Metamaterials in the Real World - UKMMN showcase at NPL (London)

‘Metamaterials in the Real World’

Friday 9th December 2022

National Physical Laboratory, Teddington

Welcome

Founded in 2019/2020 with joint funding from EPSRC, the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) and Innovate UK KTN, the UK Metamaterials Network brings together experts from academia, industry and governmental agencies to resolve interdisciplinary challenges for this exciting field of emerging materials from theory, fabrication, experiment, to large scale manufacturing and field testing.

‘The field of metamaterials has been going from strength to strength with growing research interest and increased recognition by funding and governmental bodies. Now is the time to use this momentum and bring metamaterials into practical applications in areas where they haven’t already been adopted. We hope this event will advertise the incredible potential of metamaterials and help form new partnerships to capitalise on these opportunities. If you have any questions about the Network then please reach out through the Network mailbox and sign up online at our website. We look forward to working with you!’

On behalf of the UK Metamaterials Network, welcome to the ‘Metamaterials in the Real World’ Showcase!

Prof. Alastair Hibbins, University of Exeter Dr. Claire Dancer, University of Warwick

Timings Event

10:00 – 11:30

11:30 – 13:00

13:00 – 14:30

Showcase Talk Series – List of Talks

• Introduction

Welcome

Gareth Edwards, NPL

Showcase Session (Visitor Group A)

Showcase Talk Series

Showcase Session (Visitor Group B)

‘Introduction to the UK Metamaterials Network’

Prof. Alastair Hibbins, University of Exeter

• Plenary

‘From Theory to Application: An Academic Perspective on the Future of Metamaterials’

Prof. Nader Engheta, University of Pennsylvania

• Industry Perspective

‘Metamaterials in the Real World: An Industry Perspective’

Dr. Daniel Franke, M Ventures

• Manufacturing & Scale-Up

‘Metamaterial Manufacturing: Challenges & Opportunities’

Dr. Claire Dancer, University of Warwick

• Introduction to FAME

‘Introducing FAME: Functional, Animate & Metamaterials Exploration’

Prof. Ian Youngs, DSTL

• Advanced Materials Investment

‘UK Advanced Materials Leadership & Investment Strategy’

Dr. Neil Witten, UKRI Innovate UK

‘Advanced Materials The EPSRC View on Funding Opportunities’

Jan Taylor, EPSRC

• Material Innovation

‘Metrology for Materials Innovation’

Prof. Fernando Castro, NPL

• Q&A

Exhibits

The exhibition material will be displayed in different formats: as demonstrators on tables, as digital case studies on totems, as videos on TV screens, or as posters. The format of each exhibition item is stated in the index below.

Please note: Some topics span across multiple areas and will be listed in between topic areas wherever possible.

Sound & Vibration Control

• Acoustic Black Hole (demonstrator)………………………………………………………………………. 06

• Acoustic Metamaterials for Sound Management (demonstrator)…………………………. 07

• Elastic Metamaterials for Controlling Vibrations (digital case study)……………………… 08

• KEF Metamaterial Absorption Technology (digital case study)………………………………. 09

• 3D Printed Acoustic Metamaterial and Metasurface Fibre Optics (demonstrator)… 10

Healthcare & Healthy Living

• Disposable Plasmonic Assays (demonstrator)…..……………………………………………………. 11

• Nature inspired, Use driven, High performance Sports Equipment incorporating Mechanical Metamaterials (digital case study, demonstrator, video)……………………. 12

• Optical Metasurfaces for Multidimensional Imaging (digital case study)……………….. 13

• Potential of Additively Manufactured Superelastic TiNbTaZr Beta Alloys in Medical Applications (demonstrator, video)……..………………………………………………..................... 14

• Terahertz Metasurfaces for Biosensing (digital case study)..…………………………........... 15 Wireless Optogenetics using Metamaterials for Treatment of Brain Diseases (digital case study)……………………………………………………………………………………….…………. 16

Safety

• Metamaterials with Zero Poisson’s Ratio, Shape Memory Recovery, Reusability, and High Energy Absorption features Fabricated by 4D Printing (digital case study)………. 17

• Protective Mechanical Metamaterials (demonstrator, video)…………………………………... 18

NetZero / Sustainability

• Metasurface for Energy Harvesting and Sensing (digital case study)………………………… 19

• Morphing Wings (digital case study)………………………………………………………………………… 20

• Nanorod-based Plasmonic Metamaterials for various applications including Hydrogen Sensing and CO2 Reduction (demonstrator, video)………………………………………………….. 21

Communication

• Electromagnetic Metasurfaces (demonstrator)…………………………………………………………… 22

• Metamaterials for Wireless Communications (digital case study, demonstrator, video) 23

• Metamaterial Lens Arrays for 3D Imaging (demonstrator)……………………………..…………… 24

• Photonic Time Reflection with a Transmission Line Metamaterial (video)……….…………. 25

Thermal Management

• Metasurfaces for Space Thermal Management (demonstrator)……………………………….… 26

Liquid Quality Control

• Artificial Plasmonic Tongue for Quality Control (video)………………………………………………. 27

Manufacturing & Characterisation

• Bendy Wood Metamaterials (demonstrator)……………………………………………………………… 28

• Manufacturing of Metasurfaces at Scale (digital case study, demonstrator)………………. 29

• Nanoimprint Lithography of Metasurfaces…………………………………………………………………. 30

• Nanomechanical Testing: High Temperature and Strain Rate (poster)……………………….. 31

• Optical and Photonic Metamaterials Fabricated by Additive Manufacturing (demonstrator)…………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 32

• Thermally Sprayed Metasurface for Electromagnetic Wave Absorption and Interface Shielding (poster)………………………………………………………………………………………… 33

• Using Metasurfaces to Develop Ultra Compact Instrumentation for Manufacturing (digital case study, demonstrator)..…………………………………………………………………............ 34

Dr. Anil Bastola & Dr. Robyn Worsley University of Nottingham

Acoustic Black Hole

Vibration is all around us; even objects that appear to be stationary are vibrating, oscillating, and resonating, at various frequencies. An Acoustic Black Hole (ABH) is a metamaterial (structural feature) which provides a substantial level of vibration control. A reducing thickness profile (e.g., tapering) is introduced into structures to achieve an ABH feature such reduced thickness decreases the speed of a wave. If the thickness of the tapering can be reduced to zero, the speed of a wave travelling along the structure also reaches zero thus the wave is completely absorbed. However, it is not possible to reach zero thickness in practice; still, the level of vibration may be significantly reduced by introducing the ABH feature.

One main concern with ABHs is the effect of reduced thickness on structural stiffness and strength, which are often critical properties in different applications with load bearing components. Nonetheless, it is possible to decrease wave speed by changing the material properties along the length of the ABH rather than by changing the external geometry. We demonstrate how additive manufacturing can be used to develop functionally graded ABHs with no change to the external geometry of the structures. Such multi material ABHs provide stiffness and strength advantages where the thin tip of a geometric ABH is not feasible. Potential applications of such ABHs include flexural vibration isolation and absorption.

Acoustic Metamaterials for Sound Management

There is an increased need for ventilation in our heating world and this has increased significantly during lockdown, when our lifestyle has changed. Current regulations, however, rely mostly on keeping the windows open or on forced ventilation: two solutions that bring noise in our houses/offices or increase our carbon footprint. Metamaterials can make the difference.

Metasonixx is a spin out from the universities of Sussex and Bristol. Since 2019, we have incorporated acoustic metamaterials into different products, without need of airflow. On show today we have our demonstrators of panels (SonoBlind™) and in line attenuators (SonoFlow™): two products that selectively block unwanted sounds, while letting air through. We see them underpinning our governmental programme on heat pumps and our worldwide Net Zero goals.

Dr. Gianluca Memoli

University of Sussex & Metasonixx Ltd.

Dr. Gregory Chaplain

University of Exeter

Elastic Metamaterials for Controlling Vibrations

Elastic waves are present all around us in the form of vibrations, across a large range of scales ranging from small scale surface acoustic wave devices, ubiquitous in electronic circuitry present in mobile devices, to larger scales that we feel in our immediate environment, such as noisy domestic appliances all the way up to groundbourne seismic vibrations caused by earthquakes. Elastic metamaterials offer a route to manipulate and control such vibrations over these length scales, offering applications in energy harvesting, vibration isolation and noise control.

KEF Audio

KEF Metamaterial Absorption Technology

Acoustic metamaterial absorbers can realise previously unattainable absorption spectra with sub wavelength dimensions approaching the theoretical minimum. Such an optimally packed metastructure is implemented at the back of a loudspeaker drive unit to replace the traditional enclosure filled with wadding. The metamaterial absorber mimics an infinitely long tube by impedance matching and consists in a plurality of tuned quarter wavelength resonators. As a result, the frequency response of the loudspeaker is free from aberrations related to irregularities in the loading impedance.

Dr. Rafael Fuentes Dominguez University of Nottingham

3D Printed Acoustic Metamaterial and Metasurface Fibre Optics

We are presenting an acoustic metamaterial lens built of mm sized pillars that can focus acoustic waves very efficient without aberrations. This type of metamaterials opens a whole range of new applications from sound detection enhancement to fabrication of very efficient sound traps or barriers.

We are also presenting a novel way to transfer metamaterials to hair thin optical fibres to enable advanced imaging through medical endoscopes. This opens a path to access hard to reach areas of the body to detect, for instance, pancreatic and ovarian cancer in a non invasive way.

Dr. Affar Karimullah

University of Glasgow & Pinpoint Medical

Disposable Plasmonic Assays

The Disposable Plasmonics Assay platform enables label free biosensing for multiple point of care applications using consumables with a metasurface. The consumables are produced with high throughput manufacturing techniques and will allow us to replace traditional chemical (ELISA) assay technology or even lateral flow tests when diagnostics require multiple pathogen testing with minimal fuss. As our first diagnostic test assay, we are working to develop a multiple virus detection cartridge that will work with the compact readout system for health care infection monitoring in a hospital setting.

Sheffield Hallam University

Nature-inspired, Use-driven, High-performance Sports Equipment incorporating Mechanical Metamaterial

This work relates to the use of auxetic carbon fibre reinforced composite mechanical metamaterial in the latest range of sports rackets launched to market by HEAD in 2021. Auxetic mechanical metamaterials display the property of a negative Poisson’s ratio they expand widthwise when stretched along their length providing a route to enhancements in useful properties such as vibration damping, energy absorption and fracture toughness. Working with collaborators at HEAD and Manchester Metropolitan University, inspiration was taken from the crossed fibre sheath arrangement of collagen fibres in cat skin a naturally occurring auxetic biomaterial to design, manufacture and characterise auxetic composites for incorporation in the yoke piece of tennis rackets, and subsequently extended to paddle rackets. Extensive player trials indicated the auxetic yoke piece produces optimal impact feel and highly accurate feedback. The exhibit will showcase a range of auxetic mechanical metamaterials developed by the group, including auxetic composites and the latest sports rackets.

Dr. Shruti Mandhani & Prof. Andrew Alderson

Dr. Calum Williams

University of Cambridge

Optical Metasurfaces for Multidimensional Imaging

Identifying abnormal tissue during an imaging procedure is incredibly difficult even for specialists. Detecting light tissue interactions that occur beyond conventional white light imaging can be used to reveal changes in tissue structure but incorporation into state of the art image sensor technologies is challenging. Our work utilises micro and nanophotonic metasurfaces to hybridise measurements such as fluorescence, scattering, spectroscopy and polarisation in compact form factors. Application areas include minimally invasive biomedical imaging such as endoscopy, and remote sensing technologies.

Potential of Additively Manufactured

Superelastic TiNbTaZr Beta

Alloys

in Medical Applications

TiNbTaZr is a β titanium alloy that possesses low elastic modulus close to human bone tissues, high strength and superelastic recovery strain. Additive manufacturing can promote the use of these excellent properties in many applications such as medical devices such as bone implants and stent applications. Other applications include the presented highly elastic gripping mechanism or morphing wings.

The superelastic and highly biocompatible TiNbTaZr β Titanium alloy can also be used to manufacture Ni free arterial stents. Customised stents with complex geometries can be developed by additive manufacturing and laser finishing techniques, in a hybrid approach that reduces the wastes associated with the conventional manufacturing route of the stent.

Peter Ibrahim

University of Birmingham

Queen Mary University of London

Terahertz Metasurfaces for Biosensing

Terahertz (THz) spectroscopy and imaging has promising potential in the biosensing field as a non ionizing method, especially in the early detection of diseases like cancer. However, it suffers from poor sensitivity and low contrast for thin film biological sensing. These drawbacks give a great opportunity to THz metasurfaces. Plasmonic like metasurfaces use the power of surface plasmon resonances by coupling the EM wave to the surface current of metal dielectric interface and provide a massive electromagnetic field enhancement which is ideal for biosensing.

Shohreh Nourinovin & Dr. Akram Alomainy

Dr. Rupam Das

University of Exeter

Wireless Optogenetics using Metamaterials for Treatment of Brain Diseases

Metamaterials can be engineered to introduce the next generation of wirelessly powered tiny implantable devices. I am working on optogenetics to treat brain diseases, where I am applying metamaterial to develop a fully wireless system to achieve chronic optogenetics.

Dr. Mahdi Bodaghi

Nottingham Trent University

Metamaterials with Zero Poisson’s Ratio, Shape Memory Recovery, Reusability, and High Energy Absorption features Fabricated by 4D Printing

4D metamaterials with zero Poisson’s ratio, shape memory recovery, and high energy absorption features have been introduced by Mahdi Bodaghi and his co workers. Thermo mechanical metamaterials were designed based on star shaped unit cells and fabricated by SLA 4D printing technology. The energy absorption capacity of the newly designed metamaterial enhanced up to 267% compared to conventional 3D re entrant metamaterials. It was shown that they have great potential in energy absorbing applications like reversible shape memory car bumpers where plastic deformations can be recovered by simply heating.

Dr. Oliver Duncan

Protective Mechanical Metamaterials

In dangerous situations, people depend on protective equipment to keep them safe. To make the next generation of protective equipment, physicists and engineers are looking to metamaterials engineered structures with unusual or exotic combinations of properties. This exhibit features an interactive display with 3D printed metamaterials, examples of these advanced materials in real sports equipment, and video content.

Manchester Metropolitan University

Metasurface for Energy Harvesting and Sensing

A metasurface based rectenna with simultaneously a high gain and a wide beamwidth for energy harvesting applications is demonstrated here. This design is particularly suitable for scenarios where the source location is unknown or multiple sources co exist from different directions. The antenna achieves a beamwidth of about 120° and a high gain of 9 dBi. Compared with the omnidirectional antenna, its higher gain will enable it to harvest more energy at low ambient power levels. The antenna has three output ports responsible for harvesting energy from the three directions of 35°, 0° and +35°, respectively. Three rectifiers with LEDs are connected to these ports. In the demonstration, when energy is emitted from one of these angles, the LED on the rectifier that receives energy from that direction lights up. As the angle changes, the three LEDs light up accordingly. No sensing or active control is needed.

Jinyao Zhang & Dr. Jiafeng Zhou

University of Liverpool

Dr. Klaudio Bari

University of Wolverhampton

Morphing Wings

This project explores the challenges & opportunities associated with substituting fossil fuel in aerospace transportation with relatively cleaner energy sources such as lithium ion batteries. We have designed and manufactured an electric fixed wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that is lightweight (12 kg) and can carry a logistic load of 2 kg., addressing the carbon emission concern for aerospace applications. The UAV has an Autonomous flight system powered by Pixhawk’s PX06 and a telemetry port able to guide the UAV up to 60 km.

Dr. Diane Roth

King’s College London

Nanorod-based Plasmonic Metamaterials for Various Applications including Hydrogen Sensing and CO2 Reduction

Based at King’s College London, the team designs and develops scalable plasmonic metamaterials and metasurfaces with broad applications for industries including: security, communications, sensing, environmental clean up and chemical synthesis.

Dr. Cameron Gallagher

University of Exeter

Electromagnetic Metasurfaces

Electromagnetic metasurfaces comprise metallic or dielectric patterns that have a specific arrangement to produce boundary conditions that are tailored to their applications. These boundary conditions modify the reflection and transmission of electromagnetic waves and may be used to create bespoke reflections, miniaturise antennas or filter specific frequencies. The demonstration we have brought for electromagnetic metasurfaces is a simple artificial magnetic conductor for a flat dipole antenna. When compared with an antenna tuned to the same frequency for freespace, we shows how that electromagnetic metasurfaces can be used to create antennas that can be incorporated onto metal without hindering efficiency.

Dr. Stephen Henthorn

University of Sheffield

Metamaterials for Wireless Communications

At the University of Sheffield, we develop and investigate a wide range of metasurfaces for radio wave applications. Applications include energy efficient transmitters for 5G and beyond mobile networks, satellite communications and radar. We will also show our capability for interesting manufacturing techniques, such as printed and knitted metasurfaces.

Dr. Mitch Kenney

University of Nottingham

Metamaterial Lens Arrays for 3D Imaging

Modern imaging systems constantly require innovation in reducing size whilst maintaining complexity and functionality. An issue with this using traditional approaches is that refractive optics relying on glass lenses (for example) cannot overcome the issue when smaller and smaller systems require smaller lenses due to outdated fabrication methods. Recently metamaterial lenses have shown great promise in not only matching glass lenses in terms of efficiency, but outperforming them when it comes to resolution, aberration correction, and multifunctionality. This demonstrator will exhibit arrays of lenses which have negative or divergent focus akin to a wide angle lens, well know in peep holes on hotel room doors which can view a large scene with a small lens. The arrays combine to produce a “light field” imaging setup, which allows 3D imaging functionality. The demonstrator consists of a cheap affordable microscope and LCD screen, with an object of interest to image (fruit fly, or USAF 1951 resolution target) along with custom made metamaterial lens arrays to showcase the 3D imaging effect. Such work can be implemented in handheld devices (mobile phones) or even more advanced scientific equipment (fluorescence microscopes) for advanced yet compact 3D wide field imaging.

Photonic Time-Reflection with a Transmission Line Metamaterial

Reflection is a ubiquitous wave phenomenon. Whenever a wave (e.g. light or sound) encounters a spatial interface between two different materials (or metamaterials), part of its energy is reflected back (e.g. an echo). A more exotic phenomenon is time reflection: whenever the properties of a material (or metamaterial) are abruptly changed in time, a wave that is propagating through it can split into a forward and a backward wave, the latter finding its way back to its source, and effectively retracing its propagation history, much like a record played backwards. Our group at the Advanced Science Research Center of the City University of New York has recently implemented the first experiment showing time reflection of electromagnetic waves in a microwave metamaterial setup: by engineering a closely packed array of switched capacitors, the effective properties (capacitance and impedance) of our metamaterial abruptly change within a timescale much shorter than the duration of a single oscillation period of the waves propagating through it. The possibility of achieving efficient time reflection experimentally opens a new avenue to manipulate electromagnetic waves in unprecedented ways, and may lead to new opportunities for applications in wireless communications such as ultrafast time reversal imaging and focusing through complex environments, as well as new avenues for fundamental research in electromagnetic and acoustic wave physics.

Dr. Emanuele Galiffi

City University of New York & Imperial College London

Dr. Sun Kai

University of Southampton

Metasurfaces for Space Thermal Management

We are exhibiting a series of samples including:

• A prototype ‘smart’ optical solar reflector (OSR) for the thermal management of spacecrafts and satellites based on W doped VO2 metasurface on Kapton foil. Unlike conventional OSRs, smart OSR provides a passive thermal management by its high cooling (IR emissivity) at high temperature and low cooling at low temperature. Here, the metasurface solves a long term issue that VO2 has high solar absorption, unacceptable for OSR specification.

• A 200 mm silicon wafer with silicon meta lens (3 µm) fabricated in it. The lens function is achieved through silicon meta structures. Instead of conventional lens using expensive compounds, the silicon metasurface solution would be cost effective and suitable for mass production.

Prof. Alasdair Clark

University of Glasgow

Artificial Plasmonic

Tongue

for Quality Control

We show how structured gold nanoparticles, can be applied as artificial taste buds for quality control of, for example, whiskey. Quality control for beverage producers relies on 1) human taster panels (expensive to train; retention is hard; taste is influenced by emotion) and 2) very expensive, very large analytical chemistry tools. By constructing arrays of gold nanoparticles, and modifying each array with a different chemical, we create a colour changing device where each sensor in the array has a colour response associated with a fraction of the molecules within the liquid (the chemical modifications on each sensor influencing which parts of the liquid can get into the small sensing region around the gold structures). Therefore, each unique liquid that is dropped on the sensor producers a unique series of colour shifts associated with the chemical components in that liquid a distinct fingerprint that can be used to compare whiskeys or wines.

We hope to expand the concept to other chemical sensing tasks in the medium long term, branching out from food and drink into agriculture and healthcare applications.

Dr. Claire Dancer

University of Warwick

Bendy Wood Metamaterials

This demonstrator is designed to show the principle of metamaterials; that properties which are not possible with the original material can be created by structural elements. In this case a fairly stiff board of wood is made very flexible by introducing slits into the structure. The demonstrator can be used to explain the principle of metamaterials very simply and accessibly, and act as an starting point for discussion about how different types of mechanical behaviour could be created with different cuts and holes. The demonstrator is made of plywood and cut with a laser cutter at the Warwick Manufacturing Group, University of Warwick.

Dr. Melissa Riley

TWI Ltd.

Manufacturing of Metasurfaces at Scale

TWI Ltd is a world leading RTO with expertise in welding, joining and structural integrity. We have been active in surface engineering and coatings research for over 35 years and offer a wide range of processes applicable for manufacturing metasurfaces

TWI has led two Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) funded projects which aim to develop novel manufacturing methods for the creation of patterned conductive coatings for composite wind turbine blades to mitigate the effects of offshore wind farms on military radar performance. A metasurface was designed, with manufacturing in mind, for specific radar systems to improve radar absorption in the required frequency band.

The multidisciplinary projects involved the University of Exeter’s Metamaterials team, and materials engineering experts from TWI Ltd to scale up and manufacture the design using industrially relevant coating processes. The Phase 2 work is also supported by the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult (OREC).

The work has demonstrated manufacturing of metasurfaces at scale, bringing together multidisciplinary expertise to progress from production of single meta atoms to functional metasurfaces metres in scale. Further work is required to optimise the manufacturing process for complex geometries. The project has opened up exciting opportunities for industrial application of metasurfaces for radio detection and ranging (RADAR) and other applications.

UK Metamaterials Network

EVG)

Nanoimprint Lithography of Metasurfaces

We show how the nanoimprint lithography process from EV Group can take a metalens/metasurface structure etched into quartz and upscale this onto a bigger substrate for use as a master template for SmartNIL® replication.

In this sample, metasurfaces with different structure geometries have been replicated with SmartNIL® at once with stable pattern fidelity over several replications. The consistent quality of the dyes mean that this process has the potential to fasten the production of metasurfaces.

(on behalf of EV Group,

Dr. Hannah Zhang

National Physical Laboratory

Nanomechanical Testing: High Temperature and Strain Rate

The flexibility and the high level of informativeness of the nanoindentation technique, make it extremely appealing to cope with the challenges set by Industry for advanced manufacturing and development of new materials, to cope with energy crisis. Nanoindentation is applied in various kinds of materials, with sufficient knowledge they could be used to characterise materials properties (i.e. size effect, phase transition) from their mechanical response.

In this work, we are looking to expand instrument indentation technique into use on metamaterials. For instance, to explore the potential of metal organic frameworks materials as mechanical metamaterials [1]. The results showed that the yield strength and Young’s modulus of the hierarchical porous framework material presented size dependency, and the new materials can be made into a new class of low density, high strength mechanical metamaterials.

Reference [1] Y. Xiang et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 144 (2022) 4393.

Dr. Jisun Im

University of Nottingham

Optical and Photonic Metamaterials Fabricated by Additive Manufacturing

Additive manufacturing (AM) can be a great toolbox to manufacture metamaterials by enabling the control over multiple length scales within a single step process and geometrical and materials design freedom. We demonstrate the optical and photonic metamaterials fabricated by two photon polymerisation for applications in sensors and tunable resonators.

University of Nottingham

Thermally Sprayed Metasurface for Electromagnetic Wave Absorption and Interface Shielding

Textured metamaterial surfaces were fabricated by using thermal spraying technique. Current challenges with metamaterial coatings include the scalability of the manufacturing process and the selection of feedstock materials that can be critical to advancing applications exploiting their functional properties. Thermal spraying is a versatile process that can be used to deposit small to large scale coatings by successive impact of fully or partially molten particulates of feedstock material, exposed to different in flight conditions during the deposition process.

Research in the past has led to the identification of numerous classes of materials suitable for the surface manufacturing of electromagnetic devices. Advances in the use of suspensionbased feedstock deposition techniques (e.g., SPS, S HVOF) allow the fabrication of finely grained composite coatings that enable the manipulation of electromagnetic wave properties and next generation surface manufacturing of meta materials.

Dr. Siddharth Lokachari

Using Metasurfaces to Develop Ultra-Compact Instrumentation for Manufacturing

The future of high value manufacturing is envisaged to be one where bespoke items are made 'right first time' using flexible, autonomous and smart manufacturing systems optimised for all aspects of sustainability through reduced feedstock/energy use and scrappage rates. However, in order to achieve this sensors need to be developed that are of sufficiently small size/weight that they can be used to measure the object as it is being made, or at least while it is still mounted on the machine that is making it. These size and weight requirements are beyond what current instrumentation, based on refractive optics, can deliver. Metasurfaces offer a route by which the optical manipulations needed can be delivered without the bulk of traditional elements and, in some cases, a single element may be able to deliver the functionality that would normally require several traditional optical elements. We are currently looking at exploiting metasurfaces to create ultra compact instrumentation for just such applications and support the move to Industry 4.0.

Dr. Dawei Tang & Dr. Andrew Henning

University of Huddersfield

About the UK Metamaterials Network

The UK Metamaterials Network brings together experts from academia, industry, and governmental agencies to resolve interdisciplinary challenges for this exciting field of emerging materials from theory, fabrication, experiment, to large scale manufacturing and field testing

The Network is being led by Prof Alastair Hibbins (University of Exeter) and Dr Claire Dancer (University of Warwick) as academic investigators, together with Dr Anja Roeding as lead of the network operations and a multi institutional leadership team.

Our Aim

The Network’s key aim is to build a vibrant and creative, multidisciplinary community to accelerate novel and innovative metamaterials research and exploitation pathways. We believe that the isolation of research groups and lack of platforms to exchange and develop ideas currently inhibits the UK’s access to the interdisciplinary potential existing within our universities, industries, and governmental agencies.

It is of the utmost importance to develop interactions and mobility between these communities, to enable knowledge transfer, innovation, and a greater understanding of the barriers and opportunities. The intervention that this Network will provide will ensure that the UK does not lag our international competitors.

The Network is funded by EPSRC, Dstl and Innovate UK/KTN.

It runs conferences, workshops, discussion groups, and other collaboration building events through its Special Interest Groups, Forums, and Challenge areas.

Scan me to access the events page.

Upcoming Events

Thank you for your interest in the Showcase, we appreciate your support and look forward to seeing you at one of our future events.

Please find below some examples of upcoming UKMMN events.

• Metamaterials Colloquium: Prof. Rachel Grange (ETH Zürich) 20th January 2023, online.

• UKMMN Conference 11th June 15th June 2023, in person. Expression of Interest registration will open in early 2023.

• UKMMN Summer School 2023: Acoustic & Mechanical Metamaterials 31st July 4th August 2023, in person.

Scan me to register with the Network.

Activities in planning for 2023

1. Knowledge exchange & collaboration forming activities

a. Joint events across multiple SIGs/Forums/Challenge areas

• Active Metamaterials & Wireless/Microwave Metamaterials joint workshop

• Biologically grown metamaterials workshop

• Mechanical and Acoustic Metamaterials summer school for ECRs, including Henry Royce Institute as partner organisation

• Metamaterials for Healthcare workshop

• Metamaterials Genome development

• Photonic Metamaterials & Acoustic and/or Active Metamaterials joint workshop

• Programmable/self learning metamaterials workshop

• Shape morphing metamaterials workshop

b. SIG specific events

• Active Metamaterials “Hackathon” on well defined technical challenge

• Acoustic MM Spring School for ECRs, jointly with French sister network

• Acoustic Metamaterials workshop to showcase/discuss possible applications to industry

• AI for materials design introductory events to explain main ideas & connect key people

• AI as a problem solver pitch & brainstorm event on AI Design & Modelling for metamaterials challenges

• Metamaterials Manufacturing in person event

• Photonic Metamaterials for… <grand challenge>

• Wireless and Microwave Metamaterials talks

o led by industry (Squadron Six Aerospace; META) o led by academia (TBC)

c. UK Metamaterials Network conference 2023

11 – 15 June 2023, Wotton House, Dorking (UK)

Expression of Interest registration will open in early 2023.

Activities in planning for 2023

d. Grant writing and collaboration building events

• Sandpit events in particular for the Challenges areas (MM for Space, NetZero, Healthy Living)

• For ECRs (showcasing work to industry; industry problem solving sessions)

• Active development of multiple metamaterials facing EPSRC Centres of Doctoral Training applications in various areas

e. Outreach & Education Forum activities

• Picture competition

• Training session on political engagement for Network members

• Outreach challenge project as part of the upcoming summer school

• Development of a set of “Demonstrator boxes” for outreach and public engagement events

• Development of an “online resources” bank

2. Development of resources

a. Active Metamaterials Roadmap (jointly with EPSRC UK/US Centre to Centre collaboration on Active Metamaterials, “A Meta”), possibly supported/published by the IOP

b. Special Article Collection on Functional Photonic Metamaterials at APL (in principle agreement with Chief Editor)

c. Topical Collection in Sports Engineering on Metamaterials for Sport

d. Review paper on Metamaterials for Healthcare

e. Perspective paper on “Metamaterials for Augmented Reality” (industry oriented)

f. Further animation video development for the YouTube channel to describe what metamaterials can do in an accessible way (in the style of the Whisky quality control or Protective Metamaterials videos

Get in touch: if you have event/activities ideas, or if you would like to contribute to any of these activities, please let us know: info@metamaterials.ac.uk

SPONSORSHIP

The UK Metamaterials Network Conference 2022 is kindly sponsored by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), and Innovate UK/KTN.