A terahertz metamaterial with unnaturally high refractive index

Controlling the electromagnetic properties of materials, going beyond the limit that is attainable with naturally existing substances, has become a reality with the advent of metamaterials. The range of various structured artificial 'atoms' has promised a vast variety of otherwise unexpected physical phenomena, among which the experimental realization of a negative refractive index has been one of the main foci thus far. Expanding the refractive index into a high positive regime will complete the spectrum of achievable refractive index and provide more design flexibility for transformation optics. Naturally existing transparent materials possess small positive indices of refraction, except for a few semiconductors and insulators, such as lead sulphide or strontium titanate, that exhibit a rather high peak refractive index at mid- and far-infrared frequencies. Previous approaches using metamaterials were not successful in realizing broadband high refractive indices. A broadband high-refractive-index metamaterial structure was theoretically investigated only recently, but the proposed structure does not lend itself to easy implementation. Here we demonstrate that a broadband, extremely high index of refraction can be realized from large-area, free-standing, flexible terahertz metamaterials composed of strongly coupled unit cells. By drastically increasing the effective permittivity through strong capacitive coupling and decreasing the diamagnetic response with a thin metallic structure in the unit cell, a peak refractive index of 38.6 along with a low-frequency quasi-static value of over 20 were experimentally realized for a single-layer terahertz metamaterial, while maintaining low losses. As a natural extension of these single-layer metamaterials, we fabricated quasi-three-dimensional high-refractive-index metamaterials, and obtained a maximum bulk refractive index of 33.2 along with a value of around 8 at the quasi-static limit.     

一种折射率近零超材料的设计、制作和表征

利用人工结构制成的超材料能够实现天然材料所不具备的特性,电磁超材料作为一个新兴、多学科交叉领域,在理论探究和实验证明上都已成为近年来科学研究的热点之一,除单负和双负材料之外,电磁参数近零的超材料因其在光学隐身、天线雷达、军事等方面的应用也受到科学家的广泛关注。本文利用共振的H分形结构设计制作了在微波频段下折射率分布在[0,1]之间的微波超材料,而且利用微波波导传输线对多种变化尺度的晶胞结构进行电磁参数的测量,得到了每种晶胞结构对应的X波段折射率频谱,通过研究晶胞结构单元的等效电磁参数实现了一种折射率近零超材料,从而为实现近零折射率分布的变换光学器件如Inside-out Eaton Lens的实验研制提供了材料选择。     

基于固体软板与空心圆柱双负声超常材料实现

在环氧树脂软板中周期性引入钢柱,利用其表面模集体共振激发,实现了负的有效质量密度响应.在空心钢柱周期性切缝构造亥姆赫兹共振腔结构,实现了负的体模量响应.复合以上2种结构,实现了质量密度和体模量同时为负的双负声超常材料.与现有的基于三维共振单元的双负材料相比,这种基于二维共振单元的双负超常材料结构更简单,易于制备.     

具有双负折射率通带的双结构单元渔网电磁超介质的数值模拟研究

基于传统的＂金属-电介质-金属＂渔网状电磁超介质,平行和交叉排列具有不同介电常数介质板的两种单元,利用数值方法研究了两种排列方式下渔网电磁超介质的左手行为.与采用单一介质板相比,使用两种电介质板形成的双结构单元渔网结构能够使不同的单元在不同频率下谐振,表现出双负折射率通带.利用楔形结构和后向波模拟验证了两种排列方式下双结构单元渔网结构的负折射特性.利用双结构单元渔网结构,可以通过调节介质板的介电常数,同时在一个或多个频率带实现负折射,这为制作性能更为优良的多频带滤波器和变频通信微波器件等提供了一种可行方法.     

S型左手材料平板透镜对喇叭天线性能影响研究

根据左手材料零折射特性设计一种周期性左手材料排列的平面透镜来提高喇叭天线的增益和口径效率。S型左手材料被放置于平行波导中计算端口传输矩阵,并进一步计算S型左手材料的介电常数,调整结构参数,使其在16GHz时负介电常数为负值。将此结构所构成的周期平面透镜放置在矩形喇叭天线上端,对该天线的辐射方向图,增益进行了研究。结果表明,S型左手材料结构平面透镜的喇叭天线增益可达到19．3dB,比无透镜的同尺寸喇叭天线增益提高3．55dB。且口径效率达到64．21％。说明S型左手材料平面透镜可以大幅提高喇叭天线增益和口径效率。     

A Newtonian approach to extraordinarily strong negative refraction

Metamaterials with negative refractive indices can manipulate electromagnetic waves in unusual ways, and can be used to achieve, for example, sub-diffraction-limit focusing, the bending of light in the 'wrong' direction, and reversed Doppler and Cerenkov effects. These counterintuitive and technologically useful behaviours have spurred considerable efforts to synthesize a broad array of negative-index metamaterials with engineered electric, magnetic or optical properties. Here we demonstrate another route to negative refraction by exploiting the inertia of electrons in semiconductor two-dimensional electron gases, collectively accelerated by electromagnetic waves according to Newton's second law of motion, where this acceleration effect manifests as kinetic inductance. Using kinetic inductance to attain negative refraction was theoretically proposed for three-dimensional metallic nanoparticles and seen experimentally with surface plasmons on the surface of a three-dimensional metal. The two-dimensional electron gas that we use at cryogenic temperatures has a larger kinetic inductance than three-dimensional metals, leading to extraordinarily strong negative refraction at gigahertz frequencies, with an index as large as -700. This pronounced negative refractive index and the corresponding reduction in the effective wavelength opens a path to miniaturization in the science and technology of negative refraction.     

单负材料异质结构的共振隧穿模频率特性仿真研究

基于微带线理论采用加载集总元件的方法设计单负材料,当两材料的波阻抗和有效相移相等时出现共振隧穿模.针对实验制备中集总元件频率响应的限制,通过改变单负材料的厚度实现在特定集总元件情况下对隧穿频率的调节,隧穿模频率随材料厚度增大而向低频移动.     

声超常材料:负参数声学材料的实现

声超常材料是质量密度和模量可以为负的新型人工材料,其实现在概念上推动了声理论的发展,同时也为研究各种新奇性质提供了可能,从而在应用上为设计各种新型波功能器件提供了基础.对声超常材料的研究成为当前国际上的一个研究热点.对声超常材料的研究进展评述,同时对局部共振机制实现负参数的基本原理进行阐述.     

Three-dimensional optical metamaterial with a negative refractive index

Metamaterials are artificially engineered structures that have properties, such as a negative refractive index, not attainable with naturally occurring materials. Negative-index metamaterials (NIMs) were first demonstrated for microwave frequencies, but it has been challenging to design NIMs for optical frequencies and they have so far been limited to optically thin samples because of significant fabrication challenges and strong energy dissipation in metals. Such thin structures are analogous to a monolayer of atoms, making it difficult to assign bulk properties such as the index of refraction. Negative refraction of surface plasmons was recently demonstrated but was confined to a two-dimensional waveguide. Three-dimensional (3D) optical metamaterials have come into focus recently, including the realization of negative refraction by using layered semiconductor metamaterials and a 3D magnetic metamaterial in the infrared frequencies; however, neither of these had a negative index of refraction. Here we report a 3D optical metamaterial having negative refractive index with a very high figure of merit of 3.5 (that is, low loss). This metamaterial is made of cascaded 'fishnet' structures, with a negative index existing over a broad spectral range. Moreover, it can readily be probed from free space, making it functional for optical devices. We construct a prism made of this optical NIM to demonstrate negative refractive index at optical frequencies, resulting unambiguously from the negative phase evolution of the wave propagating inside the metamaterial. Bulk optical metamaterials open up prospects for studies of 3D optical effects and applications associated with NIMs and zero-index materials such as reversed Doppler effect, superlenses, optical tunnelling devices, compact resonators and highly directional sources.     

超颖材料特性对无线电力传输系统的影响

为了提高无线电力传输系统的传输效率和增大传输距离,在无线电力传输系统中采用了超颖材料.从负折射率和倏逝波出发,通过公式推导和仿真分析,探讨了超颖材料对倏逝波的增强效应.结果表明:当磁导率为负值时,超颖材料对倏逝波磁场的增强效应可使耦合系数成倍增大;而负的介电常数所引起的电场增强效应对耦合系数的影响较小;在现有无线电波段工作频率和厘米量级的传输距离条件下,负折射效应无法提高耦合系数,即无法提高传输效率,而需要制作工艺相对简单、磁导率为负的单负材料,以达到提高无线电力传输效率的目标.     

2021年机械超材料热点回眸

近年来,受益于3D打印先进制造技术和机器学习设计方法的快速发展,机械超材料的研究取得了卓越的成果,实现了一系列自然界罕见甚至不存在的反常规、反直觉的力学性能.与自然材料不同,机械超材料的性质主要来源于人工结构而非材料本身化学组分,故而具有巨大的设计空间.2021年,机械超材料领域涌现出了一批非常优秀的工作.从机械超材料...     

电磁超材料与增益材料研究现状与进展

电磁超材料是指一些具有天然材料所不具备的超常物理性质的人工复合结构或复合材料,具有广阔的应用前景.目前,电磁超材料实际设计中出现的窄带宽和高损耗等问题,限制了其进一步的应用.对于电磁超材料中贵金属结构的损耗,通过引入增益材料可降低甚至完全补偿其损耗.该文首先回顾超材料的历史发展过程,介绍其国内外的研究现状;然后归纳超材料在发展过程中遇到的问题,着重介绍如何通过引入增益材料来弥补超材料中的金属损耗.     

太赫兹波段树枝状三维各向同性左手材料设计及特性研究

基于微波段二维树枝状左手材料的设计思想,设计了太赫兹波段的三维各向同性左手材料结构单元模型.采用金属Drude模型,运用等效媒质理论,仿真模拟了结构单元的电磁响应特性,计算了结构单元的有关电磁参数,分析了其缺陷效应和吸波特性.结果表明折射率在太赫兹波段1.17¹.38 THz之间为负值,并通过模拟负折射验证了其左手特性;在缺陷严重情况下,其左手特性将消失;通过对模型进行改进,在1.47 THz处出现了一个吸收峰,吸收率高达98%.该模型结构简单,研究结果为采用自上而下的方法制备三维太赫兹波段左手材料指出了途径.     

负泊松比负热膨胀超材料微结构拓扑优化设计

提出一种拓扑优化设计方法,用于设计同时具有负泊松比和负热膨胀系数的超材料.超材料是人工设计的复合材料,由微米或纳米结构的周期性阵列组成,并具有天然材料难以具备的超常物理性质.基于拓扑优化理论,建立了一个表示多材料微观结构的多相边界的水平集模型,并采用数值均匀化方法来计算微观结构的等效性能,然后通过参数化水平集优化方法实现边界形状的演变和拓扑结构的设计.通过两个数值算例,给出超材料微结构材料分布的优化结果,证明了设计方法的可行性,为实现具备特殊性能的人工材料设计提供了一套系统的设计方法.     

2020生物超材料热点回眸

 由于2020年新冠肺炎疫情的影响，生物超材料成为超材料领域的一个重要研究热点。回顾了2020年活性生物超材料和非活性生物超材料在生物领域的应用以及最新进展，展望了其发展趋势。     

Isotropic negative permeability composite based on Mie resonance of the BST-MgO dielectric medium

Isotropic negative permeability composite, composed of BST-MgO dielectric cubes with high permittivity dispersed in the Teflon substrate with low permittivity, was designed and fabricated based on Mie resonance and the effective medium theory. Measurements and simulations showed that the dielectric composite exhibited a strong sub-wavelength magnetic resonance at the first Mie resonance and possessed isotropic negative permeability, which resulted from the displacement current excited in the cubes. The dielectric particle was equivalent to a magnetic dipole at the magnetic resonance, which could be adjusted by the size and permittivity of the particles. It may provide a convenient method to design isotropic metamaterials and invisible cloak at infrared and visible frequencies.     

Metamaterials and Metamaterial-Based Antenna Technology

The study of metamaterials is among the most important and attractive topics of the electromagnetic field theory and applications in the past 15 years. Much effort has been devoted to scientific resear...     

2020年光学超材料热点回眸

 光学超材料一直是超材料学科中的重要组成部分之一，是超材料在信息科学领域中应用的重要体现。2020年，光学超材料领域的研究涌现出了一大批非常优秀的科技成果。围绕非线性光学超材料、人工智能超材料与光学超表面等方面回顾了光学超材料在2020年的研究热点。     

电磁超材料研究进展

 简介了电磁超材料的定义、性质和分类,综述了电磁超材料研究的常用等效媒质理论、电磁参数提取方法、电磁超材料的具体实现方式、二维电磁表面及其机理、电磁超材料的典型应用等研究进展,展望了电磁超材料的发展趋势。     

负能量研究：内容、方法和意义

本文首先指出物理参数的正和负是自然界对称性机制之一,其次回顾了自由电子理论中的负能态;然后讨论了自然界存在负质量和负能量的可能性。1928年P．Dirac最先提出了负能概念,它已广泛应用于物理学的各个领域。本文仅讨论近年来的实验和理论进展。在现代物理学中通常认为真空应依照实际存在量子场的零点能而理解,例如把Casimir能（Ec）看作量子化的电磁场的真空能在提供边界时所造成的——当把双平行板介入到真空中,板间内能减小,能量的变化使Ec〈0,即得到负能量。负能量是量子物理学的重要概念之一,其时真空被看成折射率小于1（n〈1）的媒质。在Hawking理论中,实、虚粒子都可携带负能,不过这观点尚有待实验证明。另一方面,在人类实验室中制造负能量也是可能的,办法如利用Casimir效应,利用负群速,或利用超材料。最后,本文指出众多超光速效应与负能量相关,这对超光速研究提供了更深刻的理解。