials,"IEEE Trans. on Microwave Theory and Techniques, vol.52, no. 5, pp. 1449-1454 , May, 2004.

 

5.  O. Siddiqui, M. Mojahedi, and G.V. Eleftheriades, “Periodically loaded transmission line with negative refractive index and negative group velocity,” IEEE Trans. On Antennas and Propagation, vol. 51,no. 10, 2619-2625, Oct. 2003.

 

6. G.V. Eleftheriades, O. Siddiqui and A.K. Iyer, “Transmission line models for negative refractive index media and associated implementations without excess resonators.” IEEE Microwave and Wireless Components Leters, vol. 13, no.2, pp.51-53,Feb. 2003.

 

 

 

Conference Papers:

 

 

1.  O.F. Siddiqui and G.V. Eleftheriades, "Spatial-Filtering Microwave Devices Using Metalic AnisotropicGrids Over Ground,"presented at the European Microwave Week, Manchester, UK, September 2006.

 

2.  O.F. Siddiqui, K.G.Balmain and G.V. Eleftheriades, "Propagation of Resonance Cones in Truncated Hyperbolic Transmission-Line Grids Over Ground," presented at the International Microwave Symposium (IMS), Long Beach,CA, June2005.

 

3.  M.Mojahedi, G.V.Eleftheriades, O. Siddiqui, and S. Erickson,“Dispersion Engineering: TheUse of Negative Phase and Group Indices to Compensate Dispersive Effects, ”Bianisotropics 2004-10thConference on Complex Media and Metamaterials, Ghent, Belgium,September 22-24, 2004

 

4.  S.J. Erickson, O. F. Siddiqui, G. V.Eleftheriades,and M. Mojahedi, “ Transmission Line meta-materials with Efective Negative Refractive Index and Negative Group Delay,” Buletin of American Physical Society, Montreal, Canada, March 22-26, 2004.

 

5.  O. Siddiqui, M. Mojahedi, S. Erickson, andG. V. Eleftheriades, “Periodically Loaded Transmission Linewith Efective Negative Refractive Indexand Negative Group Velocity,”AP-S Internationa Symposium and USNC/CNC/URSI National Radio Science Meeting, Columbus, Ohio,USA, June 22-27, 2003.

 

6. M. Mojahedi, O. Siddiqui, J.Woodley, andG. V. Eleftheriades, “Pulse Propagation and NegativeGroup Delay in Metamaterials, ”Progress in Electromagnetics Research Symposium (PIERS),Cambridge, Massachusets, USA, July 1-5, 2002.

 

7.  Omar Siddiqui, A.K. Fung, and Saibun Tjuatja, “A Tree Model for Wireless Propagation Modeling”, Progress in Electromagnetics Research Symposium (PIERS), Cambridge, Massachusets,USA, 1997.

 

8.  Omar Siddiqui and Saibun Tjuatja “Fading Statistics in the shadowed region of a tree”, Progress in Electromagnetics Research Symposium (PIERS),

Toulouse, France, 1998.

 

 

RESEARCH AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

 

 

September 2007 –

Assistant Professor

King Saud University

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

 

 

Dec. 2006-September 2007

Radio Frequency Design Consultant

Cricket Communications

Chicago, IL, U.S.A.

 

Worked on CDMA cellular system design of Chicago metropoliton area. Responsibilities include:

 

Propagation Environment Characterization and CW Testing:

Includes detailed study of clutter and terrain of the designated areas and classification of regions based on common characteristics. Continuous-wave (CW) tests are then conducted to synthesize models that closely represent the propagation environment.

Traffic Modeling:

Study of demographics and running population-analysis of designated areas to generate traffic models.

Coverage and Capacity Analysis:

Incorporate the above two processes in RF simulation tool (Planet EV) to study the propagation and traffic patterns of the telecommunication market. The study results in hardware requirement to provide adequate coverage to the region with appropriate traffic and RF coverage.

 September 2001 – November 2006

Research Associate

Electromagnetics / Microwave Research Group,

Department of Electrical Engineering

University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.

 

Summary:  Research, design, fabrication, and testing of novel microwave circuits including filters,

diplexers, multiplexers, and antennas in the frequency range1 GHz– 15 GHz. Designed electromagnetic devices using software packages including Agilent’s ADS, Momentum, Spice,Microwave Ofice, SONNET, and HFSS. 3D modeling of devices using numerical methods such as Finite-Diference Time-Domain(FDTD)method. Commenced microwave and antenna measurements with state-of-the art equipment including network, and spectrum analyzers, osciloscope, and antenna measurement set-up.

 

 

Important Design Projects:

 

Novel Microwave Filters and Diplexers: Fabrication of microwave (6 – 15 GHz) filters and diplexers using novel phenomena of dispersion engineering. These microwave devices are designed by exploiting dispersion characteristics of two-dimensional printed microstrip wire-grids, which offer fabrication simplicity and low-cost production. The outcome of this project has been published in renowned journals and conference proceedings.

Number of Publications: 3 Journal, 2 Conference

 

Super-Luminal Microwave Transmission Lines: Fabrication of microwave transmission lines using active and passive loading elements using emerging technology of ‘metamaterials’. Specifically, implementing negative group velocity and negative group delay (NGV/NGD) concepts that can be used to develop super-luminal inter-connects and backplanes of microwave devices. Results have been published in renowned journals and conferences proceedings.

Resulting Publications: 3 Journal, 4 Conference

 

 

 

August 2000 - August 2001

Hardware Characterization Engineer,

FIBER OPTICS GROUP (Equinox),

Nortel Networks, Ottawa, Canada

 

 

 

Summary:  System Integration of Nortel Network’s Wavelength Division Multiplexed (WDM), 40 GB/s, High Density Opticalcross connect (HDX) and Raman-based long-haul Optical Amplifier. Hardware characterization of HDX and the Optical Amplifier

 

Important projects:

 

System Integration: Integration of optical devices on the circuit-pack level. Specifically, worked on the long-haul optical amplifier system, based on Raman scattering phenomenon.

 

Hardware Characterization: Characterization of optical equipment on the circuit-board and system levels before their commercial release. This includes extensive testing of devices for industrial specification. The various tests include Bit error rate (BER), Optical Return Loss, Optical Link Loss, Chromatic dispersion, Polarization Mode Dispersion, and Time Domain Reflectometry.

 

Labview® Automation:  Writing codes for automation of test procedures using the Labview package.

 

 

January 1998 - August 2000

Radio Frequency (RF) ENGINEER,

RF/CDMA Group, Nortel Networks,

Richardson, Texas, USA.

 

Summary:  

 

-          Radio Frequency design of Cellular base stations sites. This includes study and modeling of electromagnetic propagation characteristics of terrain, cellular traffic calculations, and specification of the hardware required to build a cellular mobile system.

-          System launch and pre-launch optimization which include antenna signal measurement and noise levels throughout the system and then making changes to the system components (antenna location, its orientation and output power, and other system parameters) based on analysis of the acquired data.

-          Post-launch system monitoring of the Cellular systems: This includes collection of wireless system and switching system data and then making changes to the existing database parameters to ensure optimized and trouble-free cellular service throughout the area of interest.

-          Training and education: Educating junior engineers and technicians about the basic cellular system design, measurement techniques and optimization process.  Conducted various seminars and meetings to enhance technical knowledge of the cellular system and associated hardware.

 

Important Projects:

 

Houston Sprint PCS Cellular System Launch: Participated in the RF team that was responsible for system level design, implementation, and launching the CDMA system in Houston.

 

Miami Sprint PCS Cellular System Optimization: Involved in RF measurement and testing of various base-stations in Miami in an effort to optimize the cellular system.

 

RF Lead Engineer, Indianapolis: Sole responsible for leading an RF team to launch new cellular sites and incorporate various new features in the existing system of Sprint’s CDMA network. I gained an extensive project management experience during 6 months by dealing with drive test teams, engineers, technicians and customers.

 

 

 

 

January 1997 – December 1998

Research Assistant,

Wave Scattering Research Center (WSRC),

Department of Electrical Engineering

University of Texas at Arlington,

Arlington, Texas, USA.

 

 

Summary: Involved in antenna design, propagation modeling of vegetation, and back-scattering measurement of various targets in anechoic antenna measurement system.

 

 Important projects:

 

A Vegetation Model for wireless propagation: Developed a scattering model fort the vegetation present in a wireless system. The project involved modeling vegetation as a collection of randomly oriented scatterers: trunks and branches as cylinders, and leaves as circular disks. The work was documented in master’s thesis titled: ‘Modeling of vegetation for wireless propagation”.

 

Design and Analysis of YAGI-UDA Antenna: Design, Analysis , Fabrication and Testing of 1.9 GHz, 9.2dB, 5 element Yagi-Uda Antenna. The project includes the Radiation Measurements using HP8510 Network Analyzer.

 

Back Scatering Measurements: Conducted back-scattering measurements for various targets in anechoic chamber using the HP 8510 Network  Analyzer.

 Resulting Publications: 2 Conference

 

 

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

 

 

Teaching Assistant, January 2002 – December 2006

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering,

University of Toronto,

Toronto, Canada

 

Summary:  Conducted tutorial sessions and helped students in solving problems.  Held dedicated office hours to meet students to resolve difficult concepts and numerical problems. Conducted labs and demonstrated experiments. Invigilated exams, marked tests and examination papers, and prepared exam questions and quizzes.

 

Courses

 

1. First Year Electricity and Magnetism

2. Second Year Electric Circuits

3. Second Year Basic Electromagnetic Theory:

4. Third Year Fields and Waves

5. Fields and Waves Lab

 

 Teaching Assistant, January 1997 – December 1997

Department of Electrical Engineering,

University of Texas at Arlington,

Arlington, Texas, USA

 

Assisted following Electrical Engineering Courses:

1.  Third Year Linear Systems

2.  Fourth Year Electronics Lab

3.  Fourth Year Fundamentals of Telecommunications

4.  Graduate-level Data Communication Engineering

 

 

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

 

IEEE, Student Member

Member of IEEE Microwave Theory and Technique Society