Paul Beasley Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Arts: Engineering Physics/English MMIC (Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit) Design Engineer

I chose to study physics because I knew that instead of being purely trained for a job, I would be encouraged to learn, understand and develop skills to investigate the physical world. Physics turned out to be a good choice because I was able to study many different fields, from electronics to semiconductor physics, lasers and photonics as well as the theoretical subjects like quantum mechanics and relativity. I’ve found that in my job I’ve been able to apply a lot of what I’ve learnt, such as semiconductor physics and laser applications.

My career has only just started. I’ve had previous work experience at CSIRO and I spent six months working at Redfern Integrated Optics as part of my Engineering Physics degree. I now work at MMIC. I design integrated circuits for microwave radio applications. An example is designing point to point links between mobile phone reception towers, military radar and broadband telecommunication data links. As part of my job I design amplifier and related circuits at up to 40GHz frequencies. I organise to have prototypes of the circuits manufactured in GaAs semiconductor foundries, and collaborate with customers while trying to meet the market’s needs.

I would recommend studying physics because it teaches a broad range of subjects and encourages students to learn and develop skills in understanding the physical world.

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