Computational Quantum Electromagnetics: Concepts, Equations, Methods, and Applications

Abstract:

Quantum electromagnetics concerns the interaction between electromagnetic fields and matter when either the field, the material system, or both must be described quantum mechanically. This tutorial presents a unified and computation-oriented introduction to this rapidly developing field, covering its fundamental concepts, governing equations, numerical methods, and representative applications.

We first organize field-matter interactions into four conceptual regimes according to whether the electromagnetic field and matter are treated classically or quantum mechanically. The classical-field/classical-matter regime corresponds to conventional computational electromagnetics, whereas a classical electromagnetic field interacting with quantum matter leads to semiclassical quantum electrodynamics. A quantized electromagnetic field interacting with macroscopic material media forms the basis of macroscopic quantum electrodynamics, while the fully quantum regime requires simultaneous treatment of quantized fields and microscopic quantum matter. This four-regime framework clarifies the assumptions, validity ranges, and connections among different quantum electromagnetic models.

The first major part of the tutorial focuses on semiclassical quantum electromagnetics. Maxwell’s equations are coupled to quantum dynamical equations, including the Schrödinger, density-matrix, optical Bloch, and Lindblad master equations. Numerical strategies for solving the resulting Maxwell-Bloch and Maxwell-Lindblad systems will be discussed, together with issues such as relaxation, decoherence, multilevel atomic structure, and self-consistent field-matter coupling. Rydberg-atom-based electromagnetic sensing is introduced as a representative application, illustrating how quantum coherence, electromagnetically induced transparency, Autler-Townes splitting, and atomic superheterodyne detection can be used to measure weak radio-frequency and microwave fields.

The second major part addresses the quantization of Maxwell fields in vacuum, dispersive media, and lossy environments. Starting from canonical mode quantization and Green-tensor formulations, we introduce field operators, vacuum fluctuations, commutation relations, noise currents, and electromagnetic correlation functions. Particular attention is given to computational formulations that connect classical electromagnetic solvers with quantum observables. Applications include Casimir forces, spontaneous emission, Hong-Ou-Mandel-type interference, and quantum scattering by complex electromagnetic structures.

By connecting semiclassical atomic sensing, macroscopic quantum electrodynamics, and computational electromagnetics within a common framework, this tutorial aims to provide participants with both the physical understanding and practical tools needed to model emerging quantum electromagnetic systems. It also highlights open challenges in multiscale modeling, lossy and nonlinear quantum media, and the integration of quantum optical models with modern numerical electromagnetic techniques.

Biography:

Wei E.I. Sha (Fellow, IEEE) received the Ph.D. degree from Anhui University, Hefei, China, in 2008. From 2008 to 2017, he was with the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the University of Hong Kong, where he served as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow and later as a Research Assistant Professor. From 2018 to 2019, he was a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellow at University College London, U.K.  He is currently a Tenured Associate Professor with the College of Information Science and Electronic Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China, where he serves as the Deputy Director of the Institute of Electromagnetic Information and Electronic Integration.  Dr. Sha has authored or co-authored two books, 12 book chapters, and over 230 peer-reviewed journal articles. His works have been cited over 14,119 times with an h-index of 63. His research interests include theoretical and applied electromagnetics, with a focus on computational electromagnetics, quantum electromagnetics, and electromagnetic information.

Dr. Sha served as Associate Editor for the IEEE Journal on Multiscale and Multiphysics Computational Techniques, the IEEE Open Journal of Antennas and Propagation, and Electromagnetic Science. He received the ACES Technical Achievement Award in 2022, the Second Prize of Science and Technology Award of the China Institute of Communications in 2024, and the Second Prize for Science and Technology from the Anhui Provincial Government in 2015.

Tutorial Title: AI for Ionosphere and Wave Propagation

Abstract:

How can artificial intelligence help us see through the ionosphere—a dynamic, turbulent plasma layer that bends, scatters, and sometimes disrupts every radio signal passing through it? This tutorial invites students and early-career researchers to explore the frontier where ionospheric physics meets AI. We begin with the physical fundamentals—solar-driven ionization, layer morphology, and the plasma parameters that shape radio propagation. We then introduce the core theory of wave propagation in a magnetized plasma, covering propagation modes and critical phenomena including maximum usable frequency, signal fading, and scintillation. Traditional computational tools—ray tracing, full-wave methods, and empirical models—are surveyed as the classical backbone of propagation modeling. We then turn to the AI revolution, where physics-informed neural networks, data-driven forecasting, and causal inference are not just improving predictions but redefining what is possible—enabling interpretable, physics-consistent models that learn from data while respecting fundamental laws. The tutorial closes with a live demonstration, showing how these intelligent techniques are transforming space weather forecasting into a proactive, rather than reactive, capability for communication and navigation systems.

Biography: 

Haiyang Fu received the B.S. and M.S. degrees with honors in Power Machinery Engineering from Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China, in 2006 and 2008, respectively. She received the Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, USA, in 2012. In 2013, she joined the School of Information Science and Engineering at Fudan University as an assistant professor. Since 2023, she has been a professor in the Key Laboratory of Information Science of Electromagnetic Waves, Fudan University, Shanghai, China. She has published more than 80 SCI/EI-indexed journal papers. She was awarded the URSI Young Scientist Award in 2017 and currently serves as the Chair of the Women in Radio Science Chapter of URSI-China (2024–). She is the Principal Young Scientist for the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2021–2026). She served as the Co-Chair of Commission C4.1/D5.1 at COSPAR (2018–2022). Her current research focuses on ionospheric plasma physics, wave propagation, GNSS, and physical artificial intelligence.

Surface Electromagnetics：Theory and Engineering

Abstract: 

From frequency selective surfaces to metasurfaces, novel electromagnetic surfaces have been emerging in both scientific exploration and engineering applications. Many intriguing phenomena occur on these surfaces, and novel devices and applications have been proposed accordingly, which have created an exciting paradigm in electromagnetics, the so-called “Surface Electromagnetics (SEM)”. As a representative example, reconfigurable reflectarray and transmitarray emerge as a new generation of phased array antenna, which exhibit promising potential in communications, radars, imaging applications. This report will briefly introduce the development of surface electromagnetics, and then focus on novel phased array designs and engineering applications. Finally, the future development prospects of SEM will be discussed with participating experts and scholars.

Bio：

Fan Yang is a Professor at Electronic Engineering Department, Tsinghua University, China, and a Fellow of IEEE. He received the B.S. and M.S. degrees from Tsinghua University, and the Ph.D. degree from University of California at Los Angeles. Prof. Yang’s research interests include antennas, surface electromagnetics, computational electromagnetics, and applied electromagnetic systems. He has published six books, eight book chapters, and over 600 journal articles and conference papers. Dr. Yang served as an Associate Editor for IEEE Trans. Antennas Propagation (TAP), Associate Editor-in-Chief for Applied Computational Electromagnetics Society (ACES) Journal, and TPC Chair of 2014 IEEE AP-S International Symposium. He is a co-founder of Beijing Actenna Inc., which focuses on antenna hardware and system applications.