QWED is a Polish SME founded in 1997 by 4 scientists / engineers from the Warsaw University of Technology (WUT), with complementary experiences in microwave technology, mathematical physics, and computational techniques. The primary task of QWED was (and is) to manage the commercial development of QuickWave software for EM design, originated by the company co-founders. QuickWave was soon acclaimed "gem" in IEEE Spectrum Magazine (1998) and awarded with e.g. the European IT Prize (1998) and the Prime Minister of Poland Award (1999).

The software is continuously developed with new versions annually lauched and a total of ca. 200 licences implemented on 6 continents. QWED clients base is diversified, from radioastronomy laboratories (e.g. NRAO in US) to world's leading domestic microwave oven manufacturers; applications range from large scale (2000 wavelengths in-size) satellite communication antennas to submillimeter scale design of 110 GHz coaxial connectors. What distinguishes QWED from its larger competitors is openness towards emerging technologies and niche markets. QWED offers a unique ultra-fast QW-V2D full-wave solver for axisymmetrical problems and a multiphysics QW-BHM set of thermal and kinetic modules for microwave power problems.
In the 2000s QWED establiched a new branch of microwave hardware activities based on 4 decades of worldly acknowledged research by Jerzy Krupka, who joined QWED team. QWED manufactures several types of dielectric resonators for precise measurements of electromagnetic properties of materials at microwave frequencies. Each resonator is equipped with dedicated calibration software. A decade average amounts to 60 test fixtures sold per year. Their quality has been recognised by industrial practitioners, leading researchers, and industrial standard creators including 2007 NATO Certificate.
On top of its core 5 scientific staff (all Ph.Ds. incl. 2 state Profs.; 1 female), QWED regular employees are 7 engineers (all M.Scs. with 10-30 yrs. technical experience; 1 Ph.D; 3 female). Additionally, WUT academics and graduate students are contracted for specific projects. The company is
managed by its 2 major co-founders. Accounting and payroll are outsourced and so are hardware machining jobs (polishing, drilling, silver coating).

QWED main project tasks are bound to its software (WP3, 6) and hardware (WP4, 5) branches:

• In WP3 an SMM-workbench based on FreeCAD libraries will be programmed for setting up parameterized tip-sample models and running EM simulations in a sweep mode. A dedicated module will be developed for post-processing simulated EM fields into the relevant parameters (calibrated S11, energy integrals) of SMM, dielectric resonator, and coaxial probe measurements.
• In WP6 the SMM-workbench of WP3 will be incorporated into the open innovation platform. Export and import of Gwyddion data formats will be implemented. Open file-based interfaces to external CAD and simulation tools will be provided.
• In WP4 reference measurements of samples provided by industry will be performed with dielectric custom-made resonators. A single-range resolution-enhanced scanner will be built.
• In WP5 the test fixtures of WP4 will be further adapted to industrial environments in terms of portability and 2D imaging.

Simulation and software development activities will be run in QWED offices equipped with 8 up-to-date PCs and 6 servers: large-problem simulator (96 GB RAM); time-optimized simulator (2 x 6 GB GTX TITAN GPU with 2.4 Gcells/sec performance); Concurrent Version System (CVS); MantisBT bug / request tracking system; automatic testing system with SciLab environment; licence server generating licence codes & files. On-site workshop will be used for assembly of test fixtures (dielectric resonators, scanners, Q-Meters), with precise calibration performed with VNAs in fully-fledged microwave laboratories at WUT.

Joint application of QuickWave EM modelling and measurements with QWED resonators:

• [1] B. Salski, M. Olszewska-Placha, T. Karpisz, J. Rudnicki, W. Gwarek, M. Maliszewski, A. Zofka, J. Skulski, “Microwave applicator for thermal threatment of bituminous surfaces”, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, vol.13, no.99, pp.1-9, 2017.
• [2] M. Olszewska-Placha, B. Salski, D. Janczak, P.R. Bajurko, W. Gwarek, M. Jakubowska, "A broadband absorber with a resistive pattern made of ink with graphene nano-platelets”, IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, vol.63, no.2, pp. 565-572, 2015.

Recent developments in dielectric resonator measurement techniques:

• [3] J.Krupka, "Measurements of the complex permittivity of low loss polymers at frequency range from 5 GHz to 50 GHz", IEEE Microwave and Wireless Components Letters, vol.26, no.6, pp.464-466, 2016.
• [4] J.Krupka, P.Kaminski, L.Jensen, "High Q-factor millimeter-wave silicon resonators", IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques,vol.64,no.12,pp.4149-4154, 2016. QuickWave evaluated for coax structures, dielectric resonators, and nanoscale modelling:
• [5] B.Salski, M.Celuch, W.Gwarek, "FDTD for nanoscale and optical problems", IEEE Microwave Magazine, vol.11, no.2, pp.50-59, 2010.
• [6] M. Celuch, W. K. Gwarek, "Industrial design of axisymmetrical devices using a customized FDTD solver from RF to optical frequency bands", IEEE Microwave Magazine, vol. 9, no. 6, pp. 150-159, 2008.