Thesis authorised for defence

DOCTORAL DEGREE IN AGRI-FOOD TECHNOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY

BISCAMPS DALMAU, JORDI: Generació de mapes de vigor mitjançant sensors remots i proximals per a l’aplicació a dosis variable de productes fitosanitaris en vinya utilitzant tecnologia de modulació d’ample de pols (PWM).
Author: BISCAMPS DALMAU, JORDI
Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN AGRI-FOOD TECHNOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
Department: Department of Agri-Food Engineering and Biotechnology (DEAB)
Mode: Normal
Deposit date: 11/09/2026
Reading date: 03/12/2026
Reading time: 10:00
Reading place: Sala de Graus de l'EEABB, Campus del Baix Llobregat de la UPC, C. Esteve Terradas 8, Ed. D4, Castelldefels
Thesis director: GIL MOYA, EMILIO | GARCIA RUIZ, FRANCISCO JOSE
Thesis abstract: This doctoral thesis contributes to the development and validation of variable-rate technologies for the application of plant protection products in vineyards through flow-rate control systems based on pulse-width modulation (PWM) and vegetation characterization methods using remote and proximal sensors. First, a prototype based on PWM valves was developed and validated. The system used prescription maps generated from multispectral imagery acquired with an unmanned aerial vehicle to identify vigor zones and automatically adjust the flow rate. Trials were conducted in both trellised and goblet-trained vineyards at two phenological stages. The valves showed an almost linear response over a duty-cycle range of 20-80%. Under field conditions, the system reduced the spray volume applied by up to 23.8%, with an average reduction of 18.6%, without significant differences in normalized deposition compared with the conventional treatment. Second, three application strategies were compared: a conventional constant-volume system, a pressure-controlled variable-rate system, and the PWM-based system. The results showed that working pressure and the resulting droplet spectrum had a greater influence on spray drift than the total volume applied. The conventional system generated ground losses close to 40% under low-vigor conditions, whereas the PWM system reduced both ground losses and airborne drift under all the conditions studied. Finally, a device for high-throughput vegetation characterization was designed using ultrasonic sensors, GNSS, and an onboard control unit. The system was validated under laboratory and field conditions and compared with three-dimensional models generated using UAV photogrammetry. Both methods provided comparable estimates of the main structural parameters of the vineyard, with mean absolute percentage errors below 10%. Although photogrammetry offered higher spatial resolution, ultrasonic sensors proved to be a robust and operational alternative under field conditions.

DOCTORAL DEGREE IN APPLIED MATHEMATICS

FACCIOTTI, BENEDETTA: Groupoids of local systems and decorated representations on marked bordered surfaces
Author: FACCIOTTI, BENEDETTA
Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN APPLIED MATHEMATICS
Department: School of Mathematics and Statistics (FME)
Mode: Normal
Deposit date: 13/07/2026
Reading date: 20/10/2026
Reading time: 18:00
Reading place: Sala 327 SYMCREA, planta 3 de l'EPSEB, Campus Sud Join Zoom Meetinghttps://us06web.zoom.us/j/85064553889?pwd=hlFbcaUadWq4QQLS7FYGpUhbVNbUhH.1
Thesis director: MAZZOCCO, MARTA | NIKOLAEV, NIKITA
Thesis abstract: This thesis studies representations of fundamental groupoids of surfaces $\Sigma$ with boundaries, with values in $G:=\operatorname{GL}_n(\mathbb C)$, up to isomorphism. When no marked points are present on the boundary, the corresponding objects admit several equivalent descriptions: as linear local systems on $\Sigma$, as representations of the fundamental groupoid $\Pi_1 (\Sigma)$, as monodromy data, and as points of the associated character variety. The introduction of marked points on the boundary, motivated by the need to encode irregular singularities of meromorphic connections, has led to several generalizations of this Betti-type description in the literature. Although these approaches are generally understood to describe essentially the same mathematical objects, the precise relation between them has not yet been been formulated explicitly. Motivated by the broader programme of establishing a precise and conceptually coherent relationship between the existing approaches to the representation-theoretic description of irregular singularities of meromorphic connections, in this thesis we develop a categorical framework for the definition of decorated Betti objects associated with marked bordered surfaces encoding higher-order poles, in a form designed to specialize to the different points of view encountered in the literature.

DOCTORAL DEGREE IN ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN

BELLAFIORE, GASPARE: Résidence Le Parc à Meudon-la-Forêt. Tectónica y decoro urbano en la obra de Fernand Pouillon.
Author: BELLAFIORE, GASPARE
Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN
Department: Department of Architectural Design (PA)
Mode: Normal
Deposit date: 13/07/2026
Reading date: 20/10/2026
Reading time: 12:00
Reading place: ETSAB (Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura de Barcelona) - Planta Baja - Sala de GradosAv. Diagonal, 649-651 - 08028 - Barcelona
Thesis director: PEÑIN LLOBELL, ALBERTO
Thesis abstract: This research examines the relationship between compositional procedures and construction methods in the architecture of Fernand Pouillon, taking the complex of Résidence Le Parc in Meudon-la-Forêt (1959-1962) as a paradigmatic case study. The study begins with a diagnosis of the condition of contemporary architecture, marked by a growing fracture between the act of designing and the act of building. It notes a drift toward a production that entrusts its expressiveness to the image, the authorial gesture, or technical sophistication rather than to the internal reasons of the work. Faced with this displacement, the research recovers the concept of tectonics—not as a stylistic category or a synonym for technicality, but as the syntax through which construction becomes architectural language. It argues that Pouillon's work in Meudon-la-Forêt constitutes a privileged material verification of this hypothesis. The theoretical framework articulates two critical traditions often treated separately: Anglo-Germanic tectonic analysis (Bötticher, Semper, Sekler, Frampton) and the Latin theory of analogical decorum developed in France by Quatremère de Quincy and Julien Guadet. The research argues that a conjunction of both is necessary to read Pouillon's work, reconstructing the genealogy of French constructive rationalism—from Philibert de l'Orme to Auguste Perret—as the cultural horizon that makes his choices intelligible. In this reading, Pouillon emerges not as an exception within post-war modernity, but as a "transformative continuator": an architect who reactivates the French classical tradition and translates it to the operational conditions of reconstruction and mass social housing. The work is structured into three parts. The first reconstructs the theoretical framework of tectonics. The second traces the cultural genealogy of Pouillon's thought and analyses the operational context of post-war Paris. The third part develops a multiscalar analysis of Résidence Le Parc, covering the problems of the framed wall, stone as a tectonic and ethical core, the travée as a device of order. The study reaches four main theses:First: The hybrid construction system of Meudon—load-bearing Fontvieille stone articulated with reinforced concrete slabs—is not a technical compromise, but a new tectonic synthesis that reactivates the logic of load-bearing mass under conditions of industrial prefabrication. Second: The travée functions in Meudon as a "total operator" of the project, simultaneously coordinating construction logic, facade composition, and interior spatial organization, extending to the urban scale as the rhythm of public space. Third: Decorum in Pouillon does not respond to the strict truth of the Perretian frame, but to a "lithic verisimilitude" (vraisemblance)—an expressive adequacy between form, construction, and civic character—that reformulates Quatremère’s principle of analogical decorum for modern conditions. Fourth: The civic dimension of the work is not an ethical supplement added to formal decisions, but the direct effect of the construction grammar itself assumed as a shared language. The research is based on specialized critical bibliography (Lucan, Bonillo, Ferlenga, Sayen), primary sources from Pouillon’s archives, heritage documentation from the French Ministry of Culture, and direct measurements taken in the municipal archives of Meudon-la-Forêt. Its main contribution consists of articulating tectonic analysis and the theory of decorum within a single analytical device, proposing a systematic reading of the travée as the syntactic atom of the project, and defending the relevance of Pouillon’s lithic lesson for the contemporary debate on civic architecture and collective housing.

DOCTORAL DEGREE IN ARCHITECTURAL, BUILDING CONSTRUCTION AND URBANISM TECHNOLOGY

CASAPINO ESPINOZA, CARLOS ALBERTO: Estudio de eficiencia térmica de bloques de tierra (adobe), y propuesta de desarrollo de prototipo para clima frío. Caso de estudio altoandino Perú.
Author: CASAPINO ESPINOZA, CARLOS ALBERTO
Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN ARCHITECTURAL, BUILDING CONSTRUCTION AND URBANISM TECHNOLOGY
Department: Department of Architectural Technology (TA)
Mode: Article-based thesis
Deposit date: 28/07/2026
Reading date: 13/10/2026
Reading time: 16:00
Reading place: ETSAB (Esc.Téc.Sup.Arquit.Bcn)-Pl. Baja-Sala GradosAv. Diagonal, 649Enlace a videoconferencia: https://meet.google.com/xki-ujnw-hqvConnexión 15:30h
Thesis director: GOMEZ SOBERON, JOSE MANUEL VICENTE | GOMEZ SOBERON, MARIA CONSOLACION
Thesis abstract: Buildings that use earth as a component of their construction systems represent between 30 and 50% worldwide, with most of these structures being residential and located in rural areas or developing countries. Earth is an economical and sustainable solution with excellent hygrothermal regulation. However, it presents limitations such as lower mechanical resistance and reduced durability in humid conditions. To mitigate these limitations, chemical stabilization (using lime or cement) or compression is commonly employed, which increases production costs, embodied energy, and CO2 emissions.At the same time, the generation of different types of waste, such as construction and demolition waste, mineral waste, and other materials like used tires, represents a serious environmental problem. Incorporating this waste as second-generation raw materials in unfired earth blocks emerges as a circular economy alternative to improve their properties without additives or stabilization methods. Therefore, the objective is to evaluate the technical feasibility and compatibility of incorporating different types of recycled aggregates, such as crushed ceramics (CCB), powdered soapstone (PSR), and end-of-life tires (CTW), by analyzing their effects on the various properties of earth blocks manufactured using traditional methods, without stabilizers or firing.The experimental methodology was structured in three stages: The first stage involved characterizing the soil and the different aggregates. The second stage focused on the mix design and manufacturing process, defining the replacement and curing percentages. The third stage consisted of the experimental campaign, evaluating, under standardized tests, density, porosity, hygroscopic expansion, compressive and flexural strength, elastic modulus, thermogravimetric analysis, thermal tests, and durability tests; these tests are addressed in the articles that comprise this thesis.The results obtained from the recycled aggregates studied demonstrate the possibility of their use through incorporation into soil matrices under regulatory standards, representing alternatives for reducing energy demand, reducing production costs, improving the insulating capacity for CCB and CTW cases, and in the case of PSR it was presented as an alternative mineral stabilizer with the potential to increase mechanical resistance and optimize thermal behavior for energy absorption, thus presenting themselves as construction alternatives for cold climates, also representing alternatives for the management of these wastes.

DOCTORAL DEGREE IN ARCHITECTURAL, CIVIL AND URBAN HERITAGE AND REFURBISHMENT OF EXISTING BUILDINGS

GARCIA SALANOVA, ANTONIO: Arquitectura amb propòsit per a una gestió sostenible dels equipaments públics
Author: GARCIA SALANOVA, ANTONIO
Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN ARCHITECTURAL, CIVIL AND URBAN HERITAGE AND REFURBISHMENT OF EXISTING BUILDINGS
Department: Departamento de Representación Arquitectónica (RA)
Mode: Normal
Deposit date: 09/09/2026
Reading date: pending
Reading time: pending
Reading place: pending
Thesis director: REDONDO DOMINGUEZ, ERNEST
Thesis abstract: PURPOSEFUL ARCHITECTURE FOR THE SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF PUBLIC FACILITIESThis research analyses, formulates and reasonably contrasts a comprehensivea model of sustainable management of public facilities throughout their life cycle, from planning and design to operation and dismantling, and incorporates data-driven governance aimed at facilitating collaborative decision-making between the different agents involved. It is based on the hypothesis that the adoption of a comprehensive sustainable management model, based on collaborative digital methodologies —especially Building Information Modeling (BIM)—, sustainability criteria and life cycle analysis (LCA), makes it possible to overcome the limitations of traditional models of management of public facilities, characterized by the fragmentation of processes, the lack of traceability of information and the low optimization of the use phase. The work adopts a mixed methodological approach that combines systematic review of the literature, comparative analysis between management models, interviews with experts from the public and private sectors, quantitative validation and the development of an original methodological instrument: a methodological framework of 100 sustainable technical criteria applicable to the entire life cycle, which operationalizes the proposed management model. Unlike predominantly theoretical approaches, the research is carried out in a real context of public management of educational facilities and incorporates recent data and professional experiences (2024–2025), especially in relation to the implementation of BIM in the operation phase.The research also develops a practical case, a hypothetical Audiovisual Vocational Training Institute of Catalonia in the Tres Xemeneies del Besòs site, which acts as a proof of concept of the proposed comprehensive management model. This case makes it possible to contrast the coherence and feasibility of the model, as well as its architectural translation in relation to the pedagogical requirements of vocational education.The results positively show the three hypotheses formulated. Firstly, the comprehensive management model based on BIM–LCA improves the efficiency, quality and sustainability of processes. Secondly, its application determines a new flexible, modular architectural typology aimed at efficient maintenance. Thirdly, the integral model is adapted in a coherent way to the functional and pedagogical requirements of Vocational Training, reinforcing the connection between architecture, management, educational innovation and participatory governance processes. Of particular relevance is the contribution in the field of digital operation management, still underdeveloped in current institutional practice,Finally, the research proposes future lines aimed at data-driven exploitation, the integration of intelligent systems and the development of new professional profiles linked to life cycle management.

DOCTORAL DEGREE IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING

CLARAMUNT MOLET, MIREIA: Development of a novel clinical gait assessment tool for monitoring and stratifying neuromuscular diseases
Author: CLARAMUNT MOLET, MIREIA
Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
Department: Department of Mechanical Engineering (EM)
Mode: Normal
Deposit date: 24/07/2026
Reading date: 17/11/2026
Reading time: 10:30
Reading place: Aula 28.8. Planta 1, Escola Tècnica Superior d'Enginyeria Industrial de Barcelona (ETSEIB), Av. Diagonal, 647, 08028 Barcelona
Thesis director: FONT LLAGUNES, JOSEP MARIA | IDELSOHN ZIELONKA, SEBASTIAN
Thesis abstract: Neuromuscular diseases are chronic and degenerative conditions of the skeletal musculature that progressively impair gait, one of the primary determinants of functional independence. Their monitoring, both in clinical practice and clinical trials, relies on clinical scales and functional tests that are subject to observational bias, ceiling effects, and insufficient sensitivity to detect subtle changes. At a time when novel disease-modifying therapies are emerging, the availability of an objective, portable tool integrable into routine clinical practice for biomechanical mobility assessment represents an unmet clinical need.To address this need, the present thesis develops the biomechanical algorithms to derive spatiotemporal parameters, sagittal joint kinematics, muscle activation, plantar pressure distribution, and heart rate from raw wearable sensor data. Data capture relies on the Ephion Mobility system, which integrates and synchronises inertial sensors, surface electromyography, plantar pressure insoles, and a cardiac sensor within a single mobile application. Using this system, data were collected from 176 volunteers, 90 patients and 86 controls, across two countries and standard hospital settings.The first study, conducted in collaboration with Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, serves as the proof of concept. It validates a multidimensional gait score for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, derived from multisensor data through unsupervised learning, which demonstrates good agreement with current clinical metrics and promising capacity for disease monitoring.With the validity of the approach established, the second study, carried out at the Copenhagen Neuromuscular Center, explores its applicability in two conditions with markedly different distributions of muscle weakness: Becker muscular dystrophy and myotonic dystrophy type 1. Biomechanical gait assessment is shown to discriminate disease-specific patterns and severity gradients that functional tests do not capture. Finally, the third study, conducted in collaboration with the Spanish Pompe Patient Association, addresses the most demanding question: whether the tool can detect longitudinal progression in a slowly evolving disease. The Pompe-MDPI achieves statistical significance over one year of follow-up in a context where current metrics fail to detect change over the same interval.Taken together, the results provide preliminary evidence that portable multidimensional biomechanical assessment is clinically feasible, sensitive to functional severity, and capable of detecting longitudinal disease progression where conventional measures fall short. The derived scores represent promising candidates as digital biomarkers for natural history studies and clinical trials of disease-modifying therapies.

DOCTORAL DEGREE IN CHEMICAL PROCESS ENGINEERING

MARÍN RIVAS, ENRIQUE DAVID: Mechanochemical Preparation of Pd-Cu/CeO₂ Catalysts for Carbon Monoxide Oxidation
Author: MARÍN RIVAS, ENRIQUE DAVID
Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN CHEMICAL PROCESS ENGINEERING
Department: Department of Chemical Engineering (EQ)
Mode: Normal
Deposit date: 31/07/2026
Reading date: 13/11/2026
Reading time: 11:00
Reading place: Sala Polivalent - Edifici IEEBEhttps://eebe.upc.edu/ca/lescola/com-arribar
Thesis director: LLORCA PIQUE, JORDI | VENDRELL VILLAFRUELA, XAVIER
Thesis abstract: Cerium oxide (CeO2)-based catalysts are widely studied for oxidation reactions due to their redox properties, oxygen storage capacity, and ability to stabilise metal-support interfacial sites. Among these systems, Pd/CeO2 and Cu/CeO2 catalysts are of particular interest for low-temperature CO oxidation. However, their catalytic behaviour depends on the synthesis method, metal dispersion, and defect structure. In this thesis, mechanochemical synthesis by planetary ball milling was investigated as a sustainable route for preparing CeO2-based catalysts, together with different treatments aimed at modifying their structural and catalytic properties.The first part of this work focused on Pd/CeO2 catalysts prepared by planetary ball milling under controlled atmospheres. The results demonstrated that mechanochemical synthesis promotes the formation of active Pd-Ce interfacial structures. Catalysts prepared at 250 rpm under air for 10 min exhibited the highest CO oxidation activity, outperforming those prepared by conventional impregnation. This behaviour was attributed to the formation of PdOx-Ce interfacial species and strong metal-support interactions. Electron microscopy revealed highly dispersed Pd nanoparticles and clusters on the ceria surface.The second part investigated Cu/CeO2 catalysts prepared by mechanochemical methods using different precursors, calcination temperatures, milling conditions, and reduction treatments. The results showed that mechanochemical synthesis can produce catalysts with superior performance compared with conventional methods. Catalysts prepared from copper nitrate and calcined at 300 °C showed the best activity. H2/N2 reduction further enhanced catalytic performance. Electron microscopy confirmed the absence of large CuOx aggregates and the presence of highly dispersed copper species. In addition, operando synchrotron experiments revealed dynamic Cu+/Cu2+ redox cycling under reaction conditions, contributing to catalyst stability and progressive activation.The third part addressed bimetallic Pd-Cu/CeO2 catalysts prepared by planetary ball milling. Different Cu/Pd ratios, metal loadings, and deposition sequences were evaluated. Under non-reduced conditions, Pd incorporation did not significantly improve activity compared with monometallic Cu/CeO2 catalysts. However, after H2 reduction, the bimetallic catalysts exhibited enhanced activity, highlighting the importance of pre-reduction in the formation of favourable Pd-Cu-Ce interfacial structures.Electron beam irradiation was also investigated as a post-synthesis treatment for Pd/CeO2 catalysts. Irradiation improved catalytic activity and reduced the apparent activation energy for CO oxidation. Raman and XPS analyses revealed an increase in structural defects, peroxide species, and additional PdOx-Ce interfacial sites.Finally, flash sintering was applied to ceria-based materials. Although the treatment induced significant microstructural and electrical modifications, the resulting materials exhibited lower catalytic activity than untreated CeO2, mainly due to the thermal effects associated with Joule heating.Overall, this thesis demonstrates that mechanochemical synthesis is an effective strategy for preparing highly active CeO2-based catalysts. The catalytic behaviour of Pd/CeO2, Cu/CeO2, and Pd-Cu/CeO2 systems is governed by metal-ceria interfacial structures, metal dispersion, and the redox properties of the support.

DOCTORAL DEGREE IN COMPUTATIONAL AND APPLIED PHYSICS

DYHR, SØREN ISTVÁN ADORJÁN: Optimal Metrics in Odd-Dimensional Geometry: Reeb Dynamics and Applications in Fluid Mechanics
Author: DYHR, SØREN ISTVÁN ADORJÁN
Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN COMPUTATIONAL AND APPLIED PHYSICS
Department: Department of Physics (FIS)
Mode: Normal
Deposit date: 11/09/2026
Reading date: 12/11/2026
Reading time: 11:00
Reading place: Aula 3.2 Edifici P
Thesis director: MIRANDA GALCERÁN, EVA | GONZÁLEZ PRIETO, ÁNGEL
Thesis abstract: Particles described by Hamiltonian mechanics tend to stay on odd-dimensional hypersurfaces of symplectic manifolds. In this thesis we study a generalization of the geometric structures appearing on such submanifolds. They all have a Reeb vector field and, in dimension three, coincide with stable Hamiltonian structures (SHS), a class which includes both cosymplectic and contact structures. We study two problems concerning metrics compatible with such structures.First we consider the Navier-Stokes equations, which describe viscous incompressible fluids. It turns out that Reeb vector fields of cosymplectic structures are stationary solutions for all compatible metrics. We create a cosymplectic plug from a construction by Cardona, Miranda, Peralta-Salas, and Presas, which realizes Turing machines as vector fields. Their construction was originally used in contact geometry to extend these vector fields to stationary solutions of the 3D Euler equations, which model ideal (inviscid) fluids. We extend their result by embedding the plug to obtain cosymplectic Reeb fields, and thus stationary solutions to the 3D Navier-Stokes equations, capable of simulating any Turing machine.Second we study an energy functional on the space of compatible metrics, originally considered for contact manifolds by Blair as well as by Chern and Hamilton. The metrics of minimal energy for contact manifolds in dimension three have been classified. We generalize the functional and the classification to three-dimensional SHSs and find that positive energy critical metrics correspond to the algebraic Anosov flows.Finally we obtain a similar result in higher dimension when there exist certain first integrals satisfying a non-degeneracy condition. We also classify a family of five-dimensional examples of critical metrics, including some not satisfying the non-degeneracy condition.

DOCTORAL DEGREE IN COMPUTER ARCHITECTURE

CARO ROCA, MARTÍ: Efficient Tailoring of AI-based Solutions for Safety-Critical Systems
Author: CARO ROCA, MARTÍ
Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN COMPUTER ARCHITECTURE
Department: Department of Computer Architecture (DAC)
Mode: Normal
Deposit date: 10/09/2026
Reading date: 11/11/2026
Reading time: 10:00
Reading place: C6-E101
Thesis director: ABELLA FERRER, JAIME
Thesis abstract: The increasing performance of computing platforms enables the use of larger Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) that achieve the accuracy needed for real-time applications such as Camera-based Object Detection (CBOD) in Autonomous Driving (AD). While high inference accuracy is mandatory for DNNs in Critical Real-Time Embedded Systems (CRTES), memory bandwidth and energy consumption are also critical factors, often constraining the achievable performance and determining whether those DNNs meet application requirements (e.g., frames per second). Therefore, some highly accurate but large DNN models must be optimized to operate under these constraints.Moreover, automotive applications with safety requirements must adhere to standards such as ISO 26262, which impose the use of diverse redundancy for the highest integrity level (ASIL D) to mitigate common-cause faults — random hardware faults that can potentially affect redundant components similarly and remain undetected. Dual Modular Redundancy (DMR), also referred to as Dual-Core LockStep (DCLS) for CPUs, and Triple Modular Redundancy (TMR), often combined with some form of diversity, are commonly used in safety-critical systems to provide fault detection and tolerance. However, efficiently realizing diverse redundancy for DNN-based safety-related tasks, such as object detection, remains an open challenge, as these applications can leverage semantic redundancy rather than bit-level equivalence.In this thesis, we first perform an at-scale evaluation of several approximation domains to optimize DNN models. In particular, we focus on CBOD models, which are essential in AD to detect objects surrounding the vehicle. We study several techniques independently and jointly — including reduced-precision arithmetic, approximate computing, and low-voltage operation — to assess how they can be combined to significantly reduce the area, delay, and energy of AI systems. We further extend this analysis by studying the impact of weight clustering for different arithmetic representations, including floating-point and integer formats, providing insights to guide the development of low-power CBOD accelerators with negligible impact on accuracy.Next, we design an efficient diverse redundancy scheme tailored to AI applications by leveraging reduced precision. The proposed scheme operates on reduced-precision arithmetic obtained by dropping selected bits from the fetched data of the main accelerator. This enables mitigation of random hardware faults while reducing the delay, area, and energy of the redundant accelerator compared to traditional DCLS implementations, without noticeable accuracy loss.We also propose a diverse redundancy technique with a similar cost to DCLS-like implementations but with a significant accuracy increase, achieved by mitigating AI model inaccuracies and avoiding the need for specific hardware support. This scheme applies input transformations (e.g., horizontal flip or Gaussian noise) and uses merging algorithms to fuse detections from redundant components. We further evaluate its ability to mitigate adversarial attacks, allowing a single mechanism to simultaneously address random hardware faults, DNN model inaccuracies, and adversarial attacks. Finally, we show that the scheme can be generalized to other AI models and tasks, confirming that the observed conclusions and trends hold across different AI modalities.Overall, this thesis studies approximation techniques that can significantly optimize AI models for CRTES and proposes two enhanced diverse redundancy techniques: one targeting energy efficiency and another focusing on improving the accuracy of the diverse redundant system with negligible overhead.
GÜEMES PALAU, CARLOS: Performance Modeling of Computing Infrastructure Through Deep Learning
Author: GÜEMES PALAU, CARLOS
Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN COMPUTER ARCHITECTURE
Department: Department of Computer Architecture (DAC)
Mode: Normal
Deposit date: 16/09/2026
Reading date: 21/10/2026
Reading time: 10:30
Reading place: Sala C6-E106
Thesis director: CABELLOS APARICIO, ALBERTO | BARLET ROS, PERE
Thesis abstract: Network performance models, which can predict the expected performance of both existing and hypothetical networks, are a fundamental tool of the toolset of any network operator. These models can be used to operate and troubleshoot existing networks and to design new ones.Traditionally, network performance was estimated using simulators, specifically Discrete Event Simulation (DES). These kinds of simulators thoroughly encode the entire state of the network, and examine how it evolves as packets are transmitted through it. DES is sought after for its accuracy and completeness, but struggles to simulate larger networks. Alternatively, network performance can be estimated using analytical methods, such as Queuing Theory (QT) and Network Calculus (NC). These methods aim to describe the network performance through a system of equations. They offer approximate predictions at a low computational cost, but their limitations ultimately condition the use cases to which they can be applied.Recently, a new approach to network performance modeling has been gaining popularity, based on Deep Learning (DL) architectures. These can be trained on preexisting network data and, once trained, offer accurate predictions at low computational cost. Newly proposed architectures, such as those based on Graph Neural Networks (GNNs), enable more accurate models while addressing existing drawbacks. However, currently most DL network performance models struggle when deployed in real production networks. In part, this is because these network models have been designed, trained, and evaluated on simulated data. On the one hand, these models may rely on design decisions and assumptions that hold in simulated data but not in production networks, thus affecting their performance. On the other hand, simulators' predictions, while accurate, still carry a degree of error. Network performance models then propagate this error when learning from simulated samples.Thus, in this thesis, we address the challenges of deploying DL network performance models to production networks. To this purpose, we have built a testbed network to both train and evaluate our network performance model. This setup allows us to train our model with more accurate data and makes our evaluation more faithful to reality. In particular, we aim to address the following three challenges:1. How to model unknown traffic patterns: The majority of network performance models assume network traffic is described by one or several known parametric traffic distributions. However, in production networks, traffic traces are more complex, and their distribution may be unknown. In this thesis, we propose a new approach to modeling traffic traces based on signal analysis that is compatible with preexisting DL-based network modeling approaches while not assuming their distribution.2. How to model non-stationary traffic conditions: Many DL network performance models ignore the evolution of the traffic and network state over time, instead predicting the aggregate network behavior under the assumption that the network's state is stationary. This view is overly simplistic and makes these network models unsuitable for modeling more complex traffic patterns. In this thesis, we propose a new Spatio-Temporal GNN (STGNN), that enables for efficient and accurate network performance predictions whilst considering the evolution of the network state.3. How to address the lack of real data: The main driver behind the prevailing use of simulated data to train network performance models is the scarcity of captured production network data. In this thesis, we propose a novel training schema that leverages the large volume of available simulated network data to complement the limited quantity of real-world data, while minimizing the error that the former introduces in the model's predictive accuracy.
LEYVA SANTES, NEIEL ISRAEL: High Performance Network-on-Chip Designs for Open Manycore Systems
Author: LEYVA SANTES, NEIEL ISRAEL
Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN COMPUTER ARCHITECTURE
Department: Department of Computer Architecture (DAC)
Mode: Normal
Deposit date: 16/09/2026
Reading date: 26/10/2026
Reading time: 11:00
Reading place: Sala C6-E106
Thesis director: ÁLVAREZ MARTÍ, LLUC | VALLEJO GUTIÉRREZ, ENRIQUE
Thesis abstract: The transition from multicore to manycore architectures is a direct consequence of the limitations of frequency scaling and the need to sustain performance growth through parallelism. As a result, modern processors integrate an increasing number of cores within a single chip, which significantly raises the demands on on-chip communication and memory systems.In parallel, open instruction set architectures such as RISC-V have enabled the emergence of open hardware ecosystems, where full-system platforms can be designed and explored at the Register-Transfer Level (RTL). Over time, open manycore platforms have evolved from simple educational designs into more complete and scalable infrastructures, incorporating coherent memory hierarchies and Network-on-Chip (NoC) interconnects. This evolution has positioned them as promising candidates not only for reproducible architectural research, but also as realistic foundations for the design and evaluation of future high-performance computing systems. However, reaching this level of applicability requires further improvements in scalability and efficiency, particularly in communication and memory subsystems.In this context, this thesis focuses on advancing the maturity of an open manycore platform to support both architectural research and the development of high-performance computing systems. The objective is to provide a flexible and scalable infrastructure that enables detailed evaluation at the RTL while remaining representative of realistic HPC workloads and supporting system design. To achieve this, the thesis focuses on improving the communication and memory subsystems, as they play a key role in determining system scalability and overall performance. The proposed approach combines methodological and architectural contributions to reduce evaluation cost, enhance system performance, and extend platform configurability. The thesis is structured around three main contributions.First, it presents SynFull-RTL, a methodology for evaluating RTL NoC designs using traffic models derived from real application behavior. By leveraging probability-weighted sampling of execution macro-phases, this approach significantly reduces simulation time while preserving representativeness, achieving up to 40x reduction in time-to-solution.Second, the thesis introduces OpenPiton4HPC, a set of architectural extensions that improve memory bandwidth, reduce communication latency, and increase system configurability. These enhancements include support for multiple memory controllers, NoC optimizations such as router bypassing and wider links, and a tunable cache hierarchy, leading to performance improvements of up to 7.2x over the baseline.Finally, the thesis proposes GS-NoC, a hardware mechanism designed to improve communication efficiency for irregular memory access patterns in vector workloads. By coalescing memory requests at different levels of the system, GS-NoC reduces the number of NoC packets by 52% on average with respect to the Bypass configuration and achieves a geometric mean speed-up of 1.18x compared to a baseline NoC configuration.All contributions are implemented at synthesizable RTL and validated through cycle-accurate simulation, ensuring realistic evaluation and practical applicability. Overall, this work advances the design of open manycore platforms, improving their scalability and effectiveness as research and development infrastructures for future computing systems.
NIU, YUYAO: Hardware-Aware Algorithms for Efficient Graph Traversal on High-End Parallel Architectures
Author: NIU, YUYAO
Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN COMPUTER ARCHITECTURE
Department: Department of Computer Architecture (DAC)
Mode: Normal
Deposit date: 09/09/2026
Reading date: 06/11/2026
Reading time: 11:00
Reading place: Sala d'Actes B6
Thesis director: CASAS GUIX, MARC
Thesis abstract: Graph traversal is a fundamental building block in scientific computing, data analytics, and artificial intelligence. Among traversal methods, Breadth First Search (BFS) and Depth First Search (DFS) are two core primitives for higher-level graph algorithms. As graph-structured data continues to grow, efficient traversal increasingly depends on the ability to exploit high-end parallel architectures. However, modern architectures rely on structured and throughput-oriented execution engines, such as long vector processors, dense matrix accelerators, and massively parallel GPUs, whereas graph traversal exhibits irregular memory accesses, data-dependent control flow, and dynamic workloads.This dissertation argues that the performance gap between graph traversal and modern hardware arises from three major mismatches: a structural mismatch between regular execution units and irregular graph structure, a computational mismatch between arithmetic-oriented acceleration and relation-driven traversal, and an architectural mismatch between throughput-oriented parallelism and dependency-driven traversal behavior. To address these challenges, the dissertation develops a hardware-aware design paradigm in which graph traversal algorithms are reformulated according to the characteristics and constraints of the target architecture.The first contribution is ALBBA, an algebraic BFS algorithm for long vector architectures. ALBBA reformulates direction-optimized BFS using a vector-friendly sparse representation, vectorized search, and a two-level bypass mechanism. These techniques allow the key algebraic BFS operations, sparse matrix-vector multiplication (SpMV) and sparse matrix-sparse vector multiplication (SpMSpV), to better exploit long vector execution while reducing unnecessary memory accesses and redundant computation. This shows that structural irregularity can be mitigated through hardware-aware data layout and execution design.The second contribution is BerryBees, a BFS framework for Tensor Core-based GPUs. BerryBees introduces the Binarized Row Slice format, which uses bit-level representations to support both SpMV and SpMSpV within a unified data layout while reducing memory overhead. It further employs a warp-level algorithm that leverages Tensor Core matrix-multiply-accumulate instructions to accelerate traversal. This shows that relation-driven graph computation can be reorganized to exploit hardware originally designed for dense matrix operations.The third contribution is DiggerBees, a parallel DFS algorithm for massively parallel GPUs. DiggerBees introduces a two-level stack structure aligned with the GPU memory hierarchy, warp-level DFS execution within thread blocks, and hierarchical work stealing across warps and blocks. These techniques expose scalable parallelism for dependency-driven traversal and improve load balance across the GPU. This shows that DFS, despite its inherent dependencies, can be effectively adapted to throughput-oriented parallel hardware.Together, these contributions demonstrate that BFS and DFS can be effectively accelerated when their data representations, computational formulations, and execution structures are designed with architectural constraints as first-class considerations. More broadly, this dissertation establishes hardware-aware reformulation as a general methodology for rethinking irregular graph algorithms on increasingly specialized parallel hardware.
PAREDES AHUMADA, JUAN ANTONIO: Improving Data-Driven Estimations of Physical Fields in IoT Sensor Networks
Author: PAREDES AHUMADA, JUAN ANTONIO
Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN COMPUTER ARCHITECTURE
Department: Department of Computer Architecture (DAC)
Mode: Normal
Deposit date: 29/07/2026
Reading date: 15/10/2026
Reading time: 15:00
Reading place: Sala C6-E101
Thesis director: GARCÍA VIDAL, JORGE | BARCELÓ ORDINAS, JOSE MARIA
Thesis abstract: This thesis explores data-driven strategies for monitoring physical fields using (IoT} sensor networks. In doing so, we focus on improving the estimation of physical quantities at two complementary levels. First, at the local level, measurements collected at individual nodes are used to estimate a new physical quantity not previously monitored at that location, through Machine Learning (ML)-based virtual sensors. Second, at the network-wide level, spatially distributed measurements are leveraged to determine the optimal arrangement of sensors for reconstructing the whole physical field over a large area. This is achieved by formulating and solving the sensor placement problem using low-dimensional representations of the measured signal.Thus, the first part of this thesis focuses on developing virtual sensors based on proxy models that estimate non-regulated and rarely monitored pollutants, like black carbon (BC) mass concentration, from measurements of other physical variables. The relevant environmental variables are identified and the impact of different meteorological conditions, such as seasonality, on model's performance are studied as well. The evaluation of the proxy model shows how this data-driven technique may help to reduce the infrastructure cost to improve the exposure assessment in urban Mediterranean environments. Furthermore, the black carbon proxy model is coupled with low-cost sensor (LCS) nodes, addressing data quality challenges that may impact on obtaining a reliable estimate in real-world sensing scenarios, such as data noise, missing values, and varying sampling intervals. A robust machine learning proxy (RMLP) to estimate BC mass concentrations is developed. The robust proxy model incorporates key pre-processing tasks and constitutes an improvement over basic proxy models that ignore these phenomena. The second part of this thesis addresses the optimal sensor placement for signal recovery. Using spatially distributed measurements, the values of a scalar physical field are estimated at multiple locations. To do so, the measured signal is represented in terms of a low-rank structure which is exploited to significantly reduce the number of locations necessary to infer the values of the field of interest. In particular, the sensor placement problem is formulated for multiclass monitoring networks, consisting of different classes of devices with varying accuracy. The results show how the proposed algorithm is suitable for monitoring networks that present a great disparity between device noises or scenarios with a limited number of devices. Additionally, the sizing and placement problem is re-framed to achieve a more rigorous control over the reconstruction error. In consequence, the Sizing and Placement with Coordinate Reconstruction ErrorConstraint (SP-CREC) algorithm is proposed, which bounds the per-coordinate error variance of the reconstructed signal. This allows assigning specific thresholds to certain regions of interest within the network, where the error variance can be more or less restricted, according to monitoring needs. The results show that SC-CREC successfully complies with heterogeneous thresholds while deploying a low number of devices. As a whole, the proposed methods improve the monitoring capability of IoT sensor networks by enabling accurate reconstruction of physical quantities from limited sensor data under different deployment constraints.
SIRACUSA, MARCO: Hardware-Software Co-Design for Accelerating Sparse Tensor Algebra
Author: SIRACUSA, MARCO
Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN COMPUTER ARCHITECTURE
Department: Department of Computer Architecture (DAC)
Mode: Normal
Deposit date: 23/07/2026
Reading date: 14/10/2026
Reading time: 17:00
Reading place: C6-E101
Thesis director: MORETÓ PLANAS, MIQUEL | ARMEJACH SANOSA, ADRIÀ
Thesis abstract: Many modern scientific and machine learning workloads exhibit inherently sparse and irregular structure. However, traditional supercomputers and datacenters are optimized for dense, regular computation. As a result, sparse workloads use only a fraction of available system resources, leaving significant performance untapped. Although prior solutions have been proposed, they typically target narrow classes of sparse tensor algebra operations, do not fully leverage modern vector compute cores, or leave much of the programmability burden to the user, limiting widespread adoption. To address this gap, this thesis presents a hardware–software co-design for the efficient execution of general sparse tensor algebra operations. We begin by analyzing the architectural implications of sparsity across a broad range of scientific and machine learning applications. Our analysis reveals that traditional compute cores are fundamentally ill-suited to the irregular tensor traversal and coordinate merging required to operate on sparse tensor formats. Building on these insights, we design a Decoupled Access–Execute (DAE) architecture that offloads these operations to a specialized unit, the Tensor Marshaling Unit (TMU), while leaving computation on the core. We demonstrate that the resulting DAE architecture outperforms traditional CPUs and GPUs by up to an order of magnitude. To deliver these gains without exposing the complexity of DAE programming to end users, we also present Ember, a compiler that lowers sparse machine learning operations to DAE code for architectures such as TMU–CPU systems. Ember is implemented in MLIR, enabling natural integration with PyTorch and TensorFlow. By automating this mapping, Ember unlocks the full performance potential of the TMU without imposing an additional programmability burden.

DOCTORAL DEGREE IN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

DIAZ MOTTA, ARMANDO: Large Scale Wind-Powered Offshore Ammonia Production
Author: DIAZ MOTTA, ARMANDO
Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
Department: Department of Electrical Engineering (DEE)
Mode: Normal
Deposit date: 30/07/2026
Reading date: 29/10/2026
Reading time: 12:00
Reading place: Aula 28.8 Sala Conferències - ETSEIB-UPC
Thesis director: DÍAZ GONZÁLEZ, FRANCISCO | VILLA ARRIETA, MANUEL RICARDO
Thesis abstract: Hydrogen and renewable ammonia can support the decarbonization of sectors where direct electrification is not feasible, with green ammonia serving as a hydrogen carrier between renewable production areas and distant demand centers.Among the large-scale pathways proposed in recent years, green ammonia production based on renewable electricity and water electrolysis has attracted increasing attention. However, limited attention has been given to the long-term feasibility of off-grid offshore ammonia production based on SOEC electrolysis and powered entirely by offshore wind. This thesis specifically addresses this knowledge gap by investigating whether large-scale, off-grid offshore green ammonia production based on solid oxide electrolysis (SOEC), a Haber-Bosch synthesis loop (HB), and offshore wind power can become a feasible pathway by 2050.This research aims to assess the technical and long-term economic feasibility of offshore wind-based ammonia production. To this end, the thesis combines a state-of-the-art assessment with a thermodynamic steady-state model of a 3 000 tpd SOEC-Haber-Bosch ammonia plant and an integrated pseudo-dynamic framework that couples the plant, offshore wind generation, battery storage, and hydrogen buffer storage. This framework includes an economic model and a capacity optimization algorithm to minimize the levelized cost of ammonia (LCOA). The pseudo-dynamic model simulates flexible plant operation over an extended load range under site-specific wind conditions. Three offshore locations with high-quality wind resources, namely La Guajira (Colombia), the North Sea (Denmark), and the Gulf of Roses (Spain), are assessed in this thesis. The results show that, at steady state and full load, the plant requires 1 030 MW and reaches an overall efficiency of 63% on an LHV-NH3 basis, while the SOEC electrolyzer achieves 87% on an LHV-H2 basis. The Haber-Bosch loop supplies 57% of the thermal power required for feedwater evaporation in the electrolysis process. Under partial-load operation, the SOEC unit reaches minimum loads of 61% and 72% for steam conversion scenarios of 70% and 85%, respectively, with stack temperature variations within ±30 °C. Under offshore operating conditions, the overall efficiency reaches 60%, and the plant capacity factor reaches 80% at the best-performing site, about 10% below that of a conventional grid-connected ammonia plant.Regarding economic feasibility, the results indicate that La Guajira and the North Sea could achieve the lowest levelized cost of ammonia by 2050, at 472 and 436 USD t-1, respectively, whereas the Gulf of Roses remains less competitive at around 720 USD t-1.A comparison across the selected sites further shows that inflexible Haber-Bosch operation, i.e., operation at 100% load, results in only marginal production cost differences relative to flexible operation over the 10-100% load range, but increases Haber-Bosch hot-standby events, revealing a trade-off between operational stability and storage requirements.The thesis provides a techno-economic assessment framework for offshore green ammonia production, while also supporting the capacity planning of offshore renewable resources. Furthermore, the results indicate that SOEC-based offshore ammonia could become cost-competitive by 2050, provided that costs decline for floating wind and solid oxide electrolysis, and that exogenous factors such as supportive market conditions and favorable policy frameworks emerge.
MASSANA RAURICH, JOAQUIM: Data-driven methodologies to reduce energy consumption and increase flexibility in electric scenarios
Author: MASSANA RAURICH, JOAQUIM
Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
Department: Department of Electrical Engineering (DEE)
Mode: Article-based thesis
Deposit date: 30/07/2026
Reading date: 16/10/2026
Reading time: 16:00
Reading place: Aula 28.8 Sala de Conferències - ETSEIB-UPC
Thesis director: SUMPER, ANDREAS | COLOMER LLINAS, JUAN
Thesis abstract: The present thesis, entitled “Data-driven methodologies to reduce energy consumption andincrease flexibility in electric scenarios”, explores the role of AI-driven tools in advancing the operational efficiency and adaptability of distributed energy systems. It addresses the growing complexity of managing electrical infrastructures in scenarios characterized by the high integration of renewable energy sources and the increasing electrification of demand, particularly through flexible assets such as electric vehicle chargers, storage systems, and programmable industrial loads. The central aim is to develop and validate intelligent, data-oriented approaches that allow energy systems to become not only more efficient but also more responsive to market signals and grid constraints. The first article included in the thesis focuses on the implementation of an optimal scheduler within a multi-vector energy management system (MVEMS) deployed in a real-world port microgrid. This study addresses the orchestration of flexible assets: such as containercranes, EV charging stations, and battery energy storage systems, whose operations areplanned daily to minimize energy costs while maximizing the use of locally produced renewable energy. The methodology integrates forecast models, control constraints, and heuristic optimization algorithms to compute a viable hourly dispatch plan. By simulating this control strategy over a realistic dataset and infrastructure, the study demonstrates how intelligent scheduling can significantly improve local energy self-sufficiency and reduce dependency on the external grid. Special emphasis is placed on practical feasibility, using real-time data and computation-aware algorithmic configurations. The second article complements this contribution by tackling the issue of grid flexibility through demand-side participation in electricity markets. Specifically, it investigates the potential of electric vehicle charging point operators (CPOs) to act as flexibility service providers (FSPs) within local congestion management frameworks. The proposed methodology centres on forecasting the aggregated and session-level flexibility available across a network of charging stations, enabling CPOs to make market bids without compromising the quality of service offered to end users. This approach combines machine learning models with calendar, weather, and socioeconomic data, and includes user behaviour profiling to avoid reliance on private or sensitive information. Through this strategy, the study opens a pathway for urban-scale EV charging infrastructure to contribute proactively to grid stability and congestion mitigation.Together, the two studies illustrate complementary facets of how data-based artificial intelligence methodologies can be applied in practice to reduce energy consumption and enhance system flexibility. The first contributes to operational planning within a microgrid context, while the second enables strategic participation in energy markets. Despite their different focus, both approaches leverage real-world data, model system constraints, and employ machine learning or optimization to address uncertainty and enhance performance. This dual perspective reflects the multifaceted challenges of the energy transition, where operational excellence and market integration must co-evolve. Ultimately, the thesis demonstrates that artificial intelligence, when grounded in domain knowledge and implemented with practical constraints in mind, can provide robust solutions to the pressing need for more adaptive and efficient energy systems.

DOCTORAL DEGREE IN ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING

HUSSAIN, TAUSEEF: Metamaterial-inspired Flexible Microwave Resonant Structures for RFID Sensing and Shielding
Author: HUSSAIN, TAUSEEF
Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING
Department: Department of Electronic Engineering (EEL)
Mode: Article-based thesis
Deposit date: 20/07/2026
Reading date: 10/11/2026
Reading time: 12:00
Reading place: Sala de Conferències TR1 – ESEIAAT, UPC
Thesis director: GIL GALI, IGNACIO | FERNANDEZ GARCIA, RAUL
Thesis abstract: Metamaterials are artificially engineered electromagnetic structures that enable wave–matter interactions beyond those achievable with natural materials. When implemented in flexible and textile-compatible forms, metamaterial-inspired resonant structures offer unique advantages for wearable technologies, including conformability, lightweight construction, and tunable electromagnetic responses. These characteristics make them particularly attractive for wearable radio-frequency identification (RFID) sensing platforms, where sensitivity, robustness, and user safety must be addressed simultaneously. This thesis investigates the design and integration of metamaterial-inspired flexible resonant structures with RFID systems to enable sensors with enhanced performance and improved electromagnetic safety.Conventional RFID-based sensors typically rely on antenna deformation or substrate perturbation alone to transduce physical or biochemical stimuli. While effective in controlled environments, these approaches exhibit limited sensitivity and strong dependence on environmental loading in wearable scenarios. At ultra-high-frequency (UHF) bands, proximity to the human body causes impedance detuning and reduced read range reliability, whereas at microwave frequencies, increased absorption in biological tissue raises specific absorption rate (SAR) concerns. These limitations motivate the use of engineered resonant structures that offer enhanced field confinement and improved control over antenna–environment interactions.This thesis first investigates resonator-assisted passive UHF RFID sensing for biomechanical and biochemical monitoring. Electromagnetic coupling between printed UHF RFID tag antennas and compact resonant elements is exploited to enhance sensitivity beyond conventional antenna-based sensing. Meander-line resonators are integrated with RFID tags to enable displacement sensing, demonstrating reliable respiration and knee-flexion monitoring. The coupling approach is further extended to biochemical sensing through the integration of a capacitively coupled complementary split-ring resonator (CSRR) with an H-slot RFID antenna, enabling passive wireless monitoring of glucose concentration via read-range modulation.Subsequently, the thesis addresses electromagnetic stability and user safety at microwave RFID frequencies, where shorter wavelengths enable compact resonator arrays to be realized as metasurfaces. A breathable ground-grid artificial magnetic conductor (GG-AMC) is developed to mitigate body-induced detuning, suppress backward radiation, and significantly reduce SAR while preserving wearer comfort. In addition, near-field coupled metamaterial absorbers are introduced as dual-function structures that simultaneously provide electromagnetic shielding and strain-sensitive resonance modulation, enabling respiration monitoring at microwave frequencies. The core scientific contributions of this research are documented in five JCR-indexed journal articles and two peer-reviewed IEEE conference publications, and the thesis is presented as a compendium of articles.Keywords – RFID sensing, wearable sensors, microwave resonators, metasurfaces, biomechanical monitoring, biochemical sensing, artificial magnetic conductor, metamaterial absorber, electromagnetic shielding.
SOLÉ LLOVERAS, JORDI: Methods for Assessing Radiated Electromagnetic Emissions In Situ. Application to Photovoltaic Systems
Author: SOLÉ LLOVERAS, JORDI
Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING
Department: Department of Electronic Engineering (EEL)
Mode: Normal
Deposit date: 17/09/2026
Reading date: 28/10/2026
Reading time: 10:30
Reading place: Aula de Graus C4-002, campus nord UPC
Thesis director: AZPÚRUA AUYANET, MARCO AURELIO | SILVA MARTINEZ, FERNANDO
Thesis abstract: The increasing deployment of large electrical systems, renewable energy plants and power electronic installations is creating new challenges for electromagnetic compatibility assessment. Many of these systems cannot be tested in conventional EMC laboratories because they are too large, too powerful, too distributed or too dependent on their final installation conditions. As a result, radiated electromagnetic emissions must often be assessed in situ, under real operating conditions and in uncontrolled electromagnetic environments. In these scenarios, the measurement problem is no longer limited to comparing a spectrum with a limit.This thesis develops and validates methods for assessing radiated electromagnetic emissions in situ, with photovoltaic systems as the main application case. The work proposes a structured measurement methodology covering the complete assessment process, from planning and characterization of the electromagnetic environment to the selection of measurement axes and points, emissions assessment and interpretation of results. Ambient noise is addressed as one of the most frequent and difficult challenges in practical in situ radiated emission assessments. Since the measured spectrum may contain contributions from both the equipment under test and external electromagnetic sources, the interpretation process must distinguish emissions generated by the installation from those associated with the surrounding electromagnetic environment. To support this interpretation, several complementary strategies are experimentally validated, including closer distance measurements, conducted RF current measurements, reduced RBW analysis, amplitude probability distribution analysis, etc.The thesis also addresses one of the most critical open issues in practical in situ assessments: the application of radiated emission limits when the measurement distance differs from the reference distance defined by the standard. It is shown that the conversion should be applied to the emission limit rather than to the measured field level, avoiding an unintended relaxation of the permissible level. Specific H-field distance conversion factors below 30 MHz are derived from analytical equations, numerical simulations and experimental validation, and are simplified into practical expressions and tables suitable for direct use in measurement procedures and standardization documents. For E-field emissions above 30 MHz, the classical inverse distance relation is justified and its limitations are quantified.The thesis results are applied to three real photovoltaic installations with different characteristics and measurement constraints. These campaigns demonstrate the applicability of the proposed methodology under real operating conditions and show the practical difficulties associated with in situ radiated emission assessment. The results show that robust conclusions require the use of complementary techniques to determine if an installation is prone to generate interferences.Beyond the experimental validation, the thesis has been transferred to scientific publications, industrial EMC assessment activities and standardization work. The proposed methodology, the ambient noise interpretation and the H-field distance conversion factors have been presented and discussed in technical committees involved in the development of future EMC standards. Therefore, this thesis provides not only an academic and scientific contribution, but also a practical technical reference for engineers, stakeholders and technical committees involved in the application and future development of EMC standards.

DOCTORAL DEGREE IN ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

GARATACHEA SOLÉ, ROGER: Domestic and Transboundary Air Pollution across European countries: health impacts and policy implications
Author: GARATACHEA SOLÉ, ROGER
Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
Department: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (DECA)
Mode: Normal
Deposit date: 07/09/2026
Reading date: 28/10/2026
Reading time: 11:00
Reading place: UPC, Campus NordBuilding C1. Classroom: 002C/Jordi Girona, 1-308034 Barcelona
Thesis director: PEREZ GARCIA-PANDO, CARLOS | JORBA CASELLAS, ORIOL
Thesis abstract: Air pollution remains a major environmental and public health problem in Europe, despite decades of regulation and substantial improvements in air quality. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and tropospheric ozone (O3) remain two of the most harmful air pollutants. Their formation, transport, and impacts are shaped by complex interactions between local emissions, transboundary pollution, natural sources, atmospheric chemistry, and meteorology. This complexity makes it difficult to determine which sources are responsible for observed pollution levels.This thesis studies the geographical origins of O3 and both geographical and sectoral origins of PM2.5 across Europe, evaluating their implications for health impacts and air-quality governance. Using the CALIOPE regional air-quality modeling system, a tagging approach is applied to quantify domestic, transboundary, maritime, and hemispheric contributions to O3 concentrations and associated short-term mortality. For PM2.5, a perturbation-based approach combined with an observation-constrained methodology is used to quantify source contributions and their related short-term mortality impacts, which are further disaggregated by economic sector and natural sources. The thesis also assesses the feasibility of achieving the revised European Ambient Air Quality Directive PM2.5 standards by 2030 under both current legislation (CLE) and maximum feasible reduction (MFR) pathways.The findings indicate that European air pollution is strongly shaped by sources beyond the jurisdiction in which exposure occurs. For O3, hemispheric and transboundary contributions represent major components of surface concentrations across Europe, underscoring the importance of long-range transport. Consequently, the health impacts related to O3 are also largely driven by imported pollution, which accounts for 88% of all O3-attributable deaths in Europe. However, during high-ozone episodes, local and regional contributions become more relevant, suggesting that domestic and nearby emission reductions can be particularly important under peak O3 levels. For PM2.5, short-term mortality impacts are also strongly influenced by cross-border transport and by the sectoral composition of emissions. Anthropogenic emissions accounted for 55% of PM2.5-attributable deaths, with 35% of this anthropogenic burden resulting from cross-border transport within Europe. Residential combustion emerges as the main anthropogenic source, although agriculture, road transport, industry, and power generation can also make important contributions depending on the region and season.The PM2.5 compliance analysis shows that projected emission reductions are expected to substantially improve air quality by 2030, but important governance challenges will remain. CLE would enable many European air-quality zones to meet the revised PM2.5 limit values, with further improvements under MFR. However, a large share of zones reaching compliance under CLE reductions remain cooperation-dependent, requiring emission reductions in foreign countries rather than domestic action alone. Excluding natural-source contributions further increases attainment, highlighting the role of sources that are not fully controllable through national mitigation policies. These results show that remaining non-compliance reflects not only insufficient domestic action, but also transboundary dependencies, natural contributions, and the limitations of national policy instruments.Overall, this thesis demonstrates that source-resolved modelling is crucial to understand air quality results, estimate health impacts, and design effective compliance strategies. Achieving European air-quality standards will require not only ambitious emission reductions, but also coordinated international action and regulatory frameworks that explicitly account for the transboundary nature of atmospheric pollution.
PASCUA SOLÉ, LAIA: Elucidating Structure-Activity Relationships in Bimetallic Pd-Based Catalysts for Methane Oxidation Reactions via Multi-Technique Characterisation
Author: PASCUA SOLÉ, LAIA
Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
Department: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (DECA)
Mode: Normal
Deposit date: 28/07/2026
Reading date: 09/10/2026
Reading time: 11:00
Reading place: UPC, ESCOLA D'ENGINYERIA DE BARCELONA EST (EEBE)Sala Polivalent, Edifici IPlanta 0. Espai I.0.1Av. d'Eduard Maristany, 16.08019 de Barcelona
Thesis director: LLORCA PIQUE, JORDI | JIMÉNEZ DIVINS, NÚRIA
Thesis abstract: This thesis studies two methane oxidation reactions using Pd-based catalysts: total methane oxidation (MTO) for natural gas vehicles as a transition fuel, and partial methane oxidation (POM) for efficient syngas production. MTO faces issues with water poisoning and stability, while POM suffers from coke formation and long-term instability. To address these problems, the catalysts were characterized under operando and in situ reaction conditions, evaluating the effect of a second metal (Co, Ni), the support (CeO₂ vs. Al₂O₃), and the preparation method (ball milling, BM, vs. incipient wetness impregnation, IWI). In MTO (Ch. 4), catalysts on Al₂O₃, prepared by BM, and with monometallic Pd gave the best results. Co and CeO₂ stabilize the PdO phase, but an optimal PdO:Pd⁰ ratio is required. Under water vapor exposure, the bimetallic BM samples showed a stabilizing effect. In POM (Ch. 5), the PdNi-BM and PdCo-BM systems showed synergy and outperformed their IWI counterparts. PdNi-BM exhibited better overall activity and stability. BM samples kept the metals in close proximity, while IWI samples underwent metal separation and sintering. Unique Janus particles were identified in PdCo-BM. Operando characterization (Ch. 6) revealed that bimetallic BM samples had a different arrangement, explaining the observed synergy. The PdCo system displayed unexpected self-sustained oscillations in both reaction products and oxidation states under constant reaction conditions once syngas production began, correlated with the reduction of both metals. Finally (Ch. 7), the interactions were modeled using AP-HAXPES. Methane exposure created carbonaceous intermediate species and led to metal reduction. Co-containing systems reduced faster and formed fewer intermediates than Ni-containing ones, and the CeO₂ support played an active role in preventing carbonaceous adsorption.

DOCTORAL DEGREE IN MARINE SCIENCES

AGUILERA VIDAL, MARIA: Compound Rainfall-Wave Extremes in the Spanish Mediterranean: dependence structure, spatio-temporal variability, and climate change attribution
Author: AGUILERA VIDAL, MARIA
Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN MARINE SCIENCES
Department: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (DECA)
Mode: Normal
Deposit date: 04/09/2026
Reading date: 08/10/2026
Reading time: 15:00
Reading place: Place: ETSECCPBUPC, Campus NordBuilding C1. Classroom: 002C/Jordi Girona, 1-308034 Barcelona
Thesis director: JIMENEZ QUINTANA, JOSE ANTONIO
Thesis abstract: Compound coastal flooding along the Spanish Mediterranean coast is primarily driven by the interaction between intense rainfall and energetic wave storms, which constitute the dominant terrestrial and marine flood drivers in this microtidal environment. This thesis develops an integrated framework to characterize rainfall-wave compound hazards by combining observational datasets, wave reanalysis, copula-based dependence analysis, synoptic weather classification, and climate-model attribution techniques. The framework examines how compound hazards vary across space, evolve over time, respond to climate change, and generate spatially connected impacts.The results reveal a pronounced spatial organization of compound hazard. Northern Catalonia and central Valencia emerge as the main hotspots, where compound events occur more frequently, exhibit stronger statistical dependence, and systematically more intense than single-driver extremes. Temporal analyses further show that rainfall-wave dependence has strengthened over recent decades along the northern Catalan coast, increasing the synchronization between both hazards and the probability of joint extremes. This evolution is accompanied by a greater likelihood of extreme precipitation. These changes are linked to an increased frequency of the dominant synoptic configurations, particularly Mediterranean cyclones and northern-blocking situations, that favour the concurrence of heavy rainfall and energetic wave conditions.Climate-change attribution demonstrate that the most severe compound events already exhibit a detectable anthropogenic signal through the intensification of extreme precipitation, substantially increasing the likelihood of rare compound extremes under present-day climate conditions. Beyond local hazard interactions, the thesis also demonstrates that compound flooding is inherently spatially connected. The same atmospheric configurations responsible for the strongest local compound events also generate widespread impacts extending from Catalonia to central Valencia, with Storm Gloria (January 2020) representing a characteristic example of this synoptic regime.Overall, this thesis demonstrates that compound coastal flood hazard in the western Mediterranean cannot be adequately understood using a single-driver, stationary, or purely local approaches. Instead, robust hazard assessment requires explicitly accounting for multivariate and evolving hazard conditions partly influenced by anthropogenic climate change, as well as for the spatial connectivity among driving processes across the region and the role of large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns. The integrated framework developed here provides a transferable methodology for improving compound flood assessments, supporting climate-resilient coastal planning, and advancing the understanding of compound coastal hazards in Mediterranean and other microtidal, wave-dominated environments.
MURILLO GOMEZ, NELSON ENRIQUE: COASTAL HAZARDS, RISKS AND ADAPTATION IN THE BARRA DE SALAMANCA (COLOMBIA)
Author: MURILLO GOMEZ, NELSON ENRIQUE
Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN MARINE SCIENCES
Department: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (DECA)
Mode: Normal
Deposit date: 16/07/2026
Reading date: 23/10/2026
Reading time: 11:00
Reading place: Place: ETSECCPBUPC, Campus NordBuilding C2. Classroom: 212C/Jordi Girona, 1-308034 Barcelona
Thesis director: JIMENEZ QUINTANA, JOSE ANTONIO
Thesis abstract: Coastal sandbars are generally elongated landforms that provide protection to environmental, socioeconomic, and infrastructural ecosystems from extreme events, but are highly sensitive to morphodynamic changes driven by natural and anthropogenic processes. This is further complicated by the uncertainty Surrounding the expected sea-level rise in the coming years. These dynamics generate pressures and motivate land managers to understand the genesis of their morphological evolution, the physical agents that modulate it, the risks associated with the diversity of their exposed ecosystems within a tolerance limit, and to propose sustainable adaptation measures for the future.This research reconstructs the morphological evolution of the Salamanca coastal sandbar (Colombia), located within a national and international conservation park, over the last 40 years, the physical agents present at decadal and episodic scales, and the assessment of threats associated with erosion and flooding. Understanding the past and considering sea level rise projections to 2050, a projected area susceptible to damage was identified. Within this area, the exposure and vulnerability of the exposed elements were assessed, and this, when integrated with the threats, allowed for the estimation of environmental, physical, and socioeconomic risks. Recognizing that risk cannot be eliminated because it is intrinsic to coastal development, we have proposed a model of tolerable risk levels and a list of adaptation measures grouped into strategies according to their implications for the coastal zone. The results showed that the sandbar is decreasing its sediment transport rates, indicating a search for morphological equilibrium. However, erosion rates of around -20 m/a at the most critical points are deteriorating environmental services. This, combined with storm impacts and the increasing construction of hard infrastructure, has worsened and increased the exposure of the main land-based infrastructure connecting the region's most important towns with the interior of the country. This is putting commercial and tourism activities at risk. The communities located in these areas are in highly vulnerable socioeconomic conditions, generating pressure on the coastline that requires urgent intervention. The tolerable risk for environmental, physical infrastructure, and socioeconomic factors was established according to the degree of impact on the exposed element, its loss of natural value, and the resulting repercussions on the quality of life of the inhabitants. This criterion facilitates a balance of sustainable development between the inhabitants and their environment. The risk reduction strategies demonstrated that acting alone does not achieve tolerable risks, and only a comprehensive strategy allows us to approach the proposed objectives. Prompt action is needed to reduce uncertainty and increase objectivity about the expected future. We conclude that the methodology developed allowed us to understand what has happened, why, under what conditions the threats have evolved, the morphological evolution, the risk typologies, what could happen, and how to reduce the probability of the expected changes. We believe this methodological process can be replicated and adapted to any coastal area with the specific characteristics required. keywords: morphology, risks, adaptation measures.

DOCTORAL DEGREE IN MECHANICAL, FLUIDS AND AEROSPACE ENGINEERING

MACERATESI, FILIPPO: Personalized musculoskeletal modeling for predictive gait simulation in individuals with spinal cord injury
Author: MACERATESI, FILIPPO
Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN MECHANICAL, FLUIDS AND AEROSPACE ENGINEERING
Department: Department of Mechanical Engineering (EM)
Mode: Normal
Deposit date: 09/09/2026
Reading date: 16/10/2026
Reading time: 15:00
Reading place: Aula Capella de l’ETSEIB
Thesis director: FONT LLAGUNES, JOSEP MARIA | FEBRER NAFRÍA, MÍRIAM
Thesis abstract: Predictive simulations of human gait based on musculoskeletal models have great potential to support clinical decision-making processes. In fact, if we were able to model the effects of different treatments or assistive devices within this predictive tool, it would allow us to test various “what-if” scenarios in advance and identify the one with the greatest potential to maximize therapy outcomes for a specific patient. For patients with spinal cord injury (SCI), predictive gait simulations could help design subject-specific treatments and rehabilitation strategies. To employ predictive simulations in clinical applications, it is fundamental that the musculoskeletal models used in such simulations represent as closely as possible the studied patients. For this reason, high levels of personalization are needed when developing such musculoskeletal models. Therefore, the main aim of the thesis is to develop and evaluate personalized musculoskeletal models within predictive gait simulations to assess whether we are capable of reproducing subject-specific gait of individuals with SCI. The first study aims to investigate the effects of different muscle-tendon parameters calibration approaches in both tracking and predictive simulations in three healthy subjects. In the tracking simulations, the functionally-calibrated models led to more accurate joint torques estimations. Including gait in the calibration problems improved the knee torques accuracy, compared to the baseline calibration. Regarding the gait predictive simulations, the non-linearly scaled models consistently yielded more accurate subtalar inversion/eversion torques and knee flexion angles, compared to the functionally-calibrated models. The results suggest that, while the functionally-calibrated models led to more accurate joint torques estimations in the tracking simulations, they did not outperform the non-linearly scaled models in the fully-predictive gait simulations. The second study aims to assess whether our predictive simulation framework, combined with different levels of personalization, can capture and distinguish the subject-specific gait features of four SCI patients, rather than predicting a generic assisted gait. The results suggest that our predictive simulation framework is able to reproduce certain gait metrics of specific individuals with SCI, although the level of agreement varied across metrics and subjects. However, the predicted inter-subject variability of the kinematics was generally statistically lower than the experimental one. When comparing subjects pairwise, in some cases, the predictive simulations were able to capture the similarities or discrepancies in kinematics and gait metrics between two individuals.The third study aims to estimate and analyze joint stiffness profiles in three subjects with SCI during gait, and test muscle-tendon parameters calibrated based on reference stiffness values in predictive gait simulations. Overall, the estimated joint stiffness profiles appeared biomechanically consistent when analyzing them with respect to the gait events and EMG signals. The EMG-driven models matched more accurately the reference torques and stiffness in the ankle and hip joints compared to the knee. Furthermore, in the predictive simulations, the two musculoskeletal models yielded very similar results; however, the one calibrated with both stiffness and torque data predicted higher ankle stiffness profiles that more closely matched the reference values.

DOCTORAL DEGREE IN PHOTONICS

BERTINI, RICCARDO: Optoelectronic probes of quantum geometry and out-of-equilibrium phenomena in graphene moiré superlattices
Author: BERTINI, RICCARDO
Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN PHOTONICS
Department: Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO)
Mode: Normal
Deposit date: 04/09/2026
Reading date: 19/10/2026
Reading time: 15:00
Reading place: ICFO Auditorium and online https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/37702063406311?p=EhmAHeAf87Czedf9Gy
Thesis director: KOPPENS, FRANK | KRISHNA KUMAR, ROSHAN
Thesis abstract: Two-dimensional moiré superlattices have opened a new era in quantum materials, as they provide a versatile platform for engineering electronic bands and accessing correlated and topological phases. Their intrinsically narrow minibands, achieved by twisting or aligning atomically thin two-dimensional crystals, favor strong electronic interactions. Additionally, electrostatic gating further enables in situ control of carrier density, bandwidth, and bandgaps, stabilizing a wide range of quantum phases, including superconductivity, correlated insulating states, ferromagnetism, and Chern and fractional Chern insulators.Most experimental knowledge of these systems has come from quantum transport, scanning-probe, or optical experiments in the linear-response regime. This work extends the experimental toolbox by employing cryogenic nonlinear optoelectronic methods. By applying such techniques to graphene moiré materials, we probe two regimes that remain difficult to access with conventional experiments: the quantum geometry of interacting flat bands and the out-of-equilibrium states generated by large in-plane currents.Using terahertz radiation resonant with the flat bands of magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene (MATBG), we observe a polarization-resolved photocurrent whose principal axis rotates abruptly whenever the carrier density reaches an integer filling of the moiré Brillouin zone. We identify this response as a shift current, a second-order photocurrent governed by the interband quantum geometry. Microscopically, the effect arises from the interplay between extrinsic symmetry breaking of the moiré crystal, attributed to alignment with hexagonal boron nitride or strain, and Hartree-driven reconstruction of the MATBG flat bands. We further present preliminary mid-infrared photocurrent measurements aimed at resolving the spatial distribution of these broken-symmetry states.The second part of this work investigates the nonlinear current–voltage response of bilayer graphene aligned to hexagonal boron-nitride under large in-plane bias. Using dual-gated devices, we map the density and displacement-field dependence of the out-of-equilibrium critical transition that occurs when single-band transport breaks down, accompanied by negative differential conductance (NDC). The critical current scales with the miniband bandwidth, a relation verified across multiple devices and moiré systems. By combining temperature-dependent measurements with Boltzmann-transport simulations, we find evidence for strong electronic overheating at the transition, followed by the formation of an electron–hole plasma in which electron–hole collisions dominate the transport response. Scanning photocurrent microscopy at 4 K reveals that the transition is localized in a bulk hotspot; at the bistable threshold near the NDC regime, this hotspot also acts as the active region for single-photon detection.Together, these results demonstrate the value of optoelectronic probes for investigating moiré quantum materials, and open multiple directions for future study. Polarization-resolved terahertz photocurrent spectroscopy provides access to the quantum geometry of correlated moiré bands, whereas high-bias transport offers a direct handle on superlattice dispersion and nonequilibrium carrier dynamics. These techniques are readily applicable to a vast range of materials. Additionally, our findings pave the way for novel optoelectronic devices based on moiré materials operating at long wavelengths.
HALDANKAR, RAJASHREE: Strain-Induced Buckling in Suspended Graphene–hBN and Ferroelectric Moiré Domains in Twisted hBN
Author: HALDANKAR, RAJASHREE
Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN PHOTONICS
Department: Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO)
Mode: Normal
Deposit date: 03/09/2026
Reading date: 13/10/2026
Reading time: 10:00
Reading place: ICFO Auditorium
Thesis director: BACHTOLD, ADRIAN
Thesis abstract: This thesis investigates the mechanical and electrostatic behaviour of van der Waals heterostructures based on graphene and hexagonal boron nitride (hBN). The work is centred on two related questions: how fabrication-induced strain affects suspended graphene–hBN devices, and how scanning-probe measurements can be used to study moiré domains in twisted hBN. The first part of the thesis focuses on suspended graphene–hBN heterostructures. These devices were fabricated by dry transfer onto pre-patterned trenches, followed by suspension release using supercritical CO2 drying. After release, the suspended stacks did not remain flat, but instead developed smooth out of-plane buckled profiles. Atomic force microscopy measurements show that this buckling is consistent with built-in compressive strain introduced during fabrication. Thermal-expansion mismatch, transfer-induced stress, and clamping at the contacts are all likely to contribute to the final mechanical state. Electrical measurements under gate bias further show that electrostatic loading softens the upward-buckled configuration and can drive a snap-through transition into a downward-buckled state. In the present devices, this transition is observed from the up state to the down state, while controlled switching back to the up state is not demonstrated. The second part of the thesis studies sliding ferroelectricity in marginally twisted hBN. In these devices, the small relative twist between the hBN layers produces a reconstructed moiré pattern formed by alternating stacking domains. Kelvin probe force microscopy was used to measure the local electrostatic response of these domains. Bias-dependent measurements show that the two domain types have distinct Kelvin- null positions, with an untwisted hBN reference region lying approximately between them. The comparison between first- and second-harmonic responses supports the interpretation that the observed domain contrast is mainly governed by local contact-potential differences rather than by purely capacitive variations. The KPFM domain image is also analysed as a real-space map of the reconstructed moiré network. Representative domain centres are extracted from the image and used to quantify the local moiré geometry. This analysis provides a moiré-scale description of local wavelength, effective twist variation, and network disorder. These quantities are interpreted as geometrical descriptors of the reconstructed domain pattern, not as direct measurements of atomic-scale strain. Overall, this thesis shows that strain, electrostatics, and interfacial polarisation are central to the behaviour of graphene–hBN and twisted-hBN heterostructures. The suspended graphene–hBN devices demonstrate how residual strain controls mechanical stability and electrostatic actuation, while the twisted-hBN measurements show how KPFM can be used to study moiré domains. Together, these results provide a basis for future studies of strain-controlled nanomechanics and electrostatic domain mapping in two-dimensional materials.
RUÍZ GONZÁLEZ, JOSÉ JAVIER: Development of computational tools and pipelines for enhanced interpretation of Raman spectroscopy in biomedical applications
Author: RUÍZ GONZÁLEZ, JOSÉ JAVIER
Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN PHOTONICS
Department: Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO)
Mode: Normal
Deposit date: 07/07/2026
Reading date: 14/10/2026
Reading time: 10:00
Reading place: ICFO Auditorium
Thesis director: LOZA ALVAREZ, PABLO
Thesis abstract: Raman spectroscopy has gained increasing attention over the last few decades due to its ability to non-destructively extract chemical information from samples. However, despite advances in instrumentation, it has not yet become standard practice in the biomedical field. One of the main reasons is the difficulty in interpreting and extracting the chemical information encoded in Raman signal, so as to validate the technique using complementary, well established techniques.Considering this, the aim of this Thesis is to develop tools and analytical pipelines that enhance the biochemical interpretation of Raman spectra, and to demonstrate its usefulness in two relevant biomedical research lines: breast cancer resistance to neoadjuvant treatments and the diagnosis of choroidal melanoma.Firstly, we developed and validated RamanBiolib, an open-source Raman spectral library accompanied by search algorithms, aimed at providing rapid and objective identification of biomolecules. Secondly, we used RamanBiolib after spectral unmixing to identify and quantify cytochrome c molecule in breast cancer cells resistant to neoadjuvant treatments. This revealed a shift towards its reduced state to avoid apoptosis and acquire drug resistance. Then we also characterized lipid droplets in triple-negative breast cancer cells, highlighting the relevance of variable importance analysis in classification models. This approach allows for the biochemical interpretation of their classification performance and assessing possible background contributions to their accuracy. By doing so, significant changes in lipid unsaturation were detected. Furthermore, we developed RamanTF, a transformer-based algorithm that automatically quantifies key biomolecules from raw spectra.Finally, to study melanin-rich samples, we defined a pre-processing and analysis workflow to correct instrumental interferences that were observed in previous studies, but not corrected yet. With this established workflow, key melanin properties were identified, such as melanin structural disorder or defects abundance, which can be used as biomarkers to diagnose choroidal melanomas. Overall, the tools, discussions, and results presented in this Thesis advance Raman spectroscopy towards clinical application and provide a basis for its widespread adoption as a routine technique in biomedical and diagnostic research.

DOCTORAL DEGREE IN POLYMERS AND BIOPOLYMERS

NARANJO TOVAR, DAVID ALEJANDRO: Multifunctional Hydrogels for Applications in Water Purification and (Bio)Sensors: A Theoretical and Experimental Approach
Author: NARANJO TOVAR, DAVID ALEJANDRO
Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN POLYMERS AND BIOPOLYMERS
Department: Department of Chemical Engineering (EQ)
Mode: Normal
Deposit date: 16/09/2026
Reading date: 16/10/2026
Reading time: 11:15
Reading place: ESCOLA D'ENGINYERIA BARCELONA ESTC/Eduard Maristany, 16 (08019 Barcelona)EDIFICI A planta 0, SALA POLIVALENThttps://meet.google.com/pmv-fbdf-omu
Thesis director: TORRAS COSTA, JUAN | GARCÍA TORRES, JOSÉ MANUEL
Thesis abstract: This doctoral thesis develops multifunctional hydrogel platforms for water purification and soft (bio)sensing through the combined use of computational modeling, materials synthesis, physicochemical characterization, and device-oriented testing. The work examines how polymer-network architecture, hydration, functional additives, and interfacial transport can be deliberately coordinated to obtain properties that are not available from the individual components alone.Chapter 3 introduces SuSi, a Python-based program for constructing linear and chemically crosslinked polymer systems as physically meaningful initial structures for molecular simulations. Artificial-intelligence tree-search algorithms are used to guide chain growth and crosslink formation, while structural descriptors provide practical criteria for evaluating network connectivity and construction quality. The generated models support the molecular-level studies developed in the subsequent chapters.Chapter 4 addresses the rational design of multifunctional hydrogels. First, experimental spectroscopy and atomistic and hybrid simulations are combined to determine how PEDOT nanoparticles modify the volume phase transition and hydration microenvironment of PNIPAAm-based hydrogels. The analysis is then extended to PNnPAAm, PNIPAAm, and PNIPMAAm to establish how polymer side-chain architecture governs the interaction of thermoresponsive networks with PEDOT and water. A complementary agarose platform is also developed in which carbon quantum dots are covalently incorporated through divinyl sulfone. In this system, the quantum dots act as structural nodes, photothermal components, and local hydration-regulating interfaces, linking network organization and water state to evaporation behavior.Chapter 5 translates these design principles into water-purification technologies. PNIPAAm–alginate hydrogels containing PEDOT nanoparticles are investigated as solar-driven evaporators, with emphasis on the relationship between thermoresponsive contraction, porosity, water state, and desalination performance. In parallel, agarose–tannic acid–PEDOT:PSS hydrogels are subsequently optimized as hydrated coatings for capacitive-deionization electrodes, where their porosity, wettability, mechanical stability, and electrochemical activity promote ion transport and sustained desalination operation.Chapter 6 develops chitosan–agarose hydrogel films for sensing applications. PEDOT:PSS is used to produce recyclable resistive temperature sensors for hydrated and skin-compatible operation. In situ polymerization of polypyrrole creates percolated mixed ionic–electronic networks for metal-free hydrogen peroxide detection. Finally, hierarchical silver microstructures are incorporated to obtain mechanically tunable, antibacterial hydrogen peroxide sensors, with glycerol plasticization providing complementary control over deformability and analytical response.The central contribution of this thesis lies in showing that hydrogel performance can be rationally tuned by treating network architecture, hydration, and functional additives as interdependent design variables. By combining molecular modeling with experimental validation, the work connects microscopic interactions with macroscopic behavior across solar desalination, capacitive deionization, temperature sensing, and hydrogen peroxide detection. This integrated perspective provides a basis for developing adaptable hydrogel systems in which transport, mechanical compliance, photothermal activity, and electrochemical response can be deliberately balanced for water-treatment and soft-sensing technologies.

DOCTORAL DEGREE IN SIGNAL THEORY AND COMMUNICATIONS

MA, ZHONGMIN: Flood Extent, Water Level, and Surface Water Storage Retrieval Using Spaceborne GNSS Reflectometry
Author: MA, ZHONGMIN
Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN SIGNAL THEORY AND COMMUNICATIONS
Department: Department of Signal Theory and Communications (TSC)
Mode: Change of supervisor + Article-based thesis
Deposit date: 08/09/2026
Reading date: 16/10/2026
Reading time: 09:00
Reading place: Conference Room, Center for Earth Science and Satellite Big Data, 2nd Floor, Yanbo Garden, Yanta Campus.Meet: https://meet.google.com/bzw-sbac-vra
Thesis director: CAMPS CARMONA, ADRIANO JOSE | PARK, HYUK | ZHANG, SHUANGCHENG
Thesis abstract: Floods are among the most frequent and destructive natural hazards worldwide. Driven by climate change and increasing human activities, the frequency and severity of flood events have increased significantly, highlighting the need for high-resolution and all-weather flood monitoring methods to improve early warning and emergency response capabilities.Spaceborne GNSS reflectometry (GNSS-R) is an emerging microwave remote sensing technique that exploits reflected GNSS signals from the Earth’s surface to retrieve geophysical parameters at a global scale. With advantages including all-weather capability, continuous observation, and low cost, spaceborne GNSS-R shows great potential for flood monitoring. However, several challenges remain, including limited studies using multi-constellation GNSS-R observations, insufficient quantitative assessment of flood severity, and relatively coarse spatiotemporal resolution of existing flood products.This thesis focuses on the retrieval of flood extent, water level, and surface water storage using spaceborne GNSS-R. The main contributions are summarized as follows:(1) The sensitivity of multi-constellation GNSS-R observations to surface parameters was investigated. Results show that reflected signals from GPS, BeiDou, and Galileo exhibit comparable quality and consistent sensitivity to soil moisture, while surface reflectivity increases nonlinearly with increasing soil moisture. The results also demonstrate that passive microwave-derived roughness parameters cannot adequately characterize small-scale surface roughness effects in spaceborne GNSS-R observations.(2) To overcome the limitation of threshold-based GNSS-R flood detection methods that only provide binary inundation information, a physically based calibration approach incorporating L-band brightness temperature data was developed. A surface water fraction retrieval model was established to quantitatively estimate flood intensity and inundated fractions.(3) A new method was proposed for water level retrieval by integrating high-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) with GNSS-R-derived flood extent information. The method estimates water levels from elevations along water boundaries and has been successfully applied to both flood level retrieval and long-term monitoring of lakes and reservoirs.(4) A method for estimating surface water storage was developed by integrating topographic data with GNSS-R-derived surface water observations. Compared with traditional satellite gravimetry missions such as GRACE and GRACE-FO, this approach directly utilizes surface observations and provides surface water storage estimates with improved spatiotemporal resolution.Overall, this thesis expands the application capability of spaceborne GNSS-R for quantitative flood monitoring and provides new approaches for estimating surface water dynamics, contributing to the development of advanced Earth observation methods for flood risk assessment and management.

DOCTORAL DEGREE IN SUPPLY CHAIN AND OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT

VIDES PRADO, ANDRÉS DAVID: Estrategia sostenible para proyectos de suministro eléctrico en comunidades rurales. Caso de estudio La Guajira.
Author: VIDES PRADO, ANDRÉS DAVID
Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN SUPPLY CHAIN AND OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT
Department: Department of Management (OE)
Mode: Change of supervisor
Deposit date: 30/07/2026
Reading date: 19/10/2026
Reading time: 14:00
Reading place: Videoconferència
Thesis director: DOMÉNECH LÉGA, BRUNO
Thesis abstract: This doctoral thesis develops a comprehensive strategy for planning rural electrification programs in isolated communities, using the department of La Guajira, Colombia, as a case study. Within the framework of the energy transition process, many generation and transmission projects aim to strengthen the National Interconnected System (SIN); however, they do not always consider access to energy for Indigenous communities, particularly in non-interconnected zones (ZNI). This thesis recognises electricity as a driver of human development and proposes approaching its planning as a sustainable process that integrates technical, economic, environmental, social, and institutional dimensions. The methodological framework incorporates multi-criteria decision-making tools, technical simulation, and community participation mechanisms to ensure that decision-making reflects local priorities, Indigenous worldviews, and community capacities, while also considering the expectations of stakeholders. The results constitute methodological and empirical contributions that fully address sustainable rural electrification planning. First, a review of the specialised literature identified four knowledge gaps that limit rural electrification programs. Second, a sociocultural diagnosis of the Wayuu indigenous population in La Guajira was developed through fieldwork. Third, a multi-criteria evaluation model was constructed, integrating fifteen criteria across five dimensions with weights assigned by communities, experts, and local government leaders, to select the most appropriate electrification alternative. Fourth, a four-stage redesign methodology was proposed to evaluate existing projects and develop expansion strategies that improve supply and leverage current infrastructure. Fifth, a methodology for the multidimensional impact assessment of electrification is proposed, which, through a five-stage process, gathers the benefits perceived by communities while identifying evidence-based improvement actions. Finally, a pilot rural electrification program, eligible for funding, was formulated, integrating the products of this research project into a real-world intervention for the region. Taken together, the contributions of this research seek to contribute to the planning of more robust and appropriate electrification programs, offering replicable strategies adaptable to other regions of the world.Keywords: Rural electrification, Sustainability, Energy transition, Multi-criteria decision-making, Community participation.

DOCTORAL DEGREE IN THEORY AND HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE

TANOK, MERVE TUBA: Feminist political ecology of the right to the city: production of space in Istanbul (2000–2020)
Author: TANOK, MERVE TUBA
Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN THEORY AND HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE
Department: Department of History and Theory of Architecture and Communication Techniques (THATC)
Mode: Normal
Deposit date: 09/09/2026
Reading date: pending
Reading time: pending
Reading place: pending
Thesis director: MUXI MARTINEZ, ZAIDA | HERNÁNDEZ FALAGÁN, DAVID
Thesis abstract: Abstract This thesis examines the production of urban space in Istanbul between 2000 and 2020 through the perspective of feminist political ecology and the right to the city. The study argues that urban transformation processes in Istanbul during the examined period have been shaped by neoliberal and neoconservative urban policies together with patriarchal and hegemonic masculine relations of power. Accordingly, urban space is approached not as a neutral physical environment, but as a gendered socio spatial structure that reproduces inequality, exclusion and ecological destruction. The theoretical framework of the study is grounded on feminism, feminist political ecology and the concept of the right to the city. In this regard, the thesis analyses the relation between gender, power, ecology and urbanisation by focusing on how spatial organisation reflects and materialises ideological structures. The study also discusses the production of phallic space and examines how urban transformation processes normalise gendered hierarchies through architecture, planning policies and everyday life practices. Methodologically, the research is designed as a qualitative study based mainly on critical literature review and interpretative urban analysis. Various qualitative materials including academic literature, institutional reports, statistics, newspapers, visual materials, photographs and interviews are analysed in order to investigate the socio spatial dynamics of Istanbul’s urban transformation. Within this framework, the thesis particularly focuses on large scale urban projects and neoconservative housing developments as representative cases of the production of gendered urban space. The findings of the study demonstrate that the production of urban space in Istanbul has increasingly operated through commodification, socio spatial segregation, ecological destruction and patriarchal spatial organisation. Mega projects, gated communities and neoliberal urban policies have contributed to the transformation of the city into a fragmented and unequal urban structure. Simultaneously, these processes have reshaped everyday life, mobility, public space and relations with nature according to dominant ideological and economic priorities. Finally, the thesis discusses future perspectives regarding the reclaiming of the city through ecological awareness, equality, collective participation and emancipatory urban praxis. In this sense, the study argues for the necessity of alternative forms of urban production that prioritise care, democratic participation, ecological sustainability and socio spatial justice. Keywords: feminist political ecology, right to the city, production of space, Istanbul, gender, urban transformation, neoliberal urbanism, spatial justice

Last update: 08/10/2026 06:45:06.