Intrinsically nonlocal metamaterials

Area of Science:

• Electromagnetism and Materials Science
• Metamaterials Research
• Nanophotonics

Background:

• The electromagnetic response of materials is crucial for applications like imaging, sensing, and communications.
• Current metamaterial designs primarily rely on effective medium theories.
• A deeper understanding of inherent material properties is needed for advanced electromagnetic control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate a new regime of electromagnetic material response based on inherent nonlocality.
• To explore the potential of structuring materials at their intrinsic nonlocal scale.
• To investigate the creation of intrinsically nonlocal metamaterials for novel electromagnetic applications.

Main Methods:

• Theoretical modeling of electromagnetic response in structured materials.
• Experimental fabrication and characterization of intrinsically nonlocal metamaterials.
• Analysis of material response at room temperature in realistic, lossy conditions.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated a new regime of electromagnetic response originating from inherent material nonlocality.
• Showcased the ability to alter composite electromagnetics by structuring materials on the intrinsic nonlocal scale.
• Confirmed strong, detectable intrinsic nonlocality in macroscopic, lossy materials at room temperature.

Conclusions:

• Intrinsically nonlocal metamaterials offer a new paradigm for electromagnetic design, extending beyond existing approaches like photonic crystals and metasurfaces.
• This approach enables precise control of electromagnetic fields at deep subwavelength scales.
• Opens new avenues for manipulating light-matter interactions with significant technological implications.