The terahertz.NRW network is led by an interdisciplinary team of leading scientists and experts in terahertz technology. Together, we drive research and development at a global level.
High-frequency systems
Ruhr University Bochum, Prof. Dr.-Ing.
E-Mail: ilona.rolfes@rub.de
Site Spokesperson
Website: etit.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/hfs
Research Interests: High Frequency and, Terahertz Systems, Material Characterization, Radar Systems, Sensing Systems, Imaging Systems
Highlights: Member of the German Academy of Science and Engineering, acatech
Member of the North Rhine-Westphalian Academy of Sciences, Humanities and the Arts
Outstanding Young Engineer Award der IEEE Microwave Theory and Technology Society
Research Stays: Grenoble (France), Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Universität Hannover
Research area in terahertz.NRW: Material Characterization, Environmental Monitoring
Institute of Integrated Systems
Dr.-Ing.
E-Mail: nils.pohl@rub.de
Site Spokesperson
Website: etit.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/insys
Research Interests: Millimeter-Wave, Terahertz, Radar, Integrated Circuits, System Design
Highlights: 2023 ITG Award of the Information Technology Society in the VDE (ITG)
2018 IEEE MTT-S Outstanding young engineer award
2013 Karl-Arnold Price from the North Rhine-Westphalian Academy of Sciences
Research area within terahertz.NRW: Communication & Localization, Material Characterization, Medical Technology, Environmental Monitoring
Chair of High Frequency Systems
Dr.-Ing. from Ruhr University Bochum, 2017
E-Mail: jan.barowski@rub.de
Research Interests: Millimeterwaves / THz-waves, Radar Imaging, Material Characterization, Signal Processing, Measurement Techniques
Highlights: Best Paper Award in IEEE Antennas & Propagation Letters 2023
Best Paper Award in IEEE Sensors Letters 2023
Doctoral Research Award IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society 2016
Research Stays: Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogota
Research area within terahertz.NRW: Communication & Localization, Material Characterization
Photonics and Terahertz Technology
E-Mail: carsten.brenner@rub.de
Research Interests: Terahertz Technology, Semiconductor Lasers, Material Characterization, Signal Processing
Highlights: Winner of Optica Simulight Optics Challenge 2024
Research area within terahertz.NRW: Material Characterization, Medical Technology
Chair for Microsystems Technology
PhD at Universität Dortmund (Hochfrequenztechnik), Prof. Dr.-Ing.
E-Mail: martin.hoffmann-mst@rub.de
Research Interests: THz and optical waveguides on silicon, RF MEMS, Microactuators, Passive sensing systems
Highlights: Industrial background
Research Stays: TU Ilmenau, Director of IMN MacroNano
Research area within terahertz.NRW: Material Characterization, Environmental Monitoring
Research Interests: Semiconductor lasers, Terahertz Technology, Optical Imaging, Laser Technology, Spin-Optoelectronics
Highlights: Kaiser-Friedrich-Research Award 2003
Innovation competition „Medizintechnik“ of the BMBF 2006
Reinhart Koselleck Project “Electrically injected spin-vertical cavity surface emitting lasers for ultrafast data communication” 2022
Research Stays: University College Cork, Ireland, Tele Danmerk Research, Hoersholm Denmark, Fondazione Ugo Bordoni, Rome, Italy
Research area within terahertz.NRW: Material Characterization, Environmental Monitoring
Ruhr University Bochum, Medical Faculty, Neurotechnology
PhD from Georg-August University Göttingen
E-Mail: christian.klaes@rub.de
Website: www.klaeslab.de
Research Interests: Recording neural data using THz, Brain Computer Interfaces, VR, Medical AI
Highlights: 2016 Emmy Noether award, DFG.
Research Stays: Caltech, USA
Research area within terahertz.NRW: Medical Technology
Chair of Molecular Genetics and Physiology of Plants
Prof. Dr. from University of Oxford
Research Interests: Genome-enabled functional genomics, Molecular and cell biology, Plant physiology, Ecology and evolutionary biology
Highlights: ERC Advanced Grant (2017 call)
Member of the German National Academy of Science Leopoldina (2021)
Thomson Reuters ‘Highly Cited Researcher’, Plant & Animal Science (2014/15/16)
Research Stays: University of Oxford (UK), Rutgers University, AgBiotech Center (USA),
University of Bielefeld, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology Golm, University of Heidelberg
Research area within terahertz.NRW: Environmental Monitoring
Chair of Electronic Circuit Technology
1999, Ruhr University Bochum, Prof. Dr.-Ing.
Research Interests: Radar, Electronic Circuit Design, Microwave to Terahertz, Frequency Synthesis, Electronic Tomography Systems
Highlights: EEEfCOM-Innovation Award, Radio Tec
Karl-Arnold-Award of the North Rhine-Westphalian Academy of Sciences, Humanities and Arts
European Radar Award of the European Microwave Association
Research area within terahertz.NRW: Communication & Localization, Material Characterization
Photonics and Ultrafast Laser Science
Prof. Dr.
Research Interests: Laser Sources, Terahertz Science and technology, Nonlinear optics, Ultrafast Optics, Sensing and Imaging, High power lasers, High-power broadband Terahertz sources, Terahertz Imaging and Spectroscopy
Research area within terahertz.NRW: Material Characterization
Chair of Medical Technology
Dr.-Ing. from Ruhr University Bochum
E-Mail: georg.schmitz@rub.de
Website: mt.rub.de
Research Interests: Biomedical imaging, Terahertz imaging, Image reconstruction, Ultrasound imaging, Image and signal processing / AI
Research area within terahertz.NRW: Material Characterization
Institute of Microwave Systems
Dr.-Ing. in Electrical Engineering and Information Technology from Ruhr University Bochum
E-Mail: christian.schulz-hfs@rub.de
Website: etit.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/hfs
Research Interests: Radar Technology, Sensors Design, 3D EM Simulations, Antenna Design, Plasma Diagnostics
Highlights: 2022 European Radar Conference Price
2016 Gert Massenberg Award
2016 CST® University Publication Award
Research area within terahertz.NRW: Environmental Monitoring
Digital Communication Systems
Dr.-Ing. from TU Berlin
E-Mail: aydin.sezgin@rub.de
Website: dks.rub.de
Research Interests: 6G communications, Sensing & Sensing Security, Terahertz, Non-destructive testing, Physics-based machine learning
Highlights: Emmy-Noether-Research Grant
Best Paper Award at IEEE ICC 2019
Research Stays: Stanford University, University of California Irvine
Research area within terahertz.NRW: Communication & Localization
Analytical Chemistry II, Electrochemistry and Nanoscale Materials
PhD from Dresden University of Technology (TUD)
E-Mail: kristina.tschulik@rub.de
Website: nanoec.ruhr-uni-bochum.de
Research Interests: Nanomaterial syntheiss and characterization, Electrocatalysis, Electrochemical Sensing, Spectro-electrochemical Mmethod development, Confinement effects in chemistry
Highlights: Development of Laser-induced nanoparticle synthesis
Chair of Electronic Circuit Technology
Dr.-Ing. from Ruhr University Bochum, 2024
Research Interests: Radar, Microwave to Terahertz Systems, Integratd Circuits, Frequency Synthesis, Phase Noise
Highlights: 1st place International Microwave Symposium 2023 Three Minute Thesis Competition
Co-recipient EuMIC 2021 Best Student Paper Award
Research area within terahertz.NRW: Communication & Localization, Material Characterization
Digital Signal Processing
Gerhard Mercator University Duisburg, Prof. Dr.-Ing.
E-Mail: thomas.kaiser@uni-due.de
Site Spokesperson
Website: https://www.dsv.uni-due.de/en/home
Research Interests: THz systems, RFID systems
Highlights: Speaker of the Collaborative Research Center “Mobile Material
Characterization and Localization by Electromagnetic Sensing“ 2017-2028
Research Stays: Postdoc scholarship at University of Southern California, Los
Angeles, USA, 1995-1996
Visiting professor at Stanford University, Palo Alto, USA, 2005
Visiting professor at Princeton University, Princeton, USA, 2007
Research area within terahertz.NRW: Communication & Localization, Material Characterization
General and Theoretical Electrical Engineering (ATE)
PhD from ETH Zürich
E-Mail: daniel.erni@uni-due.de
Site Spokesperson
Research Interests: RF/THz engineering, (nano) photonics, Computational electromagnetics, Bioelectromagnetics, Science and technology studies (STS).
Highlights: Winner of the APMC 2023 Microwave Prize
CST University Publication Award 2013
Fellow of The Electromagnetics Academy
Research Stays: ETH Zürich, Institut Fresnel (CNRS und Universié Aix Marseille
Research area within terahertz.NRW: Environmental Monitoring
Telecommunications Systems
Ruhr University Bochum, Prof. Dr.-Ing.
E-Mail: jan.balzer@uni-due.de
Website: www.uni-due.de/nts
Research Interests: THz-TDS, THz SAR Imaging, THz Biosensors, Insect monitoring
Research Stays: 2023 University of Adelaide
Research area within terahertz.NRW: Material Characterization, Environmental Monitoring
Institute of Technology for Nanostructures
E-Mail: niels.benson@uni-due.de
Research Interests: Printable materials for Signal Processing Applications, Thin Film and 3D-Printed Technologies, Disordered Semiconductors, Charge Carrier Transport, Flexible Electronics
Highlights: Startup – airCode
Printable Si Diodes operating at frequencies > 5GHz
Additively Manufactured Ceramic Technology for THz applicatons
Research Stays: University of Tsukuba, University of Waterloo, National Research
Council Ottawa, Canada
Research area within terahertz.NRW: Material Characterization, Medical Technology
Telecommunications Systems
TU Darmstadt, Prof. Dr.-Ing.
E-Mail: andreas.czylwik@uni-due.de
Website: www.uni-due.de/nts
Research Interests: Radio communications, Beamforming, Terahertz frequency applications, Technical security systems
Highlights: Fred W. Ellersick Prize 2015 of the IEEE Communications Society
Chairman of the European Society of Automatic Alarm Systems (EUSAS)
Research Stays: NTT DoCoMo, Yokosuka, Japan
Research area within terahertz.NRW: Communication & Localization, Material Characterization, Environmental Monitoring
Digital Signal Processing
PhD from University Duisburg-Essen
E-Mail: mohammed.el-absi@uni-due.de
Website: https://www.dsv.uni-due.de/en/home
Research Interests: Wireless Communications, Artificial Intelligence, Localization, 6G wireless technology and applications, Signal Processing
Highlights: DFG Mercator Fellow (2017)
Summa Cum Laude in PhD (2015)
Research area within terahertz.NRW: Communication & Localization
Institute of Medical Technology Systems
Dr. rer. nat. from University of Bremen
E-Mail: elsa.kirchner@uni-due.de
Research Interests: Neurophysiological Data Analysis, Brain, Computer Interface, Human Robot Interaction, Rehabilitation Robotics, Medical AI
Highlights: Best Practice Project – NoGravEx
Best Student Paper Award for supervised PhD student
Best Teacher Awards
Research Stays: “Stiftung Familie Klee” award for a one-year research stay at MIT (Cambridge, USA) with Prof. M.A. Wilson at the Center of Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Science.
Research area within terahertz.NRW: Medical Technology
Components for High-frequency Electronics
PhD from Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
E-Mail: nils.weimann@uni-due.de
Website: https://www.uni-due.de/bhe/index_en
Research Interests: THz components, InP and GaN epitaxy and device technology, Resonant Tunneling Diodes and Heterojunction, Bipolar Transistors
MMIC design, Module and Package technology
Highlights: General Chair, 2024 German Microwave Conference in Duisburg
IEEE MTT TC-21 Committee Chair, Terhahertz Systems and Applications
Research Stays: UDE; Ferdinand-Braun-Institut, Berlin; Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill, NJ;
Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
Research area within terahertz.NRW: Communication & Localization, Material Characterization, Environmental Monitoring
Human-Centered Computing and Cognitive Science
PhD
E-Mail: nicole.kraemer@uni-due.de
Website: www.uni-due.de/sozialpsychologie
Research Interests: Human Technology Interaction, Trust in Technology, Technology Acceptance, Communication of technology attributes, Human Robot Interaction
Highlights: Expert in Experimental Research
20 years of high-impact publications in Human Technology Interaction
Numerous third party projects on Human Technology Interaction
Research Stays: 2002/2003 Cambridge University
Research area within terahertz.NRW: Communication & Localization, Medical Technology
Telecommunications Systems
PhD from University Duisburg-Essen
Research Interests: THz Spectroscopy, Photonics, Beamforming
Research area within terahertz.NRW: Material Characterization, Environmental Monitoring
University Library, Research Data Services
PhD from Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf
E-Mail: stephanie.rehwald@uni-due.de
Research Interests: Research Data Management, Information Science, Open Science
Highlights: Fellow Helmholtz Graduate School “Biosoft”
Head of Landesinitiative fdm.nrw, Co-Author “FDM Landeskonzept NRW”
Erasmus+ network “EuDaNOS”
Research Stays: University College Dublin, Ireland
General and Theoretical Electrical Engineering (ATE)
PhD from University Duisburg-Essen
E-Mail: andre.rennings@uni-due.de
Research Interests: Theoretical, applied and computational electromagnetics, Antennas in general, on-chip antennas, Near-field probes, also active, Field-based measurement systems, RF coils for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
Highlights: APMC 2023 Microwave Price
Best Paper Award, UCMMT 2017
VDE Promotionspreis
Research Stays: UCLA, IMST
Research area within terahertz.NRW: Environmental Monitoring
Research Interests: Automatic fire detection, Broadband microwave and THz analysis for fire and security applications, Scattered light simulation and measurement, Aerosol analysis
Highlights: Secretary of the European Society for Automatic Alarm Systems
e.V. (EUSAS e.V.)
Member of vfdb Section 14: Technical fire protection systems
Research area within terahertz.NRW: Material Characterization, Environmental Monitoring
Institute of Digital Signal Processing
Dr.-Ing. from the Universität Duisburg-Essen
E-Mail: fawad.sheikh@uni-due.de
Website: dsv.uni-due.de
Research Interests: 6G THz Communications, THz Monitoring for Life Sciences, Ray-Tracing based Algorithms, Computational Dosimetry Studies on Humans and Insects (RF to THz), THz Human Phantoms & Absorbers
Highlights: CEO, The Mobile THz Company (StartUp)
Financial Chair, IEEE ICM²TS Conference
Certified Project Management Professional (since 2011)
Research Stays: University of Southern California, University of Glasgow, UAE University
Research area within terahertz.NRW: Communication & Localization, Environmental Monitoring
Research Interests: InP/SiN Photonic, Photodiodes and Lasers, Photonic Integrated Circuits (PIC), THz Communications, THz Radar and Imaging, Radio Frequency over Fiber
Highlights: Founder & CEO of Microwave Photonics GmbH
Co-Chair Center for Semiconductor Technol. and Optoelectronics (ZHO)
Terahertz Photodiodes
Research Stays: Corning Incorporated, NY, USA and NICT, Tokyo, Japan
Research area within terahertz.NRW: Communication & Localization, Medical Technology
Dermatology
PhD from University Hospital Hamburg, 1986
E-Mail: dirk.schadendorf@uk-essen.de
Website: hautklinik.uk-essen.de
Research Interests: Tumor biology, Tumor immunology, Melanoma etc.
Highlights: Fleur-Hiege Memory prize, Wilhelm-Warner-Foundation Prize for Cancer research, German Cancer Award (DKG)
Research Stays: Max Planck Institute Berlin, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center New York
Research area within terahertz.NRW: Medical Technology
Chair of High Frequency Systems in Communication Technology
Prof. Dr., PhD from University of Heidelberg (1999)
E-Mail: ullrich.pfeiffer@uni-wuppertal.de
Site Spokesperson
Website: https://ihct.uni-wuppertal.de/en/
Research Interests: RF/THz engineering, THz electronics, CMOS Sources, Analog Circuit Design, High Speed Communication
Highlights: Two-time winner of the “Jan Van Vessem Award for Outstanding
European Paper“ at IEEE ISSCC
Member THz research network at University of Wuppertal
Grantee H2020-EU.1.1. – EXCELLENT SCIENCE – European Research
Council (ERC) advanced grant
Research area within terahertz.NRW: Communication & Localization, Medical Technology
Chair of Smart Sensor Systems
PhD from University of Regensburg
E-Mail: dneumaier@uni-wuppertal.de
Site Spokesperson
Website: https://lpmss.uni-wuppertal.de/en/
Research Interests: Two-dimensional Materials, Thin-Film Technology, THz detectors, Memristors
Research area within terahertz.NRW: Material Characterization
Research Interests: Macromolecular Chemistry, Sustainable Chemistry, Nanomaterials, Surface Functionalization, Biotechnology
Highlights: Polymer Chemistry (RSC) Emerging Investigator 2020, Prize of the Dr. Otto Röhm Foundation 2018
Research Stays: Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Bergische Universität Wuppertal, University Düsseldorf
Research area within terahertz.NRW: Environmental Monitoring
Business Unit Health / Dep. of Electronic Components and Circuits
PhD from University of Freiburg
E-Mail: ullrickarsten.seidl@ims.fraunhofer.de
Site Spokesperson
Research Interests: MEMS/NEMS, Smart Sensor Systems, Biosensors, Neural Implants, Biosignal Processing
Highlights: Klee Award for Young Scientists in Biomedical Engineering
President of German Society in Biomedical Engineering
Red Dot Award / Bosch Innovation Award for Bosch Vivalytic
Research Stays: Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore / USA)
Research area within terahertz.NRW: Medical Technology
Technology
Professor at University Duisburg-Essen, PhD from University Düsseldorf
Research Interests: Semiconductor manufactoring, THz system, Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs)
Research Stays: Fraunhofer IMS
Research area within terahertz.NRW: Communication & Localization, Material Characterization
Research Interests: CMOS Technology and Components, MEMS Technologies for Sensorics, Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs)
Research Stays: University of California Santa Barbara
Research area within terahertz.NRW: Material Characterization
Research Director (FHR), Professor for Integrated High-Frequency Sensors (RUB)
Prof. Dr.-Ing. at Ruhr University Bochum
E-Mail: dirk.nuessler@fhr.fraunhofer.de
Site Spokesperson
Research Interests: Terahertz Systems for Industrial Applications, Integrated Circuits and Sensor Systems, Industrial Measurement Technology, Microwave and Millimeter-Wave Imaging
Research area within terahertz.NRW: Communication & Localization, Material Characterization,
Environmental Monitoring
Research Interests: RF, Microwave and Terahertz Engineering, Antenna Arrays and Beamforming, Radar System Design and Signal Processing, Applications of Radar in Defence, Security, Traffic and NDT
Highlights: Chair of Radar Systems Engineering at RWTH Aachen University
Co-Organiser of International Radar Symposium IRS since 2017
Member-at-Large in NATO/STO Sensors and Electronics Panel
Research Stays: Medical Systems Lab, Univ. of Wales / College of Cardiff, UK
Research area within terahertz.NRW: Communication & Localization, Material Characterization,
Environmental Monitoring
Research Interests: RF Frontend engineering: microwave to THz, Metasurfaces, Satellite communications, Radar applications, Global navigation satellite systems (GNSS)
Highlights: Winner of APMC 2020 Antennas Prize
Research area within terahertz.NRW: Communication & Localization
Research Interests: Antennas, Computational Electromagnetics, Metamaterials and Metasurfaces, Electromagnetic Material Characterization
Research Stays: Politecnico di Torino, Italy
Research area within terahertz.NRW: Communication & Localization
Integrated Circuits (SiGe)
PhD from Ruhr University Bochum
E-Mail: christian.bredendiek@fhr.fraunhofer.de
Site Spokesperson
Website: https://www.fhr.fraunhofer.de/en/industrial-applications.html
Research Interests: Integrated Circuits, mmW/THz Circuit Design, RF Concepts for Radar, Sensing and Communication, MMIC Semiconductor technologies for RF/mmW/THz
Highlights: Best Paper Award European Microwave Integrated Circuits Conference
2012 (EuMIC) as Author
Co-Recipient Best Student Paper Award EuMIC 2021
Research area within terahertz.NRW: Communication & Localization, Material Characterization
Industrial High-Frequency Systems
Dr. rer. nat. from University Stuttgart, 2015
E-Mail: andre.froehly@fhr.fraunhofer.de
Research Interests: Radar Signal Processing, Material Charakterization, Radar Imaging, Image Processing
Research Stays: Fraunhofer FHR, Wavesense Dresden GmbH
Research area within terahertz.NRW: Material Characterization
Integrated Circuits (SiGe)
Dr.-Ing. from Ruhr University Bochum
Research Interests: SiGe MMICs, mmW and THz Radar, THz sensing and communication, low power CMOS circuits
Highlights: Best Paper award at ICECS 2016
Research area within terahertz.NRW: Communication & Localization, Material Characterization
Research Interests: Integrated circuits and sensor systems
Highlights: 2009 Stellenbosch University Vice-chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching
2008 und 2009 Faculty of Engineering Student Council’s Honorary President by invitation from Engineering Student Council
2009 IEEE EMC Chapter Founder’s award for founding a joint AP-MTT and EMC chapter
Integrated Circuits, Industrial High Frequency Systems
PhD from Heinz Nixdorf Institute University Paderborn
Research Interests: Millimeter wave to terahertz integrated circuits, Integrated circuits for bio-medical applications, Joint communication and sensing, Mixed signal integrated circuits, Cryogenic circuits and systems
Highlights: 2023 IEEE Microwave Prize Award
Research Stays: Heinz Nixdorf Institute, Paderborn, IHP, Fraunhofer FHR
Research area within terahertz.NRW: Communication & Localization, Material Characterization