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Nick Ridler

Nick Ridler

NPL Fellow

Nick Ridler is the Head of Science for NPL’s Electromagnetic & Electrochemical Technologies Department. He is an internationally-renowned expert in precision high-frequency electromagnetic measurements (from RF to terahertz frequencies), authoring or co-authoring over 250 publications in this field, and has over 35 years' experience working in industrial, government and academic research establishments. He is a Fellow of the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), IET (Institution of Engineering and Technology), and IOP (Institute of Physics).

He is an Honorary Professor at the Universities of Glasgow (College of Science and Engineering) and Liverpool (Department of Electrical Engineering and Electronics), and a Visiting Professor at the Universities of Kent (School of Engineering), Leeds (School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering) and Strathclyde (Department of Physics). He is also a Non-Executive Director of LA Techniques Ltd (a UK SME based in Surbiton, Surrey).

Nick has twice been the recipient of the IET Measurement Prize (in 1995 and 2005) and holds ten Best Paper awards from international scientific conferences. He takes lead roles in several international activities in this area, including:

  • Director – EuMA (European Microwave Association) Board of Directors, 2024–present
  • Director – EuMA (European Microwave Association) Board of Directors, 2024–present 
  • General Chair – European Microwave Week (EuMW), 2021
  • IEC Representative – Joint Committee for Guides in Metrology (JCGM) 'Working Group on the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement', 2015–present
  • Chair and Founder – IEEE Standards Association: P1785 Working Group, 'Waveguides for Millimeter and Submillimeter Wavelengths', 2008–present
  • Emeritus Chair – IEEE MTT-3 'Microwave Measurements' Technical Committee, 2003–present
  • Past President – ARFTG (Automatic RF Techniques Group) Board of Directors, 2003–2015

Areas of interest

Nick's main area of interest is precision electromagnetic metrology in support of next-generation information and communications technologies and high-frequency electronics applications. This includes measurements at millimetre-wave and terahertz frequencies; nonlinear microwave network analysis; and, RF measurements on Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs).

Selected recent publications

  1. "In-operando microwave scattering-parameter calibrated measurement of a Josephson travelling wave parametric amplifier," S-H. Shin, M. Stanley, W.N. Wong, T. Sweetnam, A. Elarabi, T. Lindstrom, N.M. Ridler, S.E. de Graaf, Appl. Phys. Lett., 125(10): 104001 (2024)

  2. “Uncertainty propagation for microwave scattering parameter measurements subject to time-domain and time-gating transformations”, J. Skinner, M. Gruber, S. Eichstadt, R. Appleby, N.M. Ridler, Measurement, 235: 114891 (2024)

  3. “Interlaboratory Comparison of Dielectric Measurements from Microwave to Terahertz Frequencies Using VNA-based and Optical-based Methods”, X. Shang, M. Naftaly, J. Skinner, L. Ausden, A. Gregory, N.M. Ridler, U. Arz, G.N. Phung, D. Ulm, T. Kleine-Ostmann, D. Allal, M. Wojciechowski, A. Kazemipour, G. Gäumann, M. Hudlička, IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech., 72(11):6473-6484 (2024)

  4. “RF and microwave metrology for quantum computing – recent developments at the UK’s National Physical Laboratory”, M. Stanley, X. Shang, M. Celep, M. Salter, S. de Graaf, T. Lindstrom, S-H. Shin, J. Skinner, D. Singh, D. Stokes, M. Acharya, N.M. Ridler, International Journal of Microwave and Wireless Technologies, published online 2024:1-9. doi:10.1017/S1759078724000369 (2024)

  5. "In-operando microwave scattering-parameter calibrated measurement of a Josephson travelling wave parametric amplifier," S-H. Shin, M. Stanley, W.N. Wong, T. Sweetnam, A. Elarabi, T. Lindstrom, N.M. Ridler, S.E. de Graaf, Appl. Phys. Lett., 125(10): 104001 (2024)

  6. “Uncertainty propagation for microwave scattering parameter measurements subject to time-domain and time-gating transformations”, J. Skinner, M. Gruber, S. Eichstadt, R. Appleby, N.M. Ridler, Measurement, 235: 114891 (2024)

  7. “Interlaboratory Comparison of Dielectric Measurements from Microwave to Terahertz Frequencies Using VNA-based and Optical-based Methods”, X. Shang, M. Naftaly, J. Skinner, L. Ausden, A. Gregory, N.M. Ridler, U. Arz, G.N. Phung, D. Ulm, T. Kleine-Ostmann, D. Allal, M. Wojciechowski, A. Kazemipour, G. Gäumann, M. Hudlička, IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech., 72(11):6473-6484 (2024)

  8. “RF and microwave metrology for quantum computing – recent developments at the UK’s National Physical Laboratory”, M. Stanley, X. Shang, M. Celep, M. Salter, S. de Graaf, T. Lindstrom, S-H. Shin, J. Skinner, D. Singh, D. Stokes, M. Acharya, N.M. Ridler, International Journal of Microwave and Wireless Technologies, published online 2024:1-9. doi:10.1017/S1759078724000369 (2024)

  9. “Characterizing S-Parameters of Microwave Coaxial Devices with up to Four Ports at Temperatures of 3 K and Above for Quantum Computing Applications”, M. Stanley, M.J. Salter, J. Urbonas, J. Skinner, S-H. Shin, S.E. de Graaf, N.M. Ridler, IEEE Trans. Instrum. Meas., 73:1500906 (2024)

  10. “Broadband Coaxial S-Parameter Measurements for Cryogenic Quantum Technologies”, S-H. Shin, M. Stanley, J. Skinner, S.E. de Graaf, N.M. Ridler, IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech., 72(4):2193-2201 (2024)

  11. “Improvements to Millimeter-wave Dielectric Measurement Using Material Characterization Kit (MCK)”, M. Shu, X. Shang, N.M. Ridler, A. Calleau, A.I. Dimitriadis, A. Zhang, IEEE Trans. Instrum. Meas., 73(6001108):1-8 (2024) 

  12. “Some Recent Advances in Measurements at Millimeter-wave and Terahertz Frequencies”, Xiaobang Shang, N.M. Ridler, D. Stokes, J. Skinner, F. Mubarak, U. Arz, G.G. Phung, K. Kuhlmann, A. Kazemipour, M. Hudlicka, F. Ziade, IEEE Microw. Mag., 25(1):58-71 (2024)

  13. “Benchmarking Seamless Sub-mm Wave and Terahertz Rectangular Metallic Waveguide”, J. Skinner, N.M. Ridler, N. Miller, S. Brokenshire, N. Bayley, P. Young, Microw. J., 66(11):60-68 (2023) 

  14. “3-D Printed THz Waveguide Components”, L. Zhu, S-H. Shin, R. Payapulli, I.W. Rossuck, N. Klein, N.M. Ridler, S. Lucyszyn, IEEE Access, 11:79073-79086 (2023)

  15. “Determination of the Permittivity of Transmission Lines at Milli-kelvin Temperatures”, M. Stanley, R. Parker-Jervis, J. Skinner, S. de Graaf, T. Lindström, J.E. Cunningham, N.M. Ridler, IEEE Access, 11:60626-60634 (2023)

  16. “Polymer-Based 3-D Printed 140 to 220 GHz Metal Waveguide Thru Lines, Twist and Filters”, R. Payapulli, L. Zhu, S-H. Shin, M. Stanley, N.M. Ridler, S. Lucyszyn, IEEE Access, 11:32272-32295 (2023)

  17. “The 2023 Terahertz Science and Technology Roadmap”, N.M. Ridler and 53 co-authors, J Phys D: Applied Physics, 56:223001 (2023)

  18. “Millimeter-wave and Terahertz Power Meter Characterisation at W-band Frequencies”, D. Stokes, Y. Liu, X. Shang, N.M. Ridler, Journal of Infrared, Millimeter, and Terahertz Wave, 44:134-150 (2023)

  19. “3-D Printed Rectangular Waveguide 123–129 GHz Packaging for Commercial CMOS RFICs”, L. Zhu, S-H. Shin, R. Payapulli, T. Machii, M. Motoyoshi, N. Suematsu, N.M. Ridler, S. Lucyszyn, IEEE Microwave and Wireless Technology Letters, 33(2):257-160 (2023)

  20. “Uncertainties in small-signal and large-signal measurements of RF amplifiers using a VNA”, D. Singh, M.J. Salter, S. Johny, N.M. Ridler, IEEE Instrumentation & Measurement Magazine, 25(6):37-44 (2022)  

  21. “Validating S-parameter Measurements of RF Integrated Circuits at Milli-kelvin Temperatures”, M. Stanley, R. Parker-Jervis, S. de Graaf, T. Lindstrom, J.E. Cunningham and N.M. Ridler, Electronics Letters, 58(16):614-616 (2022)

  22. “Characterizing Scattering Parameters of Superconducting Quantum Integrated Circuits at Milli-kelvin Temperatures”, M. Stanley, S. de Graaf, T. Hönigl-Decrinis, T. Lindström, N.M. Ridler, IEEE Access, 10:43376-43386 (2022)

  23. “3-D printed plug and play prototyping for low-cost sub-THz subsystems”, S-H. Shin, R. Payapulli, L. Zhu, M. Stanley, N.M. Ridler, S. Lucyszyn, IEEE Access, 10:41708-41719 (2022)

  24. "3-D Printing Quantization Predistortion Applied to Sub-THz Chained-Function Filters”, L. Zhu, R. Payapulli, S-H. Shin, M. Stanley, N.M. Ridler, S. Lucyszyn, IEEE Access, 10: 38944-38963 (2022)“

  25. Engineering the Microwave to Infrared Noise Photon Flux for Superconducting Quantum Systems”, S. Danilin, J. Barbosa, M. Farage, Z. Zhao, X. Shang, J. Burnett, C. Li, N.M. Ridler, M. Weides, EPJ Quantum Technology, 9(1):1-22 (2022)

  26. “Uncertainty of S-parameter Measurements on PCBs due to Imperfections in the TRL Line Standard”, H. Koo, M.J. Salter, N-W. Kang, N.M. Ridler, Y-P. Hong, J. Electromagn. Eng. Sci., 21(5):369-378 (2021)

  27. "Microwave Characterization of Conductive PLA and its Application to a 12 to 18 GHz 3-D Printed Rotary Vane Attenuator”, E. Marquez-Segura, S-H. Shin, A. Dawood, N.M. Ridler, S. Lucyszyn, IEEE Access, 9:84327-84343 (2021)

  28. “The Effect of Standing Waves on the Attenuation Constant for a Low-Loss Rectangular Waveguide”, R.J. Collier, N.M. Ridler, P.R. Young, Electron. Lett., 57(9):366-368 (2021)

  29. “Assessing the Impact of Data Filtering Techniques on Material Characterization at Millimeter-Wave Frequencies”, D. Ma, X. Shang, N.M. Ridler, W. Wu, IEEE Trans. Instrum. Meas., 70:1-4 (2021)

  30. “Polymer-based 3-D Printed 140-220 GHz Low-cost Quasi-optical Components and Integrated Subsystem Assembly”, S-H. Shin, X. Shang, N.M. Ridler, S. Lucyszyn, IEEE Access, 9:28020-28038 (2021)

  31. “Establishing waveguide lines as primary standards for scattering parameter measurements at submillimetre wavelengths”, N.M. Ridler, S. Johny, M.J. Salter, X. Shang, W. Sun, A. Wilson, Metrologia, 58(1):015015 (2021)