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Photonics
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Emerging Trends in Metamaterials and Metasurfaces Research
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Emerging Trends in Metamaterials and Metasurfaces Research

A special issue of Photonics (ISSN 2304-6732). This special issue belongs to the section "Optoelectronics and Optical Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 March 2025 | Viewed by 7350

Special Issue Editors

Dr. David E. Fernandes

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Instituto de Telecomunicações, Lisbon, Portugal
Interests: metamaterials; photonics
Dr. Tiago A. Morgado

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Instituto de Telecomunicações, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
Interests: metamaterials; plasmonics; nanophotonics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Metamaterials and metasurfaces are artificially structured materials crafted through the precise arrangement of metallic or dielectric inclusions, often organized in a periodic lattice. Crucially, the way these structures behave at the mesoscopic level is determined not only by the chemical composition of their constituent elements, but also by the specific geometric characteristics (size, shape, orientation, and more) of these elements. As a result, metamaterials and metasurfaces provide a multitude of design possibilities and, consequently, a wide range of physically attainable responses. These intricately engineered materials have the potential to yield unconventional and advantageous electromagnetic responses that extend beyond the capabilities of natural media. Their meticulous manipulation of electromagnetic fields and unprecedented control over electromagnetic wave propagation have positioned metamaterials and metasurfaces at the forefront of scientific research for over two decades. The objective of this Special Issue is to showcase the most current developments in metamaterial design and applications, with a focus on configurations offering advanced properties, versatile functionalities and intriguing applications. We invite you to submit a research paper on the theoretical aspects and/or practical applications of artificially structured media in this Special Issue of Photonics entitled “Emerging Trends in Metamaterials and Metasurfaces Research”.

We welcome submissions on topics that include (but not limited to) emerging trends on :

  • Nonlinear metamaterials and metasurfaces;
  • Reconfigurable and programmable (smart) metamaterials and metasurfaces;
  • Spacetime-modulated structures;
  • Metamaterials and metasurfaces for enhanced imaging capabilities;
  • Active metamaterials and metasurfaces;
  • Metamaterials and metasurfaces for biomedical applications;
  • Metamaterials and metasurfaces for wavefront control;
  • Topological metamaterials and metasurfaces;
  • Extreme wave phenomena in metamaterials and metasurfaces；
  • Metamaterial antennas and sensors.

Dr. David E. Fernandes
Dr. Tiago A. Morgado
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Photonics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • nonlinear metamaterials and metasurfaces
  • reconfigurable and programmable (smart) metamaterials and metasurfaces
  • space-time modulated structures
  • metamaterials and metasurfaces for enhanced imaging capabilities
  • active metamaterials and metasurfaces
  • metamaterials and metasurfaces for biomedical applications
  • metamaterials and metasurfaces for wavefront control
  • topological metamaterials and metasurfaces
  • extreme wave phenomena in metamaterials and metasurfaces
  • metamaterial antennas and sensors

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 2811 KiB  
Article
Biaxial Gaussian Beams, Hermite–Gaussian Beams, and Laguerre–Gaussian Vortex Beams in Isotropy-Broken Materials
by Maxim Durach
Photonics 2024, 11(11), 1062; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics11111062 - 13 Nov 2024
Viewed by 417
Abstract
We have developed the paraxial approximation for electromagnetic fields in arbitrary isotropy-broken media in terms of the ray–wave tilt and the curvature of materials’ Fresnel wave surfaces. We have obtained solutions of the paraxial equation in the form of biaxial Gaussian beams, which [...] Read more.
We have developed the paraxial approximation for electromagnetic fields in arbitrary isotropy-broken media in terms of the ray–wave tilt and the curvature of materials’ Fresnel wave surfaces. We have obtained solutions of the paraxial equation in the form of biaxial Gaussian beams, which is a novel class of electromagnetic field distributions in generic isotropy-broken materials. Such beams have been previously observed experimentally and numerically in hyperbolic metamaterials but have evaded theoretical analysis in the literature up to now. Biaxial Gaussian beams have two axes: one in the direction of the Abraham momentum, corresponding to the ray propagation, and another in the direction of the Minkowski momentum, corresponding to the wave propagation, in agreement with the recent theory of refraction, ray–wave tilt, and hidden momentum [Durach, 2024]. We show that the curvature of the wavefronts in the biaxial Gaussian beams correspond to the curvature of the Fresnel wave surface at the central wave vector of the beam. We obtain the higher-order modes of the biaxial beams, including the biaxial Hermite–Gaussian and Laguerre–Gaussian vortex beams, which opens avenues toward studies of the optical angular momentum (OAM) in isotropy-broken media, including generic anisotropic and bianisotropic materials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Trends in Metamaterials and Metasurfaces Research)
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8 pages, 2185 KiB  
Communication
Reconfigurable EIT Metasurface with Low Excited Conductivity of VO2
by Ruijie Li, Qiang Feng, Gaomou Lei, Qifan Li, Haixia Liu, Peng Xu, Jiaqi Han, Yan Shi and Long Li
Photonics 2024, 11(11), 1003; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics11111003 - 25 Oct 2024
Viewed by 467
Abstract
The active materials-loaded reconfigurable metasurface is a potential platform for terahertz (THz) communication systems. However, the requirements of the modulation performance and the modulation rate put forward the opposite requirements on the excited conductivity of active materials. In this paper, we proposed a [...] Read more.
The active materials-loaded reconfigurable metasurface is a potential platform for terahertz (THz) communication systems. However, the requirements of the modulation performance and the modulation rate put forward the opposite requirements on the excited conductivity of active materials. In this paper, we proposed a concept for a metal-doped active material switch that can produce an equivalent high excited conductivity while reducing the required threshold of the active material conductivity, thus balancing the conflict between the two mutual requirements. Based on it, we designed a reconfigurable electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) metasurface driven by a low excited conductivity of vanadium dioxide VO2, which can achieve the amplitude modulation and amplitude coding under the control of light and electric. Simulation results validate the role of the metal-doped VO2 switch on the metasurface. This work provides a new scheme to mediate the contradiction between the modulation performance and the modulation rate in the requirement of active material’s excited conductivity, which facilitates the development of new terahertz modulators based on reconfigurable metasurfaces. In addition, the concept of a metal-doped active material switch will also provide a solution to the limitations of active material from the design layer. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Trends in Metamaterials and Metasurfaces Research)
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12 pages, 3497 KiB  
Article
Dynamic Attention Mixer-Based Residual Network Assisted Design of Holographic Metasurface
by Lei Zhu, Hongda Zhang, Liang Dong, Zhengliang Lv and Xumin Ding
Photonics 2024, 11(10), 963; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics11100963 - 14 Oct 2024
Viewed by 621
Abstract
Multi-channel holographic metasurfaces have great potential for applications in wireless communications and radar. However, geometric phase-based multichannel metasurface units often have complex phase spectra, making the design of holographic metasurfaces complex and time-consuming. To address this challenge, we propose a dynamic attention mixer-based [...] Read more.
Multi-channel holographic metasurfaces have great potential for applications in wireless communications and radar. However, geometric phase-based multichannel metasurface units often have complex phase spectra, making the design of holographic metasurfaces complex and time-consuming. To address this challenge, we propose a dynamic attention mixer-based residual network to streamline the optimization and design of a multi-channel holographic metasurface unit. We conduct validation using multi-channel metasurface units, with a training set mean squared error (MSE) of 0.003 and a validation set MSE of 0.4. Additionally, we calculate the mean absolute error (MAE) for the geometric parameters θ1 and θ2 of the backward-predicted metasurface units in the validation set, which are 0.2° and 0.6°, respectively. Compared to traditional networks, our method achieves robust learning outcomes without the need for extensive datasets and provides accurate results even in complex electromagnetic responses. It is believed that the method presented in this paper is also applicable to the design of other artificial materials or multifunctional metasurfaces. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Trends in Metamaterials and Metasurfaces Research)
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16 pages, 6623 KiB  
Article
An Ultra-Wideband Metamaterial Absorber Ranging from Near-Infrared to Mid-Infrared
by Jing-Jenn Lin, Dun-Yu Huang, Meng-Long Hong, Jo-Ling Huang, Chih-Hsuan Wang, Cheng-Fu Yang and Kuei-Kuei Lai
Photonics 2024, 11(10), 939; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics11100939 - 6 Oct 2024
Viewed by 570
Abstract
This study focused on designing an ultra-wideband metamaterial absorber, consisting of layers of Mn (manganese) and MoO3 (molybdenum trioxide) arranged in a planar interleaving pattern, with a matrix square-shaped Ti (titanium) on the top MoO3 layer. Key features of this research [...] Read more.
This study focused on designing an ultra-wideband metamaterial absorber, consisting of layers of Mn (manganese) and MoO3 (molybdenum trioxide) arranged in a planar interleaving pattern, with a matrix square-shaped Ti (titanium) on the top MoO3 layer. Key features of this research included the novel use of Mn and MoO3 in a planar interleaving configuration for designing an ultra-wideband absorber, which was rarely explored in previous studies. MoO3 thin film served as the fundamental material, leveraging its favorable optical properties and absorption capabilities in the infrared spectrum. Alternating layers of Mn and MoO3 were adjusted in thickness and order to optimize absorptivity across desired wavelength ranges. Another feature is that the Mn and MoO3 materials in the investigated absorber had a planar structure, which simplified the manufacturing of the absorber. Furthermore, the topmost layer of square-shaped Ti was strategically placed to enhance the absorber’s bandwidth and efficiency. When the investigated absorber lacked a Ti layer, its absorptivity and bandwidth significantly decreased. This structural design leveraged the optical properties of Mn, MoO3, and Ti to significantly expand the absorption range across an ultra-wideband spectrum. When the Ti height was 280 nm, the investigated absorber exhibited a bandwidth with absorptivity greater than 0.9, spanning from the near-infrared (0.80 μm) to the mid-infrared (9.07 μm). The average absorptivity in this range was 0.950 with a maximum absorptivity of 0.989. Additionally, three absorption peaks were observed at 1010, 2510, and 6580 nm. This broad absorption capability makes it suitable for a variety of optical applications, ranging from near-infrared to mid-infrared wavelengths, including thermal imaging and optical sensing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Trends in Metamaterials and Metasurfaces Research)
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13 pages, 6846 KiB  
Article
A Hybrid Design for Frequency-Independent Extreme Birefringence Combining Metamaterials with the Form Birefringence Concept
by Can Koral and Fulya Bagci
Photonics 2024, 11(9), 860; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics11090860 - 12 Sep 2024
Viewed by 612
Abstract
With advances in terahertz technology, achieving high and nearly constant birefringence over a wide frequency range plays an extreme role in many advanced applications. In the past decade, significant research efforts have been devoted to creating new systems or elements with high birefringence. [...] Read more.
With advances in terahertz technology, achieving high and nearly constant birefringence over a wide frequency range plays an extreme role in many advanced applications. In the past decade, significant research efforts have been devoted to creating new systems or elements with high birefringence. To our knowledge, the maximum birefringence attainable using artificial crystals, intrinsic liquid crystals or fiber-based systems has been less than unity. More importantly, the birefringence created in previous studies has exhibited a strong frequency dependence, limiting their practical applications. In this work, we propose a novel approach to achieve extraordinarily high birefringence over a broad terahertz frequency band (>100 GHz). To address the limitation of frequency dependence, we combined the principle of metamaterials with the form birefringence concept. First, we designed a metamaterial with an exceptionally high refractive index, thoroughly characterizing it using simulations and analytical analysis. Next, we systematically investigated the form birefringence concept, exploring its frequency response, geometric limitations, and complex refractive index differences between constituent elements. Finally, we designed a hybrid material system, combining the strengths of both metamaterials and form birefringence. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of achieving a birefringent medium exceeding three orders of magnitude higher than previous reports while maintaining a time-invariant frequency response in the sub-terahertz regime. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Trends in Metamaterials and Metasurfaces Research)
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13 pages, 1644 KiB  
Article
Controlling the Shape of a Double DNA-like Helix as an Element of Metamaterials
by Igor V. Semchenko, Ivan S. Mikhalka, Andrey L. Samofalov and Sergei A. Khakhomov
Photonics 2024, 11(9), 788; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics11090788 - 23 Aug 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1047
Abstract
The aim of the article is to study the forces arising in a conductive DNA-like double helix in the field of a microwave electromagnetic wave. These forces must be considered for both actual DNA molecules and double DNA-like helices that serve as components [...] Read more.
The aim of the article is to study the forces arising in a conductive DNA-like double helix in the field of a microwave electromagnetic wave. These forces must be considered for both actual DNA molecules and double DNA-like helices that serve as components of metamaterials and metasurfaces. The helix comprises twenty-and-a-half turns and has geometric parameters proportional to the size of an actual DNA molecule. The forces acting on the strands of a double helix, both in the central region and at the edges of the helix, are investigated. It has been demonstrated that the aforementioned forces induce a change in the shape of the helix, specifically the mutual repulsion of the strands, as well as their stretching and twisting in the field of electromagnetic waves. Consequently, exposure to an electromagnetic wave under half-wave resonance can damage the double helix. Conversely, the impact of electromagnetic waves has the potential to introduce novel avenues for controlling the shape of the double helix. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Trends in Metamaterials and Metasurfaces Research)
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18 pages, 8359 KiB  
Article
Analyses of an Ultra-Wideband Absorber from UV-B to Middle-IR Utilizing a Square Nanopillar and a Square Hollow Embedded in a Square Cavity of the Top Layer of Multilayer Metamaterials
by Chia-Te Liao, Pei-Xiu Ke, Chia-Min Ho, Cheng-Fu Yang and Tung-Lung Wu
Photonics 2024, 11(8), 742; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics11080742 - 8 Aug 2024
Viewed by 734
Abstract
In this study, an ultra-wideband absorber spanning from UV-B to middle-IR was designed and analyzed using a novel structure. The multilayer metamaterial, arranged from bottom to top, consisted of an Al metal layer, a lower SiO2 layer, a graphite layer, another SiO [...] Read more.
In this study, an ultra-wideband absorber spanning from UV-B to middle-IR was designed and analyzed using a novel structure. The multilayer metamaterial, arranged from bottom to top, consisted of an Al metal layer, a lower SiO2 layer, a graphite layer, another SiO2 layer, a thin Ti layer, and a top SiO2 layer. The top layer of SiO2 had a 200 nm square cavity etched out, and then a square Ti nanopillar and a square Ti hollow outside a Ti nanopillar were embedded. This specific arrangement was chosen to maximize the absorption properties across a broad spectrum. The absorption spectrum of the designed absorber was thoroughly analyzed using the commercial finite element analysis software COMSOL Multiphysics® (version 6.0). This analysis confirmed that the combination of these various components achieved perfect absorption and an ultra-wideband response. The synergistic interaction between the layers and the nanopillars structure contributed significantly to the absorber’s efficiency, making it a promising candidate for applications requiring broad-spectrum absorption. The comprehensive analyses of the parameters for different structures demonstrated that the effects of guided-mode resonance, coupling resonance, optical impedance matching, and propagating surface plasmon resonance existed in the investigated structure. The optimal model, determined through analyses using COMSOL Multiphysics®, showed that the broadband absorption in the range of 270 to 3600 nm, spanning from UV-B to middle-IR, exceeded 90.0%. The average absorption rate within this range was 0.967, with the highest reaching a near-perfect absorptivity of 99.9%. We also compared three absorption spectra in this study: the t1–t6 flat structure, the t1–t5 flat structure with t6 featuring a square cavity, and the structure proposed in this study. This demonstrates that a square nanopillar and a square hollow embedded in a square cavity can enhance the absorptive properties of the absorber. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Trends in Metamaterials and Metasurfaces Research)
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11 pages, 853 KiB  
Article
A Terahertz Programmable Digital Metasurface Based on Vanadium Dioxide
by Tianrui Pan, Chenxi Liu, Shuang Peng, Haiying Lu, Han Zhang, Xiaoming Xu and Fei Yang
Photonics 2024, 11(6), 527; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics11060527 - 1 Jun 2024
Viewed by 814
Abstract
Metasurfaces can realize the flexible manipulation of electromagnetic waves, which have the advantages of a low profile and low loss. In particular, the coding metasurface can flexibly manipulate electromagnetic waves through controllable sequence encoding of the coding units to achieve different functions. In [...] Read more.
Metasurfaces can realize the flexible manipulation of electromagnetic waves, which have the advantages of a low profile and low loss. In particular, the coding metasurface can flexibly manipulate electromagnetic waves through controllable sequence encoding of the coding units to achieve different functions. In this paper, a three-layer active coding metasurface is designed based on vanadium dioxide (VO2), which has an excellent phase transition. For the designed unit cell, the top patterned layer is composed of two split square resonant rings (SSRRs), whose gaps are in opposite directions, and each SSRR is composed of gold and VO2. When VO2 changes from the dielectric state to the metal state, the resonant mode changes from microstrip resonance to LC resonance, correspondingly. According to the Pancharatnam-Berry (P-B) phase, the designed metasurface can actively control terahertz circularly polarized waves in the near field. The metasurface can manipulate the order of the generated orbital angular momentum (OAM) beams: when the dielectric VO2 changes to metal VO2, the order l of the OAM beams generated by the metasurface changes from −1 to −2, and the purity of the generated OAM beams is relatively high. It is expected to have important application values in terahertz wireless communication, radar, and other fields. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Trends in Metamaterials and Metasurfaces Research)
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13 pages, 3797 KiB  
Article
Optimized Wide-Angle Metamaterial Edge Filters: Enhanced Performance with Multi-Layer Designs and Anti-Reflection Coatings
by Baidong Wu, James N. Monks, Liyang Yue, Andrew Hurst and Zengbo Wang
Photonics 2024, 11(5), 446; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics11050446 - 10 May 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 953
Abstract
This study presents a systematic optimization of wide-angle metamaterial long-pass (LP) edge filters based on silicon nanospheres (SiNP). Multi-layered configurations incorporating SiNP-meta-films and anti-reflection coating (ARC) elements not previously considered in the literature are explored to enhance their filter performance in both stop [...] Read more.
This study presents a systematic optimization of wide-angle metamaterial long-pass (LP) edge filters based on silicon nanospheres (SiNP). Multi-layered configurations incorporating SiNP-meta-films and anti-reflection coating (ARC) elements not previously considered in the literature are explored to enhance their filter performance in both stop and pass bands. This research has successfully developed an accurate model for the effective refractive index using Kramers–Kronig relations, enabling the use of classical thin-film design software for rapid device performance optimization, which is verified by full-wave numerical software. This systematic optimization has produced highly efficient, near-shift-free long-pass metamaterial filters, evidenced by their high optical density (OD = 2.55) and low spectral shift across a wide angular range (0°–60°). These advancements herald the development of high-efficiency metamaterial optical components suitable for a variety of applications that require a consistent performance across diverse angles of incidence. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Trends in Metamaterials and Metasurfaces Research)
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