Grant: Strategic Projects - Group

This project develops novel dispersion-engineered multiscale micro and nano metamaterials (MTMs) for wireless systems and networks. Dispersion engineering is the design of broadband transmission line (TL) MTMs with arbitrary, controllable and possibly tunable frequency-dependent constitutive parameters (permittivity and permeability, or refractive index) or, equivalently in terms of high-frequency electronics, propagation constant and characteristic impedance. Multiscale MTMs are defined here as MTMs which owe their macroscopic properties to different structural scales: the molecular scale (spin magnetic dipole moments), the nano scale (ferromagnetic nanoparticles or nanowires) and the micro scale (subwavelength metallo-dielectric patterns). A multiscale MTM may include two or three of these structural scales. Dispersion engineering will soon represent a ubiquitous new paradigm in modern electronics and photonics. The development of multiscale MTMs will provide unprecedented material properties leading to revolutionary devices. In particular, the multiscale ferromagnetic nanowires (FMNWs) which will be developed in this project are anticipated to exhibit unique performance and functionality, including magnet-less (shape) bias, low-loss, magnetizations superior to 8 kG, operation frequencies beyond 30-40 GHz, super-high power handling and stability temperature, compact size magnetostatic wave (MSW) configurations, ultra-wide tunability range, excellent MTM homogeneity and super-flexible dispersion. Among the applications developed, there will be: multiscale nonreciprocal FMNW isolators, circulators and phase shifters, analog pulse shapers and signal processors, beam-scanning and forming antennas, quasi-optical negative refractive-index (NRI) imaging systems based on multiscale clustered FMNW MTMs.