Add BrightSurf on Google Email

Mystifying materials

Researchers at Northwestern University have designed new metamaterials that exhibit negative compressibility transitions, where they contract when tensioned and expand when compressed. This discovery may enable new applications in protective mechanical devices and actuators.

SourceNorthwestern University·JournalNature Materials·DateMay 23, 2012

Exotic materials will change optics, Duke researchers say

Duke researchers have developed exotic materials that can control light at will, allowing for the creation of holograms in the infrared range. The team's innovative approach enables a broad range of optical devices with complex properties, opening up new possibilities for advanced optics and optoelectronics.

SourceDuke University·JournalNature Materials·DateMar 18, 2012

Exotic material boosts electromagnetism safely

Researchers from Duke University and Boston College created a metamaterial that enhances magnetic forces without harming biological tissues or damaging electrical equipment. This breakthrough could lead to more efficient and safer applications of electromagnetism in devices such as magnetic levitation trains.

SourceDuke University·JournalPhysical Review B·DateFeb 29, 2012

Scientists create first free-standing 3-D cloak

Researchers in the US have successfully cloaked a three-dimensional object standing in free space using a method known as plasmonic cloaking. The technique uses ordinary materials to bend light around objects, cancelling out scattering and rendering them invisible at all angles of observation.

SourceIOP Publishing·JournalNew Journal of Physics·DateJan 25, 2012

Bending light with better precision

Researchers have created a technique to control the speed and direction of light using memory metamaterials, which can repeatedly change their properties. This innovation enables the manufacture of Gradient Index of Refraction (GRIN) devices for imaging and communication technologies with unprecedented precision.

SourceAmerican Institute of Physics·JournalApplied Physics Letters·DateAug 15, 2011

Shining a light on the elusive 'blackbody' of energy research

Researchers at Boston College have developed a designer metamaterial that can engineer emitted 'blackbody' radiation with an efficiency beyond natural limits, opening doors for innovative energy harvesting applications. The material's ability to control emissivity could further enhance energy conversion efficiency.

SourceBoston College·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateJul 22, 2011

Force of acoustical waves tapped for metamaterials

Researchers have created a simple bench-top technique to harness the force of acoustical waves, enabling the creation of various 3D structures. This technology has the potential to become a platform technology for the creation of new materials with extensive flexibility in terms of periodicity and material variety.

SourceAmerican Institute of Physics·JournalReview of Scientific Instruments·DateApr 5, 2011

Metamaterials approach makes better satellite antennas

Scientists have successfully designed a new type of antenna liner using metamaterials, which can enhance performance and reduce mass, leading to lower costs and increased efficiency in communications satellites. The design has overcome previous limitations of narrow bandwidth and high loss, making it suitable for real-world applications.

SourcePenn State·JournalNature Materials·DateJan 30, 2011

New findings promising for 'transformation optics,' cloaking

Researchers at Purdue University have developed a new approach to overcome the fundamental limitation of metamaterials, which could enable breakthroughs in transformation optics. By placing dye between two layers of silver, they were able to amplify light and reduce absorption, promising applications such as ultra-powerful microscopes,...

SourcePurdue University·JournalNature·DateAug 4, 2010

Engineered metamaterials enable remarkably small antennas

Researchers have designed and tested experimental antennas that are highly efficient and remarkably small, potentially useful for emergency communications devices, micro-sensors, and portable ground-penetrating radars. The novel antennas radiate up to 95% of an input radio signal while defying normal design parameters.

SourceNational Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)·JournalIEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation·DateJan 26, 2010

Next generation lens promises more control

Duke University engineers have created a new generation of lens that surpasses traditional lenses in focusing electromagnetic rays, with a wide angle of view and flat focal point. The lens is made from exotic composite materials known as metamaterials and has the potential to replace traditional optical systems.

SourceDuke University·JournalNature Materials·DateDec 20, 2009

Flipping a photonic shock wave

A team of physicists has directly observed a reverse shock wave of light in a specially tailored structure known as a left-handed metamaterial. This is the first unambiguous experimental demonstration of reversed Cerenkov radiation, a phenomenon predicted over forty years ago.

SourceAmerican Physical Society·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateNov 2, 2009

Beyond the looking glass

Chinese researchers have created the first tunable electromagnetic gateway, using transformation optics and ferrite materials to block electromagnetic waves while allowing passage of other entities. The new configuration has optimum permittivity and permeability, making it tunable and remotely switchable.

SourceIOP Publishing·JournalNew Journal of Physics·DateAug 13, 2009

Nanocups brim with potential

Researchers at Rice University have created a light-bending metamaterial using nanocups that can focus light from any direction. This material has potential applications in thermal solar power, superlenses, and invisibility cloaks.

SourceRice University·JournalNano Letters·DateMar 13, 2009

Team develops new metamaterial device

A team of researchers has created a solid-state metamaterial device that can modulate tiny waves of radiation in the terahertz range, setting a standard for performance. The device, which is controlled electronically, can process terahertz frequencies 30 times faster and with greater precision than conventional optical devices.

SourceBoston College·JournalNature Photonics·DateFeb 24, 2009

Next generation cloaking device demonstrated

A team of Duke University engineers has developed a new type of cloaking device using complex mathematical algorithms to guide the design and fabrication of exotic composite materials. The device successfully cloaks electromagnetic waves, bending them around an object to create an 'engineered mirage'.

SourceDuke University·JournalScience·DateJan 15, 2009

Nuisance noise silenced by an acoustic cloak

Researchers in Spain have successfully created an acoustic cloak using metamaterials, which can make objects completely impervious to sound waves. The technology could be used for various applications such as warships to avoid sonar detection or concert halls to direct noise away from problem spots.

SourceIOP Publishing·JournalNew Journal of Physics·DateJun 12, 2008

Getting light to bend backwards

Researchers have created a layered material that causes light to refract in the opposite direction, enabling flat lenses and potentially capturing images of DNA molecules. This technology, developed at NSF-funded research centers, holds promise for various applications such as chemical threat sensors and medical diagnostics.

SourceU.S. National Science Foundation·JournalNature Materials·DateOct 16, 2007