Researchers developed a heat-venting ceramic metastructure with high terahertz shielding efficiency, combining material modification and structural design. The metastructure exhibited multifunctional characteristics, including hydrophobic and antifouling surfaces and excellent heat dissipation capabilities.
EPFL researchers have developed ultra-thin silicon structures that can rapidly tune their interaction with mid-infrared light, enabling faster communications and more sensitive detectors. The devices achieve record optical performance and can be controlled in real-time using electrical currents or ultrafast laser pulses.
Researchers discovered hidden repeating patterns in seemingly disordered nanostructures, allowing for faster and more accurate analysis and design of metasurfaces. This breakthrough enables the development of next-generation optical devices, including AR and VR components and high-performance metalenses.
Researchers at Pohang University of Science and Technology have developed a speaker system that can deliver sound to a single listener, using dual-domain metamaterials and a compact ultrasonic transducer. The system achieves highly directional audio generation, focusing sound at the front and blocking parasitic noise at the back.
Researchers at MIT developed bifur-circuits, a new type of shape-changing smart device that can be reconfigured to form different shapes and maintain electrical connections. These interactive building blocks can be used to create adaptable smart devices, such as assistive furniture and reconfigurable robotic grippers.
Researchers designed a compact, optically addressed programmable metasurface using VO2-based phase change materials. The device enables pixel-level independent encoding and dynamic generation of THz wavefronts for various applications including zoom meta-lensing, vortex beams, and holography.
Researchers created a cascaded metasurface absorber composite that overcomes fundamental trade-offs in LF microwave absorption materials. The novel design achieves exceptional absorption across P- to C-bands at an ultra-thin thickness of 3.78 mm, with outstanding angular stability and stealth capability.
Researchers propose a new design principle for nonlocal metamaterials that precisely control vibrations and waves, enabling precise control over wave propagation and motion. The proposed technology is expected to serve as a foundational platform for next-generation vibration control and high-performance sensing technologies.
Researchers have developed micro-flowers that focus applied magnetic fields into central regions, increasing local field strength and enabling imaging of previously inaccessible systems. This innovation expands the range of applications for nanoscale magnetic microscopy, including spintronics and nanometric materials.
Researchers stabilize fractional orbital angular momentum modes by confining them into stable integer-charged composite states. This 'locally fractional, globally integer' behavior provides a new route to control fractional vortices.
A new study from the University of Groningen shows that properly characterizing 3D-printed materials is key to predicting their behavior. The researchers successfully designed and manufactured structures that exhibited excellent vibration attenuation and other exotic properties.
A Korean research team created an underwater acoustic lens capable of focusing sound precisely at a desired point while reducing weight by about 40% compared to conventional designs. The findings have significant implications for underwater communication, marine environmental monitoring, and acoustic energy transfer.
Researchers have developed a soft, custom-molded acoustic contact lens that actively corrects outgoing sound waves before they pass through an autonomous drone's protective shell. The lens boosts sonar signal strength by up to 10 decibels while cutting background reverberation without draining extra battery power.
Kirigami researchers create twisty structures for flexible robotic components and soft actuators, exploiting geometrical design to enable rotation under stretching. The unique mechanical properties of these kirigami materials offer new potential applications in robotics and engineering.
A digital 'super-brain' with physics-based knowledge significantly speeds up the design and development of optical components, such as those for quantum computers and camera lenses. By integrating physical principles into machine learning algorithms, researchers reduce simulation time from months to days.
Scientists have developed a new method to manipulate heat transfer using carefully engineered metamaterials, boosting it by up to four times. This breakthrough could lead to more efficient cooling strategies for electronic devices, improved thermophotovoltaic systems, and enhanced sensing technologies.
A research team has successfully realized a non-Hermitian higher-order Weyl exceptional ring semimetal in a lossy acoustic metamaterial. The material hosts Weyl exceptional rings with dual topological charges, giving rise to Fermi arc surface states and surface-dependent skin effect.
A team of researchers at Penn State designed a system that can manipulate sound waves to produce high-quality audio in a precise, private area. The 3D-printed speaker cover uses acoustic metasurfaces to focus sound into a tight 'bubble' that is only audible within a small space.
The study reveals that Chinese characters exhibit unique mechanical properties due to their geometric structures. The researchers found that curves, crossbeams, and gradation in the characters improve the material's stiffness and flexibility.
Rice University scientists have created a new type of two-dimensional semiconductor that exhibits no distortions, allowing for efficient energy transfer. The material's performance is an order of magnitude better than previously reported perovskites, making it suitable for applications such as solar cells and tandem devices.
Researchers at North Carolina State University have demonstrated how magnets influence the behavior of metamaterials, allowing for controlled unfolding and reduction of randomness. The study also shows potential applications in energy absorption and guiding wave propagation.
A single-layer dielectric metasurface uses Möbius-inspired polarization-path inversion to achieve versatile control of light in both forward and backward directions. The device encodes six independent optical channels, including three combinations of wavelength and polarization states.
Roadside radar sensors like EyeDAR enhance automotive radar systems by capturing reflections from obstacles, reducing blind spots and improving sensing accuracy. This technology has potential applications in robots, drones, and wearable platforms, complementing artificial intelligence with analog design.
A team of researchers used high-speed imaging to investigate soft solids sliding on rigid substrates, discovering that squeaking emerges from supersonic detachment pulses. The study found a relationship between surface geometry and the repetition rate of these pulses, impacting frictional resistance.
New insights from the University of Groningen reveal how the size and arrangement of building blocks affect the mechanical properties of metamaterials. This knowledge can be used to design safer, longer-lasting implants, robotic hands, and energy absorbers.
Researchers at Pohang University of Science & Technology developed a secure hologram platform that stores information using the wavelength of light and spacing between metasurface layers. The technology enables information processing using light alone, without electrical power or electronic chips.
By changing the physical structure of gold, researchers can drastically change its interaction with light, leading to enhanced electronic behavior and improved absorption of light energy. This study demonstrates the potential of nanoporous gold as a new design parameter for engineering materials in advanced technologies.
Researchers develop origami-inspired robotic grippers for efficient handling of complex objects, enabling improved logistics and automation in the automotive sector. The project aims to reduce costs, time, and material consumption, contributing to environmentally sustainable solutions.
Researchers developed a new 'frequency-multiplexed elastic metasurface' that can precisely direct elastic waves at distinct frequencies onto different locations, enhancing signal intensity by up to 48 times. This technology breaks the conventional belief that one structure can perform only one function.
A new metamaterial design enables real-time stiffness visualization and self-sensing capabilities, paving the way for intelligent systems. The research team created a linear relationship between stiffness and active hinges, allowing for precise tuning and adaptation in mechanical systems.
A team of researchers created a metamaterial that can transfer sound waves between air and water. The device, made from aluminum and steel plates, works by passing vibrations through its structure to facilitate communication between underwater and airborne vehicles.
Researchers have developed a micro-dynamic multiple encryption device that can hide, rewrite and store multilevel information under different light fields. The μ-DMED uses coumarin-based metamaterials to deliver unclonable, rewritable micro-encryption.
Researchers introduce parity metamaterials that achieve ultrabroadband undistorted transmission with tunable reflection control, offering a new strategy for acoustic stealth and wave manipulation. The materials suppress specular reflection signals, enhancing stealth and achieving 'acoustic invisibility' akin to biological camouflage.
Researchers have developed magic cube metamaterials that can dynamically control electromagnetic fields, overcoming limitations of traditional materials. The technology has potential applications in human-machine interaction and electronic devices.
Researchers at North Carolina State University created a class of robots called metabots that can change shape and adapt to different environments. The devices can execute various actions despite having no motor or being made of a single flat material.
Researchers have developed atomic-level precision patterning on nanoparticle surfaces using stencils, creating 'patchy nanoparticles' with various shapes and functions. The technique allows for large-scale production of batched particles with intricate designs, enabling the creation of novel materials and metamaterials.
A team of researchers at the University of Michigan and AFRL has developed a new method to create structures that passively impede vibrations, using complex geometry to elicit beneficial properties. The innovation builds on decades of theoretical research and utilizes advanced fabrication technologies like 3D printing.
Researchers created a fully customizable finger brace that can switch between stiff and flexible without removal. The brace uses elastic bands and is 3D printed with customization options through software.
Researchers at Rice University have developed a soft but strong metamaterial that can be controlled remotely to rapidly transform its size and shape. The new material is designed for implantable and ingestible medical devices and addresses critical safety concerns such as gastric ulcers and puncture injuries.
Researchers at Princeton University have developed a new type of origami that changes its shape and properties in response to external stimuli. By introducing elastic components, they can execute precise folding patterns not previously possible. This technology has potential applications in prosthetics, antennas, and other devices.
Researchers at Rice University have demonstrated a strong form of quantum interference between phonons, revealing record levels of interference. The breakthrough could lead to new technologies in sensing, computing, and molecular detection.
Researchers engineer optical metasurface to yield simple technique for secure data encryption, biosensing, and quantum technologies. The team encodes images on a metasurface optimized for mid-infrared range of electromagnetic spectrum.
The study created lightweight, highly deformable materials with tunable mechanical responses using one-DOF mechanisms. These materials enable rapid response switching and reprogramming of force-displacement curves, unlocking new customizable mechanical properties.
Researchers have developed a technique to observe phonon dynamics in nanoparticle self-assemblies, enabling the creation of reconfigurable metamaterials with desired mechanical properties. This advance has wide-ranging applications in fields such as robotics, mechanical engineering, and information technology.
Researchers created dynamic metashells that leap into the air on a predetermined schedule without intervention, jumping up to nine times their height. The structures were engineered to store energy and release it at a controlled timing, with scheduled jumps possible from three seconds to 58 hours in advance.
A research team at POSTECH developed a metasurface technology that can display multiple high-resolution images on a single screen, overcoming conventional holographic limitations. The innovation uses nanostructure pillars to precisely manipulate light, allowing for different images based on wavelength and polarization direction.
The study, published in PNAS, discovered a new type of behavior called 'countersnapping' where structures shrink when pulled. This finding has exciting applications in soft robotics, vibration control systems, and wearable exosuits, enabling one-way sliding motion, materials that switch stiffness on demand, and structures that dampen e...
SourceAMOLF·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·TypeExperimental study·DateMay 14, 2025
Researchers from UC3M and Harvard University demonstrate reprogrammable mechanical behavior of magnetic metamaterials without changing composition. Flexible magnets allow for modification of stiffness and energy absorption capacity through distribution or external magnetic field manipulation.
Researchers have developed a single-layer antireflective coating using polycrystalline silicon nanostructures that sharply reduces sunlight reflection across a wide range of wavelengths and angles. The coating achieves unprecedented results for a single-layer design, setting a new standard for solar cells.
Researchers at Princeton University developed a 'metabot' material that can expand, assume new shapes, move, and respond to electromagnetic commands. The metamaterial's complex behavior is enabled by chirality, allowing it to defy typical physical object rules.
Researchers at MIT have developed a new method to fabricate stretchable ceramics, glass, and metals using a double-network design. This material can stretch over four times its size without breaking, making it suitable for tear-resistant textiles and flexible semiconductors.
New research validates theoretical models on how nanoscopic ripples affect material properties, leading to a better understanding of their mechanical behavior. The study's findings have significant implications for the development of microelectronics and other technologies that rely on thin films.
Engineered materials mimic quantum behaviors, allowing for the simulation of Schrödinger dynamics in classical systems. This breakthrough enables the study of quantum phenomena in more accessible environments, paving the way for novel technologies.
Researchers have developed a nickel-iron alloy metamaterial that can concentrate and locally enhance magnetic fields. By controlling the geometry and number of 'petals', the effect can be increased, making it suitable for improving the sensitivity of magnetic sensors.
The researchers used high-speed laser writing to create lines spaced just 100 nm apart on a glass substrate, achieving super-resolution 3D direct laser writing. They overcame the challenge of intense laser light causing unwanted exposure in nearby areas by using a unique dual-beam optical setup and special photoresist.
The article reviews additive manufacturing technology for biomedical metals, enabling customized implants with precise internal structures. It highlights the integration of AI and 4D printing, addressing challenges in production costs, regulatory compliance, and post-processing.
Engineers at the University of Pennsylvania and Aarhus University found that introducing just the right amount of disorder can increase the toughness of certain materials by 2.6 times. This discovery opens up new possibilities for widespread use of so-called mechanical metamaterials.
Researchers at Lancaster University have successfully demonstrated negative refraction using atomic arrays, eliminating the need for metamaterials. This achievement paves the way for novel technologies based on negative refraction, including perfect lenses and cloaking devices.
A team at Osaka University discovered that temperature-controlled conductive networks in vanadium dioxide enhance the sensitivity of silicon devices to terahertz light. The researchers created 'living' microelectrodes from VO2, which selectively enhanced the response of silicon photodetectors.
Scientists at SUTD have created innovative architectures for direct ink writing to fabricate complex bio-inspired structures, including lattices, webs, and leaf-like structures. These novel materials exhibit remarkable properties, such as improved suction force and energy absorption.