RF · ELECTROMAGNETICS · ELECTRONICS · AI/ML

Kiran Ilyas

RF, Electromagnetics & Electronics Engineer | AI/ML
mm-Wave · EMC · EM Simulation · Deep Learning · EngD TU/e & NXP

I combine RF and electromagnetic engineering, electronics, and AI/ML to solve complex engineering problems through simulation, modeling, and data-driven methods. My experience spans mm-wave and EMC research at NXP Semiconductors, analog CMOS design, and integrated photonics, supported by an EngD in Electrical Engineering from TU/e.

ANSYS HFSS Keysight ADS PyTorch mm-Wave · 10–100 GHz EMC / EMI NXP Semiconductors EU INNOSTAR 5G/6G Eindhoven, Netherlands
4+
Years research &
engineering experience
10–100
GHz — mm-wave
simulation frontier
3
Peer-reviewed
publications
4
EM simulation
platforms (HFSS · ADS · CST · COMSOL)

Engineering across disciplines.
Driven by physics.

I'm an RF, electromagnetics, and electronics engineer with a multidisciplinary background spanning high-frequency electromagnetic simulation, mm-wave systems, analog CMOS design, and applied machine learning. My work focuses on combining physics-based engineering methods with computational and AI/ML approaches to solve complex problems efficiently and accurately.

My industrial R&D experience at NXP Semiconductors, through the EU-funded INNOSTAR consortium project focused on 5G and 6G connectivity, involved developing an AI/ML-assisted workflow to predict far-field radiation patterns from near-field IC data. The project covered the full engineering lifecycle, including problem definition, simulation methodology, dataset generation, deep-learning model development, verification and validation, and technical reporting within an international research consortium.

My technical foundation spans the main professional EM simulation environments — ANSYS HFSS, Keysight ADS, and CST Studio Suite — used across FEM and Method of Moments solvers. I've developed deep-learning architectures (CNN, U-Net) in PyTorch and built the data preprocessing pipelines that make them trainable from simulation outputs. Before that, I spent two years on integrated photonics research, designing dispersion-engineered waveguides published in international journals.

I'm currently based in Eindhoven, with technical interests spanning RF and electromagnetics, mm-wave systems, EMC, electronics and semiconductor technologies, EM simulation, and AI/ML for engineering applications.

Six ways I create value
for engineering teams

Every capability below is evidenced by specific work.

📡

EMC Pre-Compliance Modeling

Simulation-driven EMC verification for integrated circuits. Near-field to far-field prediction pipelines that support earlier-stage radiated-emission assessment and computational EMC analysis.

EMC/EMINF-FF ModelingRadiated Emissions
〰

EM Simulation at mm-Wave Scale

Full-wave simulation of small radiating RFIC structures from 10–100 GHz. Near-field and far-field characterization. Cross-solver benchmarking between FEM and MoM solvers for result validation.

ANSYS HFSSKeysight ADSCST StudioCOMSOL
🧠

Physics-Informed Deep Learning

End-to-end AI/ML workflows for electromagnetic field prediction, spanning DOE-based simulation data generation, preprocessing, CNN and U-Net development, and systematic validation against full-wave EM references.

PyTorchCNNU-NetNumPyMATLAB
🔬

Design of Experiments & Parametric Studies

Systematic DOE using ANSYS optiSLang to generate geometry-diverse simulation datasets. Parametric variation and sensitivity analysis for ML training data generation.

ANSYS optiSLangDOEParametric Simulation
🔗

End-to-End Project Ownership

Full project lifecycle from problem definition and methodology scoping through execution, milestone tracking, consortium reporting, and NXP-approved publication manuscript preparation.

EU Consortium R&DMilestone TrackingTechnical Reporting
🌐

Integrated Photonics Modeling

Dispersion-engineered waveguide design for supercontinuum generation. Nonlinear pulse dynamics and EM wave propagation modeling, resulting in three peer-reviewed publications.

COMSOLMATLABLithium NiobateSi₃N₄

Experience

Industry R&D, engineering project coordination, and academic research spanning RF and electromagnetics, electronics, AI/ML, and integrated photonics.

Mar 2024 – Dec 2025
NXP Semiconductors
/ TU/e
Eindhoven, Netherlands
EU INNOSTAR · 5G/6G

R&D Engineer — Computational Electromagnetics & AI/ML Modeling

Dual-affiliation industrial research role within the EU-funded INNOSTAR consortium, developing an AI/ML-assisted near-field to far-field prediction workflow for mm-wave RFIC EMC modeling. Responsible for the full project from scope definition and simulation methodology through AI/ML development, validation, and final deliverables.

  • Benchmarked mm-wave radiating structures across ANSYS HFSS (FEM) and Keysight ADS (FEM & MoM), comparing radiation patterns, S-parameters, and solver behaviour across a 10–100 GHz frequency range.
  • Designed and executed a parametric DOE study using ANSYS optiSLang on two-layer stackup structures, producing a geometry-diverse simulation dataset to train ML models.
  • Developed CNN and U-Net architectures in PyTorch for NF-to-FF field prediction, with systematic V&V benchmarked against full-wave simulation references across multiple loss functions.
  • Built Python/NumPy data preprocessing pipelines to structure large-scale simulation datasets into clean input-output pairs for deep-learning model training.
  • Managed milestone tracking and consortium reporting, and developed an NXP-approved journal manuscript currently being prepared for submission.
  • Presented methodology updates and results to academic and industrial project partners throughout the project lifecycle.
ANSYS HFSS Keysight ADS ANSYS optiSLang PyTorch CNN / U-Net FEM / MoM Python mm-Wave EMC DOE HPC / Linux
Nov 2024 – Feb 2025
VDL Kalima
Eindhoven, Netherlands
EngD Industrial Project

Project Team Coordinator

Led a multidisciplinary engineering project team within the TU/e EngD industrial environment. Coordinated planning, task distribution, component procurement, budget monitoring, and stakeholder communication.

  • Managed planning, milestone tracking, and task coordination across a multidisciplinary team in an industrial project environment.
  • Handled component ordering, budget monitoring, and stakeholder communication with the industrial partner.
Project Management Team Coordination Stakeholder Comms Budget Monitoring
2021 – 2023
Quaid-i-Azam University
Islamabad, Pakistan
Academic Research

Researcher — Nonlinear Optics & Integrated Photonics

Designed, characterized, and optimized dispersion-engineered photonic integrated waveguides for broadband supercontinuum generation across mid- and far-IR spectral regions. Work resulted in three published papers including a journal article and an Optica conference contribution.

  • Designed lithium niobate and silicon-rich nitride photonic waveguides for supercontinuum generation spanning three octaves across mid- and far-IR regions.
  • Modelled EM wave propagation, nonlinear pulse dynamics, and dispersive-wave generation using COMSOL Multiphysics and MATLAB.
  • Published research in Journal of Electromagnetic Waves and Applications, Optik, and the Optica Advanced Photonics Congress.
COMSOL Multiphysics MATLAB Integrated Photonics Lithium Niobate Si₃N₄ Waveguides Nonlinear Optics

Research & Projects

Real engineering problems, real methodologies. Click any project to read the full story.

Context

Within the EU-funded INNOSTAR consortium — a European initiative for 5G and 6G semiconductor connectivity and radar applications — NXP Semiconductors needed to address a measurement gap in their mm-wave RFIC electromagnetic compliance process. Near-field (NF) data from integrated circuits was available; corresponding far-field (FF) radiation data for EMC verification was not directly accessible without costly full-wave simulation runs.

Challenge

Full-wave electromagnetic simulation at 100 GHz can be computationally intensive and time-consuming, particularly when evaluating many IC geometry variants. The project explored an AI/ML-assisted methodology for predicting far-field radiation patterns from near-field inputs, with the goal of reducing repeated simulation effort during design iterations.

My Role

I owned the technical workflow from research scope and simulation methodology through dataset generation, AI/ML development and validation, consortium reporting, and preparation of an NXP-approved journal manuscript.

Approach
  • Established a validated EM simulation methodology as the foundation for automated dataset generation and subsequent AI/ML development
  • Designed a parametric DOE study (ANSYS optiSLang) on two-layer stackup geometries to generate a diverse training dataset
  • Built Python/NumPy preprocessing pipelines to structure NF/FF simulation outputs into clean ML input-output pairs
  • Developed and compared CNN and U-Net architectures in PyTorch, evaluated across multiple loss functions
  • Performed systematic V&V by benchmarking model predictions against full-wave HFSS references
Tools & Skills
ANSYS HFSS (FEM) Keysight ADS (FEM/MoM) ANSYS optiSLang PyTorch CNN / U-Net Python / NumPy HPC / Linux DOE V&V Methodology
Skills Demonstrated
  • End-to-end R&D project ownership in an industrial consortium
  • AI/ML pipeline development for electromagnetic field prediction
  • Automated EM dataset generation and ML-ready data preparation
  • EU consortium reporting and formal deliverable preparation
  • Communication of novel computational workflows to industrial and academic stakeholders
Outcome & Impact

Delivered a working AI/ML pipeline for predicting far-field radiation from near-field inputs, aimed at reducing the need for repeated full-wave EM simulations during design studies. The pipeline was systematically validated against HFSS reference data, and the work resulted in an NXP-approved journal manuscript currently in preparation for submission.

View official EngD thesis on TU/e Research Portal ↗

Context

Accurate electromagnetic simulation at mm-wave frequencies is critical for RFIC design and EMC compliance, but different simulation tools use different numerical methods (FEM and Method of Moments) that can produce divergent results if not properly understood. Before building ML models trained on simulation data, the reliability of that data had to be established.

Challenge

At 100 GHz, small geometric differences and solver-specific numerical choices can produce meaningfully different near-field and far-field results. Without systematic benchmarking, simulation data used to train ML models may carry solver-specific biases rather than physical ground truth.

Approach
  • Selected representative mm-wave small radiating structures as test vehicles
  • Simulated NF and FF radiated emission in ANSYS HFSS (FEM) and Keysight ADS (FEM and MoM) across 10–100 GHz
  • Systematically compared radiation patterns, S-parameters, and near-field distributions across both solvers
  • Assessed solver consistency and identified conditions where FEM and MoM results diverge
  • Documented findings to inform subsequent ML training data selection
Skills Demonstrated
  • Advanced proficiency in ANSYS HFSS and Keysight ADS as both FEM and MoM environments
  • Rigorous V&V methodology applied to simulation outputs
  • Understanding of numerical method trade-offs in high-frequency EM simulation
  • Systematic scientific documentation and reporting
Outcome

Established a validated simulation baseline that confirmed solver consistency conditions for the subsequent ML training data generation pipeline. The benchmarking methodology itself represents reusable validation infrastructure for future mm-wave RFIC EM analysis at NXP and beyond.

Context

Analog CMOS circuit design and simulation work completed as part of the Advanced CMOS Technology coursework within the Engineering Doctorate (EngD) program at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e). The work progressed from a self-biased common-source amplifier to multi-stage operational transconductance amplifier architectures.

Design Studies
  • Self-biased common-source CMOS amplifier
  • Two-stage current-mirror operational transconductance amplifier (OTA)
  • Fully differential OTA with common-mode feedback (CMFB)
Approach
  • Designed and simulated transistor-level analog CMOS circuits in Cadence Virtuoso
  • Evaluated AC and transient response, gain, bandwidth, and large-signal behavior
  • Investigated frequency compensation and stability in multi-stage OTA architectures
  • Performed harmonic and spectral analysis to characterize circuit linearity
  • Evaluated fully differential OTA performance across process, voltage, and temperature variations
Skills Demonstrated
  • Transistor-level analog CMOS circuit design
  • Operational transconductance amplifier design
  • Frequency compensation and stability analysis
  • Common-mode feedback design
  • Linearity, transient, and PVT characterization
Outcome & Results

Completed three progressively more advanced analog CMOS design studies, moving from a common-source amplifier to compensated and fully differential OTA architectures. The work investigated practical trade-offs between gain, bandwidth, stability, linearity, and power consumption through transistor-level simulation and verification.

View complete project on GitHub ↗

Context

Broadband supercontinuum light sources in the mid- and far-infrared are critical for molecular spectroscopy, medical diagnostics, and environmental sensing. Photonic integrated waveguides offer a compact, chip-scale approach — but achieving broad spectral coverage requires precise engineering of the waveguide's dispersion profile.

Challenge

Designing waveguide geometries that simultaneously support anomalous dispersion (necessary for soliton-based supercontinuum generation), low propagation loss, and broad spectral coverage across multiple octaves. The design space is highly nonlinear and not analytically tractable — requiring systematic numerical optimization.

Approach
  • Modelled EM field distributions and dispersion profiles using COMSOL Multiphysics finite element simulation
  • Designed dual-core and Z-cut geometries in lithium niobate and silicon-rich nitride to engineer group velocity dispersion
  • Simulated nonlinear pulse propagation and supercontinuum generation dynamics in MATLAB using the generalized nonlinear Schrödinger equation
  • Achieved three-octave spectral coverage and tunable dispersive wave generation in the mid-IR and far-IR
Skills Demonstrated
  • Photonic waveguide design and COMSOL-based EM simulation
  • Nonlinear optical modelling and pulse propagation simulation
  • Scientific writing and international journal publication
  • Independent research from conception to published outcome
Outcome

Designed photonic waveguides achieving three-octave supercontinuum spanning and tunable dispersive wave generation across mid- and far-IR regions. Results published in the Journal of Electromagnetic Waves and Applications (2024), Optik (2022), and presented at the Optica Advanced Photonics Congress (2022).

View publication in Optik ↗

View publication in Journal of Electromagnetic Waves and Applications ↗

View conference paper at Optica Advanced Photonics Congress ↗

Skills & Tools

Technical capabilities spanning electromagnetic simulation, RF and electronics, AI/ML, programming, and engineering methodology.

〰 EM Simulation
ANSYS HFSS Keysight ADS CST Studio Suite COMSOL Multiphysics ANSYS optiSLang FEM Method of Moments Cadence Virtuoso
🧠 AI & Machine Learning
PyTorch CNN U-Net MLP ML for Electromagnetic Modeling V&V for ML models Surrogate modeling
💻 Programming & Computing
Python NumPy MATLAB C LaTeX Linux / HPC Jupyter Notebook
📡 RF & Electromagnetics
mm-Wave (100 GHz) EMC / EMI NF-FF Modeling Radiation Patterns S-parameters Radiated Emissions Multilayer Stackup RFIC Analysis
🔬 Research Methods
DOE & Parametric Studies Cross-Solver Benchmarking Verification & Validation Iterative Model Development Technical Writing Statistics I & II SysML
🤝 Project & Collaboration
End-to-End Project Management EU Consortium Reporting Milestone Tracking Stakeholder Communication Knowledge Sharing Team Coordination English C1

Education & Publications

🎓
Engineering Doctorate (EngD) — Electrical Engineering
Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), Netherlands
2024 – 2026
Thesis: AI/ML-Based Near-Field to Far-Field Mapping for mm-Wave ICs in EMC Modeling

Design & Knowledge: Design Methods for ICT-Systems · Statistics I & II (Practical Data Analysis, DOE) · Systems Thinking I & II · Systems Engineering Advanced (incl. SysML)
Electives: Numerical Methods in Electrical Engineering · Advanced CMOS Design
⚡ NXP Semiconductors · EU-Funded INNOSTAR 5G/6G Project
🥇
Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.) — Electronics
Quaid-i-Azam University, Pakistan
2019 – 2021
Thesis: Dispersion Engineered Mid-IR Supercontinuum Generation Using Dual-Core Silicon-Rich Nitride Photonic Integrated Waveguide

Coursework: Wave Propagation · Microwave Engineering · High-Frequency Electromagnetics · Radar Signal Processing & System Design · Advanced Digital Signal Processing · Electromagnetic Metamaterials · Microelectronics-I · Oversampling Data Converters
🏅 Gold Medal — CGPA 4.0/4.0 · 1st in Department
📘
Master of Science (M.Sc.) — Electronics
Quaid-i-Azam University, Pakistan
2017 – 2019
Mathematics: Applied Mathematics I & II
Electronics: Electronics I, II & III · Quantum & Physical Electronics · Network Analysis
Electromagnetics & Communications: Electromagnetic Theory · Communication Theory · Communication Systems · Wireless Communication
Systems, Programming & Design: Control Systems · Computer Architecture · Microprocessor-Based Design · Computer Programming · Digital Logic Design · Verilog-HDL
🎖 Ranked 3rd in Graduating Class

Publications

Peer-reviewed journal articles, thesis research, and international conference contributions

Ilyas, K. · Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) · EngD Thesis
Related journal manuscript · NXP-approved · Under preparation/submission
Ilyas, K. & Naqvi, Q.A. · Journal of Electromagnetic Waves and Applications, 2024

Awards & Certifications

🏆 Chancellor's Medal
Presented by the President of Pakistan · 1st in Faculty of Science, QAU 2023
🏆 Vice Chancellor's Medal
Presented by Federal Minister for Education · 1st in Dept. of Electronics, QAU 2023
🎓 Machine Learning with MATLAB
MathWorks MATLAB Academy (Online)
🖥 HPC Supercomputing Autumn School
High-performance computing for engineering simulation workloads

Where my interests converge

I'm particularly interested in areas where my background in electromagnetics, RF/mm-wave engineering, and electronics connects with hands-on EM simulation and AI/ML experience.

〰
RF / Electromagnetics Engineer
RF and electromagnetic engineering roles spanning mm-wave systems, RFICs, antennas, EMC, and high-frequency electronic systems, supported by hands-on simulation experience in HFSS, ADS, and CST.
📡
EMC / Electromagnetics Engineer
EMC engineering roles involving radiated-emission analysis, pre-compliance modeling, simulation-led verification, and high-frequency electronic systems.
🧠
AI/ML Engineer — Engineering & Physics
Engineering-focused AI/ML roles involving scientific machine learning, surrogate modeling, field prediction, simulation data, and data-driven modeling of physical systems.
📶
RF / Electronics R&D Engineer
R&D roles spanning RF and mm-wave engineering, electronic circuits, semiconductor technologies, simulation, and advanced engineering systems.
🛠
EDA Application Engineer
Technical application and field engineering roles at EDA companies, combining expertise in EM/RF simulation, electronics, semiconductor design workflows, and engineering software.
🔬
R&D Engineer
Industrial R&D roles spanning RF and electromagnetics, electronics, semiconductor technologies, computational modeling, and AI/ML-enabled engineering.
📍 Based in Eindhoven, Netherlands
Interested in on-site or hybrid opportunities in the Netherlands. Eligible to work in the Netherlands.

Interested in discussing
something?

I'm always happy to connect with people working across RF and electromagnetics, electronics, EMC, semiconductor technologies, EM simulation, and AI/ML for engineering applications. Whether you'd like to discuss a technical problem, exchange ideas, explore a collaboration or opportunity, or simply connect around shared interests, feel free to reach out.

Send a message

Feel free to leave a message here, or reach out directly by email or LinkedIn.

Or email directly: k.ilyas8593@gmail.com