Jihwan Lee (Ph.D. candidate) from the Department of Electrical Engineering at POSTECH (advisor: Prof. Wonbin Hong) received the President’s Award from the Korea Communications Agency (KCA) at the 24th Radio Technology Paper Competition, jointly organized by the Korean Institute of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science (KIEES) and the Korea Communications Agency (KCA).

Lee was recognized for his paper titled “Spatially Selective Wave Control via Near-Field Beam Focusing Based on a Holographic Time-Reversal Mirror.”

The paper proposes an antenna inverse-design method based on the time-reversal principle. In particular, the study introduces the concept of a holographic time-reversal mirror, which utilizes the time-reversal symmetry of electromagnetic waves to reconstruct the electromagnetic field at a specific location. This approach enables precise near-field beam focusing, tunable focal control, and interference suppression simultaneously.

The research further demonstrates that spatially independent electromagnetic channels can be created without mutual interference. Through experimental validation, the study shows that high spatial resolution and strong interference suppression can be achieved even in multi-user environments.

From an academic perspective, the work establishes a new theoretical framework for near-field beamforming by fundamentally clarifying the principles of near-field focusing. From an industrial perspective, the technology provides a foundation for applications in next-generation near-field wireless communications, radar sensing, and biomedical systems.