Professor Michael Lancaster BSc, PhD, FIET, SMIEEE, FIPhys

University of Bath. PhD in Physics 1980
BSc University of Bath. Physics with Geophysics. 1977

Michael J. Lancaster was born in England in 1958. He was educated at Bath University, UK, where he graduated with a degree in Physics in 1980. His career continued at Bath, where he was awarded a PhD in 1984 for research into non-linear underwater acoustics.

After leaving Bath University he joined the surface acoustic wave (SAW) group at the Department of Engineering Science at Oxford University as a Research Fellow. The research was in the design of new, novel SAW devices, including filters and filter banks. In 1987 he became a Lecturer at The University of Birmingham in the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, lecturing in electromagnetic theory and microwave engineering. Shortly after he joined the department he began the study of the science and applications of high temperature superconductors, working mainly at microwave frequencies. He was promoted to head the Emerging Device Technology Research Centre in 2000 and head of the department of Electronic, Electrical and Systems Engineering in 2003. His present personal research interests include microwave filters and antennas, as well as the high frequency properties and applications of a number of novel and diverse materials.

Professor Lancaster is Fellow of the IET and UK Institute of Physics. He is a Chartered Engineer and Chartered Physicist. In addition he is a fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy. He has served on the MTT IMS technical committee. Professor Lancaster has published two books and over 150 papers in refereed journals.

Teaching Programmes
• 1st Year Mathematics
• 4th year and MSc Electromagnetics and Antennas
• 4th year and MSc RF and Microwave Engineering

RESEARCH THEMES

Professor Lancaster’s research interests are wide, and based on the drive to produce improved, high performance microwave circuits. To do this, he has help build the Emerging Device Technology (EDT) group into a multidisciplinary group, with the topics of materials science, physics and device engineering all being equally important. Superconductors, ferroelectrics and micromachined materials have been prominent, together with the development of new design principles for microwave circuits. Novelty and invention have been a theme throughout.

RESEARCH ACTIVITY

Professor Lancaster has received over £10M in funding for his research which includes four European Framework grants and 20 EPSRC grants. He has have written two books, one on high temperature superconducting passive circuits and the other on microwave circuit design. In addition he has over 150 refereed journal publications and 140 conference papers together with two granted patents.

Highlights of the research work include new multi-band superconducting and room temperature filters, the world’s best performing delay lines including new synthesis methods. He has developed new miniature tuneable filters and new fabrication and design techniques for micromachined microwave circuits.
Highlights of the impact of Professor Lancaster’s work include the setting up a company, CryoSystems, to commercialise superconducting filter technology for mobile telephone base stations. In addition he has been instrumental in the roll-out of superconducting filters for radio telescopes across the world and help develop outreach activities to the general public and young people. This involved the media as well as specific events. He has appeared on BBC radio 4 describing the applications of his work.

Professor Lancaster was invited to join the IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques (MTT) Society International Microwave Symposium (IMS) technical program committee and has served on this for six years. He has had a similar time on the European Microwave Conference Technical Committee, chairing subcommittees of both societies on several occasions.
Professor Lancaster has had many invitations to speak at conferences and limit this to one or two per year. He was organiser of workshops in Malaysia (APACE’03), Paris (EuMC), Korea (ICE-2005), Manchester (EuMc) and Joint organiser and co-chair of the 2006 biannual HTSHFF conference at Cardiff University. He has had appointments on seven committee chairs (Malaysia, USA, Ukraine, Korea, UK, Canada). In addition was invited to give short courses in Malaysia (APACE-03), Finland (SCENET-05,) Italy (SCNET-06) and has been chair of conference sessions in Switzerland, USA, Japan, Austria, France and in addition to the above has given eight invited lecturers across the world. In addition he has have reviewed grant applications Hong Kong, Ireland, Holland, India, Singapore and was consultant on the NATO Science for Peace program (2001-2004).