Elizabeth Kowalski
Electromagnetics, Radar, and TWTs
Elizabeth Kowalski is an electrical engineer with experience in multiple areas of Electromagnetics and a PhD in vacuum electronics. Her research interests include the application of Maxwell's equations and building complex RF systems. She has worked across the electromagnetic spectrum from VHF to W-band, covering everything from concept and design to prototyping and testing. This work includes building a W-band Traveling Wave Tube (TWT) amplifier, designing RF systems, prototyping phased arrays, measuring antenna patterns, and analyzing radar performance. Her former research focused on designing and building low-cost panel-based phased array radars. Currently, she is a microwave engineer for tokamak diagnostic systems.
Dr. Kowalski received her BS degree in electrical engineering with honors from Pennsylvania State University and her MS and PhD degrees in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Publications
Fusion Diagnostics
“Edge scanning reflectometry for density profile measurement on the SPARC tokamak,” Y. Lin, V. Nikolaeva, D. Hachmeister, E. Kowalski, M. L. Reinke. Review of Scientific Instruments, 95, 083540. Aug. 2024.
Phased Arrays
“Multifunction Phased Array Radar Advanced Technology Demonstrator (MPAR ATD) Nearfield Testing and Fielding,” E. J Kowalski, M. D. Conway A. Morris, C. Parry. 2019 IEEE Radar Conference, Sept. 2019.
"V-band Stacked Patch Antenna Phased Array," P. Dufilie, E. J. Kowalski, M. D. Conway, D. Du Russel, A. J. Fenn. 2022 International Symposium on Phased Array Systems & Technology, 2022.
Perspectives in Antenna Technology: Recent Advances and Systems Applications, Chapter 1: Low Cost Phased Arrays. J. Herd, M. D. Conway, A. Morris, M. A. Harger, E.J. Kowalski, S. M. Warnock, C. J. Galbraith, J. P. Smith. The MIT Press, 2025
TWTs
Doctoral Thesis "Design and Test of a 94 GHz Traveling Wave Tube Amplifier." E. J. Kowalski. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. February, 2015.
“An Overmoded W-Band Coupled-Cavity TWT,” E. J. Kowalski, M. A. Shapiro, R. J. Temkin. IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, pages 1609-1616, March 2015.
Overmoded Transmission Lines
Master's Thesis "Miter Bend Loss and Higher Order mode Content Measurements in Overmoded Millimeter-wave Transmission Lines." E. J. Kowalski. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. September, 2010.
"Linearly Polarized Modes in of a Corrugated Metallic Waveguide ," E. J. Kowalski, D. S. Tax, M. A. Shapiro, J. R. Sirigiri, R. J. Temkin, T. S. Bigelow, D. A. Rasmussen, IEEE Trans. Microwave Theory and Techniques, Vol. 58, Issue 11, Part 1, pages 2772-2780 (Nov., 2010).
“Simple Correctors for Elimination of High Order Modes in Corrugated Waveguide Transmission Lines,” E. J. Kowalski, M. A. Shapiro, R. J. Temkin. IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science, vol. 42, no. 1, pp. 29-37. Jan. 2014.
Lightning Modeling
Bachelor's Honors Thesis, "Efficient Corona Models in Spherical Geometry for Lightning Protection Applications." E. J. Kowalski. Schreyer Honors College at Pennsylvania State University. August 2008
Teaching
Build a Radar, MIT Professional Education and MIT LLx course, instructor
Electromagnetics, MIT Lincoln laboratory Technical Education course, instructor
RF Design Techniques, MIT Lincoln laboratory Technical Education course, organizer and lecturer