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The propagation of sound in materials is closely related to their geometric and physical properties, and people have been trying to construct metamaterials to modulate sound. These metamaterials are typically constructed with specific geometric patterns to scatter acoustic waves; therefore, understanding sound propagation passing through these structures is essential. This article proposes a convenient method to analyze how the scattered field is distributed after the incident wave passes through a metasurface composed of multiple materials and meta units with arbitrary geometrical configurations. The key to realizing it is that each term of the Fourier expansion of the distribution of a specific property of the metasurface corresponding to a harmonic branch after the incident wave is coupled with localized vibration of the metasurface. This method is validated by simulation and can be used to construct metasurfaces at the sub-wavelength scale for flexible control of scattered waves, and it can guide the design of acoustic lenses, devices that collect sound energy using surface waves, and acoustic diffusers inside rooms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The monolayer metamaterial that consists of graphene arrangement squares and four L-shaped graphene blocks is designed to achieve quintuple plasmon-induced transparency (quintuple-PIT). First, the accuracy of the results has been validated through finite difference time domain simulations and coupled mode theory, which show good agreement. Second, a quadruple-frequency asynchronous switch with amplitude modulation degree (AMD) values of 94.7%, 91.1%, 96.6%, and 77.4% and a sextuple-frequency synchronous switch with AMD values of 95.0%, 96.8%, 88.0%, 93.3%, 58.6%, and 71.5% have been proposed by dynamic control, respectively. It is worth noting that the number of PIT windows in the transmission curve can be freely adjusted from a quintuple-PIT to single-PIT mode by manipulating the Fermi level states of different parts of the structure. Finally, further investigations have demonstrated that the proposed structure exhibits excellent slow-light properties and is insensitive to polarized light, which indicates that the metamaterial structure possesses good stability and anti-interference capabilities under various polarization conditions. The metamaterial and results provide valuable insights and ideas for the design of optoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work proposed a fast inverse design method for microwave and infrared (IR) bi-stealth metamaterials based on the equivalent circuit model (ECM). Using this method, we designed a microwave and IR bi-stealth metamaterial by deploying a multilayered structure of the indium tin oxide (ITO) film based metasurface. First, the IR emissivity of the ITO film was calculated in the framework of the ECM. Then, an ITO metasurface was proposed to implement low IR emission and high microwave transmission simultaneously. Based on the ECM of the square patch, the ECM of the whole metamaterial was established at the microwave band. An inverse design program was built by incorporating the ECM with genetic algorithm (GA). Structure parameters of the metamaterial were optimized by GA to achieve the broadest microwave stealth bandwidth for the given thickness. Finally, the sample of the optimized bi-stealth metamaterial was prepared and tested. The calculated, simulated, and measured results are in good agreement, showing that such a metamaterial has an IR emissivity of 0.18 in the band from 3 to 14 μm and an efficient microwave stealth band from 4.8 to 17 GHz with a thickness of 4.9 mm. The proposed method will benefit the design and application of microwave and IR bi-stealth metamaterials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, design and fabrication of a dual-band near-zero index metamaterial (MTM) structure using copper on an epoxy resin fiber (FR-4) dielectric substrate is reported for refractive index sensing applications. The primary objective is to achieve dual-band operation spanning a 1–15 GHz frequency range, with a specific focus on achieving a broad bandwidth in the C-band. The resonance of the MTM structure was ascribed to the coupling of plane electromagnetic waves with surface plasmon polaritons on the structure, resulting in a quadrupole plasmon resonance mode. Furthermore, transmission characteristics of the fabricated MTM structure were experimentally measured and found to align closely with the simulated results obtained through the finite element method in COMSOL Multiphysics. The designed MTM structure demonstrates negative and near-zero permittivity at resonance frequencies, enabling left-handed and near-zero index behavior in dual microwave frequency bands. Under room temperature conditions, the MTM sensor exhibited sensitivities of 1 GHz/RIU and 3 GHz/RIU at resonance frequencies of 2.7 and 7.3 GHz, respectively. Consequently, the MTM structure exhibits significant potential for diverse applications, serving as a valuable component in sensors, detectors, and optoelectronic devices operating in the GHz region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigation and implementation of Active Willis Metamaterials (AWM) have been done exclusively, in all the available literature, by approaches that do not rely on any solid control theory basis. When coupled with piezoelectric control elements, the available approaches have not included, from the first principles, the exact form of the constitutive relationship of the piezoelectric materials. Furthermore, in all these approaches, stability analysis, robustness, ability to accommodate uncertainty or parameter changes, or consideration of disturbance rejection has not been addressed at all. More importantly, the available formulations have always mixed the flow and effort variables of the AWM, resulting in a form that is totally incompatible for the use in generating, investigating, or even designing any appropriate sensing or control applications of the material. In this paper, the piezoelectric-based AWM is modeled, from the first principles, to develop a constitutive coupling form that enables its use in actuation, sensing, and as an integrated controller that can be analyzed, designed, and optimized using the classical, optimal, and robust control system theories. Lagrange dynamics formulation is used to generate the equations governing the Willis coupling, the piezoelectric coupling, as well as the active robust controller. With this developed controlled-based structure of the AWM, the inherent and powerful capabilities of the AWM that lie in its ability to robustly control the material properties themselves such as the compliance (or stiffness) and specific volume (or density) are demonstrated in great detail via several numerical examples. Controlling these properties enables the AWM to be used in numerous important and imaginative applications such as cloaking, beam shifting, beam focusing, as well as many other applications that are limited only by our imagination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a novel hybrid acoustic metamaterial that can achieve broadband sound insulation below 452 Hz and almost perfect sound absorption at 864 Hz. The metastructure was fabricated using additive manufacturing. Finite element method simulations were used to study the acoustic properties of the fabricated metamaterials. An equivalent electrical circuit was built using an electro-acoustic analogy to evaluate the sound absorption coefficient. The unique design of this meta-structure possesses two resonant frequencies. Low-frequency sound insulation is found due to the effective negative density at frequencies lower than the cutoff frequency of the elastic membrane. In contrast, a negative effective bulk modulus is the reason behind the broadband sound absorption. The theoretical and simulation results were validated through experiments. Experiments carried out showed an overall average sound transmission loss of 26.31 dB between 50 and 1600 Hz and 24.72 dB in the low-frequency zone (<400 Hz). Furthermore, over 69% of the sound intensity is absorbed in the 500–1000 Hz frequency range. The designed meta-structure exhibits broadband effective negative density below 452 Hz and effective negative bulk modulus from 864 to 1220 Hz. The design specifies a sample thickness of 3.8 cm, corresponding to a subwavelength thickness of approximately λ/10. As a result, the developed meta-structure can potentially be employed for sound insulation and absorption at low frequencies in the aerospace and automotive industries and in-room acoustic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new microwave metamaterial microstrip line (meta-MSL) is studied by integrating planar mushroom metamaterial structures into a conventional MSL. The meta-MSL is featured with an enhanced effective refractive index than the conventional, extracted from numerical demonstrations using the S-parameter method. The extraordinarily increased refractive index is found to be associated with weak dispersion and low dissipation loss, making the meta-MSL particularly beneficial to compact a microwave Wilkinson power divider (WPD). One metamaterial WPD (meta-WPD) is built using new meta-MSLs. Full-wave numerical calculations reveal that the new meta-WPD has low insertion losses, low reflections, and high isolations between the output ports, working as a good substitute for the conventional WPD. However, the new meta-WPD is exceptional in its small size, which is particularly useful in mobile and wireless applications where compact microwave components are in critical demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent advancements in optical metamaterials have opened new possibilities in the exciting field of super-resolution microscopies. The far-field metamaterial-assisted illumination nanoscopies (MAINs) have, very recently, enhanced the lateral resolution to one-fifteenth of the optical wavelength. However, the axial localization accuracy of fluorophores in the MAINs remains rarely explored. Here, a MAIN with a nanometer-scale axial localization accuracy is demonstrated by monitoring the distance-dependent photobleaching dynamics of the fluorophores on top of an organic hyperbolic metamaterial (OHM) substrate under a wide-field single-objective microscope. With such a regular experimental configuration, 3D imaging of various biological samples with the resolution of ≈40 nm in the lateral dimensions and ≈5 nm in the axial dimension is realized. The demonstrated imaging modality enables the resolution of the 3D morphology of nanoscopic cellular structures with a significantly simplified experimental setup.

Within the field of elastic metamaterials, topological metamaterials have recently received much attention due to their ability to host topologically robust edge states. Introducing local resonators to these metamaterials also opens the door for many applications such as energy harvesting and reconfigurable metamaterials. However, the interactions between phenomena from local resonance and modulation patterning are currently unknown. This work fills that gap by studying multiple cases of spatially modulated metamaterials with local resonators to reveal the mechanisms behind bandgap formation. Their dispersion relations are determined analytically for infinite chains and validated numerically using eigenvalue analysis. The inverse method is used to determine the imaginary wavenumber components from which each bandgap is characterized by its formation mechanism. The topological nature of the bandgaps is also explored through calculating the Chern number and integrated density of states. The band structures are obtained for various sources of modulation as well as multiple resonator parameters to illustrate how both local resonance and modulation patterning interact together to influence the band structure. Other unique features of these metamaterials are further demonstrated through the mode shapes obtained using the eigenvectors. The results reveal a complex band structure that is highly tunable, and the observations given here can be used to guide designers in choosing resonator parameters and patterning to fit a variety of applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we present a polarization-insensitive terahertz metamaterial designed by stacking resonators capable of providing ultra-wideband terahertz transmissions. Our design includes a square ring resonator situated between two windmill-shaped resonators, separated by a polyimide spacer. We optimized the spacer thickness to achieve a broadband response in transmission. These optimized broadband metamaterial designs were fabricated through multiple steps of the photolithography process. Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy of the fabricated samples indicates broadband terahertz transmission, in agreement with both simulation findings and results calculated from the transmission line model for the multi-layered metamaterial geometry. Our research reveals a strong near-field coupling between resonators, leading to wideband transmission of terahertz waves. The stacking of these metamaterials is crucial in designing broadband bandpass filters and broadband modulators for terahertz photonics while keeping the resonance strength almost intact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the exploration of solar absorbers has grown in favor due to the scarcity of energy. Here, we propose an absorber with an array of a circular ring surrounding disk (RSD) for solar energy capture. The novel structure keeps above 93.5% absorption with an average absorption of 96.95% in wavelengths from 300 to 4000 nm. Meanwhile, the proposed absorber is advantageous in that the structure is generalizable to other metals and dielectric materials. Furthermore, the data results show that the absorber has polarization-independent properties as well as maintaining >90% absorption in the considered wavelength range up to an incidence angle of 52° and >95% absorption at large process tolerances. Finally, the excellent absorption under the AM1.5 solar spectrum demonstrates the RSD absorber's ability to capture solar energy. These results show the potential of the absorber for applications in electromagnetic invisibility cloaking, thermal emitters, and solar energy capture and conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Topological interface states have wide applications for their robustness and energy localization. Multiple topological interface states in 1D acoustic systems are preferred for signal enhancement at specific frequencies. However, previous 1D topological systems with local interactions can realize only one topological interface state in a bandgap. Here, we find that connected acoustic Su–Schrieffer–Heeger (SSH) chains with nonlocal interactions can achieve two or more topological interface states at different frequencies in a single bandgap, even in the subwavelength region. The difference in frequency can be modulated by merely adjusting the structural design at the interface. A mechanical metamaterial with a large winding number is designed to realize multiple nondegenerate topological interface states. This metamaterial can enhance weak acoustic signals at multiple specific frequencies simultaneously and has applications in the fields of acoustic detecting and color imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The introduction of metasurfaces has renewed Snell's law, and the metasurfaces can manipulate sound waves flexibly. In this paper, a coding metasurface with a simple and adjustable coding unit for sound wave transmission is proposed. By changing the orientation of a movable part in a fixed structure, conversion is achieved between two types of units with a phase difference of 180° and high transmittance (>75%). By combining the two types of units, the phases of sound waves can be regulated dynamically. Structural simulations are performed using finite-element software, and the beam splitting of the transmitted sound wave is verified by theoretical analysis and experiments under plane wave incidence in the frequency range of 4.7–5.7 kHz. In addition, the two types of units are used to design a coding Fresnel lens, and its simulated focusing performance is verified by experiments at 4.7–5.7 kHz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Generative models in the field of artificial intelligence and their applications and deployment have demonstrated their great strength in the past few years. Of the vast spectrum of generative models, diffusion probabilistic models have proven to be particularly powerful and productive, transforming notions such as text-to-image and text-to-video generation from ideas into practical applications. In our previous works, we proposed a thermal metamaterial-based periodic interparticle interaction mechanism for heat management, with a specific application in thermal transparency. To address the challenging problems associated with the inverse design of thermal metamaterial structures, we employed an autoencoder-based machine learning approach and a reinforcement learning-based approach successfully. In this work, we demonstrate that our particular problems with the inverse design of thermal metamaterial-based periodic lattices for the realization of thermal transparency can also be reframed and efficiently solved by training a generative diffusion probabilistic model that can generate the design parameters corresponding to the desired response. Furthermore, we show that for a specific response, multiple sets of design parameters can be obtained by simply performing multiple inferences with the generative diffusion probabilistic model, enabling us to select the ones that can be more economical to fabricate and implement. Our work is among the first to use a diffusion model for the inverse design of thermal metamaterial-based structures and demonstrates the effectiveness of generating low-dimensional design parameters through a diffusion model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elastic metamaterials with double negativity can manipulate the propagation of elastic waves at sub-wavelength scales by inducing multiple resonances to achieve different negative effective parameters. Numerous efforts have been made to control the dynamic behavior by directly tuning the frequency range of double negativity in elastic metamaterials. This study examines the impact of tensile loads on double negativity in relation to ligament inclination angle. The findings will aid in the direct tunability of double negativity in single-phase chiral metamaterials. The study examines a simple single-phase four-ligament chiral unit with low-order double negativity. The presence of double negativity was verified through band structure analysis and calculation of the four effective dynamic parameters. Additionally, the effects of two geometrical factors on the frequency ranges of negative parameters were investigated through parametric scanning. The results indicate that the frequency range of double negativity reaches its maximum at a ligament inclination angle of around 45° and disappears as the angle approaches 65°. Given that the ligament inclination angle of the unit cells can be easily altered by external tension, this intriguing outcome is leveraged to achieve the emergence and vanishing of double negativity. This characteristic is confirmed through the examination of negative refraction phenomena via simulation examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acoustic metamaterial concepts, such as metalenses and hyperlenses, have been studied with much interest for super-resolution imaging. However, the physics of wave scattering by sub-wavelength sized defects is still not very well understood. Here, we present studies on acoustic wave interactions with circular defects of sizes varying from over a wavelength to sub-wavelength scale. Near- and far-field scattering patterns of single circular defects are presented, connecting them to analytical frameworks. Scattering field signatures produced by two identical circular defects of different sizes placed side by side are then discussed. The separation distance between the defects is among the parameters varied to understand the effects of geometric features in successful imaging. Experimental results are presented to support the predictions reported in the paper. The insights have important implications for sub-wavelength imaging using acoustic metamaterials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an ultra-thin metamaterial absorber (UMA) in the S-band is designed. The overall structure adopts a three-layer design. The top layer is a magnetic material, and the middle layer of the UMA is composed of a centrally symmetrical open square ring (four edges are opened) and a circular pattern placed at the center, which is etched on the FR4 dielectric substrate by printed circuit board technology. The absorptivity of the absorber is more than 90% in 1.73–4.04 GHz under normal incidence, and the fractional bandwidth is 80.1%. The total thickness of the absorber is about 3.4 mm, corresponding to 0.02 λ L at the lowest operating frequency. Moreover, it also has good polarization insensitivity and wide-angle incident characteristics. The absorption mechanism of the UMA is analyzed from the aspects of power loss density and surface current. Finally, a sample was fabricated and measured. The measured results are in good agreement with the simulation results, which verifies the effectiveness of the design method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we combine the concepts of magnetic circular dichroism, nanocavities, and magneto-optical hyperbolic metamaterials (MO-HMMs) to demonstrate an approach for sensing down to a few molecules. Our proposal comprises a multilayer MO-HMM with a square, two-dimensional arrangement of nanocavities. The magnetization of the system is considered in polar configuration, i.e., in the plane of polarization and perpendicular to the plane of the multilayer structure. This allows for magneto-optical chirality to be induced through the polar magneto-optical Kerr effect, which is exhibited by reflected light from the nanostructure. Numerical analyses under the magnetization saturation condition indicate that magnetic circular dichroism peaks can be used instead of reflectance dips to monitor refractive index changes in the analyte region. Significantly, we obtained a relatively high sensitivity value of S = 40 nm/RIU for the case where refractive index changes are limited to the volume inside nanocavities, i.e., in the limit of a few molecules (or ultralow concentrations), while a very large sensitivity of S = 532 nm/RIU is calculated for the analyte region distributed along the entire superstrate layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a low-profile optical transparent wideband metamaterial absorber based on radiation–absorption reciprocal theory is proposed. The top layer and bottom layer are composed of indium tin oxide–polyethylene terephthalate films, and the middle layer is a transparent substrate polymethyl methacrylate. The method of transparent wideband absorption using reciprocal theory is proposed to guide the design. Based on characteristic mode analysis and calculated equivalent aperture efficiency, the absorber consisting of composite resonators is analyzed and designed. The equivalent circuit model and surface current distributions are studied to verify the design. The numerical results show that high absorption of greater than 90% in the frequency range of 5.7–16.4 GHz is obtained. A wideband absorption rate of greater than 80% at a 60° incident angle under TM polarization and an absorption rate of greater than 65% at a 60° incident angle under TE polarization are obtained. The proposed design has the advantages of broadband absorption, polarization insensitivity, light transmittance of more than 70%, and compact structure, which can be applied to special scenes that require optical transparency, such as anechoic chamber glass and cockpit glass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an ultra-thin absorber with a total thickness of 9.2 mm is designed and verified at the frequency band of 1–5.34 GHz. The absorber is composed of a layer of metasurface, multi-layered magnetic substrate, a layer of fragmented magnetic structure obtained by improved MOEA/D-GO (Multi-Objective Evolutionary Algorithm based on Decomposition combined with Enhanced Genetic Operators), and a copper back plate. The absorber is achieved by two steps. First, we designed and measured an ultra-thin absorber at 0.78–2.04 GHz by adding a layer metasurface onto the top of a basic multi-layer absorber composed of magnetic materials. The fractional bandwidth (FBW) of the absorber is 89.4%, and the electrical thickness is only 0.024 λ 0 at the lowest operating frequency. Second, to broaden the bandwidth, we use an improved MOEA/D-GO to optimize one magnetic layer of the absorber. The working frequency band of the optimized absorber is 1–5.34 GHz, covering L- (1–2 GHz), S- (2–4 GHz), and partial C-bands (4–8 GHz). Furthermore, we modified the structure of the metasurface to make the absorber polarization-independent. The FBW of the final absorber is 136.4%, and the electrical thickness is 0.031 λ 0 at the lowest operating frequency. The prototype of the absorber is measured, and the experimental results agree well with the simulated performance. The results show that the improved MOEA/D-GO can be used to design and optimize sophisticated electromagnetic (EM) structures with the predesigned properties, and the absorber with ultrathin thickness and light weight verified in this paper have great application potentials in EM compatibility, EM shielding, and radar cross section reduction at the low bands of the microwave spectrum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rational manipulation and assembly of discrete colloidal particles into architected superstructures have enabled several applications in materials science and nanotechnology. Optical manipulation techniques, typically operated in fluid media, facilitate the precise arrangement of colloidal particles into superstructures by using focused laser beams. However, as the optical energy is turned off, the inherent Brownian motion of the particles in fluid media impedes the retention and reconfiguration of such superstructures. Overcoming this fundamental limitation, we present on-demand, three-dimensional (3D) optical manipulation of colloidal particles in a phase-change solid medium made of surfactant bilayers. Unlike liquid crystal media, the lack of fluid flow within the bilayer media enables the assembly and retention of colloids for diverse spatial configurations. By utilizing the optically controlled temperature-dependent interactions between the particles and their surrounding media, we experimentally exhibit the holonomic microscale control of diverse particles for repeatable, reconfigurable, and controlled colloidal arrangements in 3D. Finally, we demonstrate tunable light-matter interactions between the particles and 2D materials by successfully manipulating and retaining these particles at fixed distances from the 2D material layers. Our experimental results demonstrate that the particles can be retained for over 120 days without any change in their relative positions or degradation in the bilayers. With the capability of arranging particles in 3D configurations with long-term stability, our platform pushes the frontiers of optical manipulation for distinct applications such as metamaterial fabrication, information storage, and security.

Hyperbolic metamaterials (HMMs) are artificial subwavelength-structured media that exhibit excellent hyperbolic properties. The Casimir force for HMMs can be predicted by effective medium theory (EMT), which simplifies the calculations considerably. However, the conditions of EMT in the Casimir force between HMMs have not been investigated. In this work, we compare the exact results of the Casimir force calculated by the transfer matrix method (TMM) with those from EMT. The numerical results suggest that EMT can accurately calculate the Casimir force only when the gap distance is 100 times larger than the period of a unit cell. When the gap distance and period of unit cell values are comparable, EMT is not suitable for TMM, and the main error occurs in the hyperbolic band. Furthermore, the effect of the filling ratio on the applicable conditions of EMT is also studied. This work demonstrates the conditions of EMT in calculating the Casimir force between HMMs and provides help for the development of micro- and nanoelectromechanical systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A perfect absorber in the terahertz band with ultra-broadband and triple narrowband is achieved, using Vanadium Dioxide (VO2) and patterned graphene hybrid metamaterials, which can be converted by adjusting the temperature. When only VO2 is present in the structure, the absorption spectrum shows broadband absorption in metallic phases of VO2. Adding graphene to metallic VO2, the absorption bandwidth over 95% is expanded to 5.5 THz, which is 1.9 times broader compared to the absence of graphene, and the absorption bandwidth over 99% increases to 1.72 THz. Adding graphene to insulating VO2, three narrowband absorptions appear with absorption rates approaching 100%. Polarization characteristics show that ultra-broadband is insensitive to polarization angle, while multi-frequency narrowband exhibits sensitivity. Therefore, the proposed tunable multifunctional absorber can greatly optimize the absorption capacity of ultra-broadband and multi-frequency narrow bands, demonstrating great potential in future practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the hexagonal honeycomb structure and the tri-ligament chiral honeycomb structure, this paper proposes a hybrid material structure with low-frequency elastic wave suppression below 100 Hz. Based on the finite element method and Bloch's theorem, the energy band structure was calculated, and the formation of the band gap and the wave-propagation properties of the structure were carefully studied, the wave attenuation performance of the composite structure was simulated, and the influence of material properties and geometric parameters on the width and position of the band-gap distribution was discussed. The results show that the structure can generate a good band gap in the low-frequency range of 100 Hz, and the wave propagation is suppressed obviously. Demonstrating its potential in practical applications, the research in this paper provides a theoretical basis for the manufacture of low-frequency vibration damping equipment and instruments, and provides a scheme for the design of metamaterials with low-frequency band gaps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With its compactness and foldability, origami has recently been applied to robotic systems to enable versatile robots and mechanisms while maintaining a low weight and compact form. This work investigates how to generate different motions and shapes for origami by tuning its creases' stiffness on the fly. The stiffness tuning is realized by a composite material made by sandwiching a thermoplastic layer between two shape memory polymer layers. This enables the composite to act as a living hinge, whose stiffness can be actively controlled through Joule heating. To demonstrate our concept, we fabricate an origami module with four variable stiffness joints (VSJs), allowing it to have freely controlled crease stiffnesses across its surface. We characterize the origami module's versatile motion when heating different VSJs with different temperatures. We further use two origami modules to build a two-legged robot that can locomote on the ground with different locomotion gaits. The same robot is also used as an adaptive gripper for grasping tasks. Our work can potentially enable more versatile robotic systems made from origami as well as other mechanical systems with programmable properties (e.g. mechanical metamaterials). This article is part of the theme issue 'Origami/Kirigami-inspired structures: from fundamentals to applications'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bar and hinge framework uses truss elements and rotational springs to efficiently model the structural behaviour of origami. The framework is especially useful to investigate origami metamaterials as they have repeating geometry, which makes conventional finite element simulations very expensive due to a large number of degrees of freedom. This work proposes improvements to the parameters of bar and hinge model within the context of structural dynamics, specifically modal analysis under small deformations, which has not been carried out previously in the literature. A range of low-frequency modes involving origami folding and panel bending deformations that can be accurately captured by the bar and hinge framework are identified. Within this range, bar and hinge parameters like the lumped masses and the rotational spring stiffness values are derived using conservation laws and finite element tests. The best among the proposed schemes is found to predict natural frequencies of the considered origami structures to within 10% maximum error, improving the accuracy by more than three times from existing schemes. In most cases, the errors in natural frequencies are less than 5%. This article is part of the theme issue 'Origami/Kirigami-inspired structures: from fundamentals to applications'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metamaterial design approaches, which integrate structural elements into material systems, enable the control of uncommon behaviours by decoupling local and global properties. Leveraging this conceptual framework, metamaterial adhesives incorporate nonlinear cut architectures into adhesive films to achieve unique combinations of adhesion capacity, release, and spatial tunability by controlling how cracks propagate forward and in reverse directions during separation. Here, metamaterial adhesive designs are explored with triangular cut features while integrating hierarchical and secondary cut patterns among primary nonlinear cuts. Both cut geometry and secondary cut features tune adhesive force capacity and energy of separation. Importantly, the size and spacing of cut features must be designed around a critical length scale. When secondary cut features are greater than a critical length, cracks can be steered in multiple directions, going both forward and backwards within a primary attachment element. This control over crack dynamics enhances the work of separation by a factor of 1.5, while maintaining the peel force relative to a primary cut. If hierarchical cut features are too small or too compliant, they interact and do not distinctly modify crack behaviour. This work highlights the importance of adhesive length scales and stiffness for crack control and attachment characteristics in adhesive films. This article is part of the theme issue 'Origami/Kirigami-inspired structures: from fundamentals to applications'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explore a new design strategy of leveraging kinematic bifurcation in creating origami/kirigami-based three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical, reconfigurable, mechanical metamaterials with tunable mechanical responses. We start from constructing three basic, thick, panel-based structural units composed of 4, 6 and 8 rigidly rotatable cubes in close-looped connections. They are modelled, respectively, as 4R, 6R and 8R (R stands for revolute joint) spatial looped kinematic mechanisms, and are used to create a library of reconfigurable hierarchical building blocks that exhibit kinematic bifurcations. We analytically investigate their reconfiguration kinematics and predict the occurrence and locations of kinematic bifurcations through a trial-correction modelling method. These building blocks are tessellated in 3D to create various 3D bifurcated hierarchical mechanical metamaterials that preserve the kinematic bifurcations in their building blocks to reconfigure into different 3D architectures. By combining the kinematics and considering the elastic torsional energy stored in the folds, we develop the geometric mechanics to predict their tunable anisotropic Poisson's ratios and stiffnesses. We find that kinematic bifurcation can significantly effect mechanical responses, including changing the sign of Poisson's ratios from negative to positive beyond bifurcation, tuning the anisotropy, and overcoming the polarity of structural stiffness and enhancing the number of deformation paths with more reconfigured shapes. This article is part of the theme issue 'Origami/Kirigami-inspired structures: from fundamentals to applications'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With a focus on a class of origami-inspired metamaterials, this work explores the role of panel confinement in their mechanical response under cyclic loading. The goal is twofold: (i) quantify the magnitude change in snapping force and energy dissipation attained by varying the severity of confinement of selected panels; and (ii) leverage insights to modulate in situ their mechanical response as dictated by a given application, hence propose panel confinement modulation as a practical design route for response reprogrammability. Through computational modelling, proof-of-concept fabrication and cyclic testing, we first identify and characterize the governing factors enabling either the alteration or the preservation of the snapping force magnitude during repeated cycles of forward and backward loading. Then, we demonstrate how the in situ modulation of the constrained distance between selected panels enables reprogramming their snapping sequence and energy dissipation. The results contribute to expanding the versatility and application of this class of origami metamaterial across sectors, from aerospace to protective equipment, requiring precise control of mechanical damping and energy dissipation. This article is part of the theme issue 'Origami/Kirigami-inspired structures: from fundamentals to applications'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coherent wave control is of key importance across a broad range of fields such as electromagnetics, photonics, and acoustics. It enables us to amplify or suppress the outgoing waves via engineering amplitudes and phases of multiple incidences. However, within a purely spatially (temporally) engineered medium, coherent wave control requires the frequency of the associated incidences to be identical (opposite). In this work, this conventional constraint is broken by generalizing coherent wave control into a spatiotemporally engineered medium is broken, i.e., the system featuring a dynamic interface. Owing to the broken translational symmetry in space and time, both the subluminal and superluminal interfaces allow interference between scattered waves regardless of their different frequencies and wavevectors. Hence, one can flexibly eliminate the backward‐ or forward‐propagating waves scattered from the dynamic interfaces by controlling the incident amplitudes and phases. The work not only presents a generalized way for reshaping arbitrary waveforms but also provides a promising paradigm to generate ultrafast pulses using low‐frequency signals. It has also implemented suppression of forward‐propagating waves in microstrip transmission lines with fast photodiode switches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three subtypes of Avian Influenza Viruses (AIVs)–H1N1, H9N2, and H5N2–were detected in 1.4 THz using metamaterial absorptive biosensor. The proposed sensor was consisted of an array of gold cross-shaped resonator on a silica-gold–silicon wafer. The sensor operates based on the interaction between the virus-infected cells and incident electromagnetic (EM) waves under room temperature condition, resulting in resonance peaks in the absorption spectrum within the terahertz frequency range of 1–2THz. The results were simulated using finite element method (FEM), achieving an ultra-high sensitivity of 53.6 µm/RIU, which corresponds to a figure of merit as high as 28.84. The proposed sensor holds great potential in reducing economic damages in the poultry industry, ensuring public health safety and can also be utilized for the identification of other biological agents or environmental contaminants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quasi-static properties of micro-architected (meta)materials have been extensively studied over the past decade, but their dynamic responses, especially in acoustic metamaterials with engineered wave propagation behavior, represent a new frontier. However, challenges in miniaturizing and characterizing acoustic metamaterials in high-frequency (megahertz) regimes have hindered progress toward experimentally implementing ultrasonic-wave control. Here, we present an inertia design framework based on positioning microspheres to tune responses of 3D microscale metamaterials. We demonstrate tunable quasi-static stiffness by up to 75% and dynamic longitudinal-wave velocities by up to 25% while maintaining identical material density. Using noncontact laser-based dynamic experiments of tunable elastodynamic properties and numerical demonstrations of spatio-temporal ultrasound wave propagation, we explore the tunable static and elastodynamic property relation. This design framework expands the quasi-static and dynamic metamaterial property space through simple geometric changes, enabling facile design and fabrication of metamaterials for applications in medical ultrasound and analog computing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights Effective and accurate adjustment of negative permittivity behavior is worthy of further investigation. Herein, pyrolytic carbon‐glass fiber felt/epoxy resin (PyC‐GFF/ER) metacomposites with tunable negative permittivity were prepared using an impregnation‐calcination method. The permittivity, electrical conductivity, and electromagnetic shielding performance of the polymer metacomposites were investigated. Due to the inherent three‐dimensional structural network of GFF, the PyC adhering to the surface of glass fiber easily formed a conductive network in the composites. As the PyC content increased in the ER composites, the conductivity mechanism changed from hopping conduction to metal‐like conduction. The ER composites with high PyC contents showed negative permittivity behavior and the epsilon‐near‐zero response owing to the low frequency plasma state of free electrons in the PyC‐conduction network. By controlling the PyC content, the negative permittivity behavior of ER composites could be effectively tuned. With the increase in PyC content, the values of negative permittivity increased, and the epsilon‐near‐zero frequency shifted to a higher frequency. Moreover, the ER composites with high PyC contents showed excellent electromagnetic shielding properties (29.4 dB) at X‐band. This work not only provided a feasible method to realize the tunable negative permittivity of polymer metacomposites, but also promoted its application in the microwave field. The pyrolytic carbon‐glass fiber felt/epoxy resin composites were fabricated. The negative permittivity was first reported in the PyC‐GFF/ER composites. Tunable negative permittivity could be well explained by Drude model. The polymer composites had excellent electromagnetic shielding property. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transformation elastodynamics can be used to redirect incident waves to mitigate harmful vibrations in the target region. Under the specific Brun–Guenneau–Movchan gauge, the elastic tensor of the transformed domain lacks minor symmetry. Here, we propose a physically realizable seismic cloak composed of lattice-based polar metamaterials capable of exhibiting asymmetric stresses. Both static and dynamic simulations validate the cloaking performance. A metric is calculated to quantify the protective effects, and results demonstrate satisfactory cloaking and aseismic protection across a wide frequency band. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanostructured metamaterials can offer optical properties beyond what is achievable in conventional media, such as negative refraction or sub‐wavelength imaging. Due to their structural anisotropy, the class of high aspect ratio metamaterials is of interest for the possibility of achieving hyperbolic optical properties, i.e., both metallic and dielectric behavior based on the excitation direction. Although investigated numerically, the fabrication of tailor‐made metamaterials is complex or often beyond the reach of current technology. For wire metamaterials composed of aligned metallic nanowires in a dielectric matrix, since the free carrier concentration in metals is fixed, light‐matter interaction cannot be adjusted after fabrication. Here, metamaterials based on plasmonic ITO nanotubes with controllable hyperbolic response are introduced. The synthesis is achieved by a template‐based liquid‐phase technique. The tuning mechanism is based on controlling the carrier density in ITO via oxygen vacancy concentration. The process is reversible, the photonic features are activated by creating oxygen vacancies and can be switched off by filling them up again. Further, it is shown that the carrier concentration can also be controlled via a static electric field. Optical simulations support the experimental findings and highlight the parameters that determine the optical response of the metamaterial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study shows that, in waveguide (WG) configuration, the coupling of a 2D plasmonic metamaterial grating (MMG) having a conventional Bragg period along the guide but a distinct period along the transverse axis can lead to Electromagnetically‐Induced‐Transparency (EIT) behavior. This epitomizes that metamaterials, as functional photonic building blocks, can lead to low losses in many standard devices if properly designed. The study reported the observation in passive WGs of a marked Fano‐type EIT resonance with record high‐quality factor: Q = 5000 and contrast >20 dB. Unlike any standard metal grating, MMG‐assisted waveguides exhibit strong grating coupling strength and low‐loss properties simultaneously. This concept is further applied to demonstrate single‐frequency‐emission electrically‐injected Distributed Feedback (DFB) lasers in the near‐infrared telecom domain. The key point is that laser emission occurs at the peak of EIT, i.e., the maximum in transmission. It therefore addresses one of the main critical issues of DFB lasers related to the single frequency yield. The laser performances are state‐of‐the‐art (Ith < 20 mA, Pmax > 20 mW at I = 200 mA, SMSR > 50 dB, optical feedback tolerance >−21 dB compliant with IEEE 802.3 standard). The presented approach, compatible with existing industrial technologies, is promising for real‐life telecom applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the detailed design configuration and investigation of a small-scale dual-band metamaterial absorber (MTMA) for solid and liquid sensing applications. The overall dimension of the MTMA unit cell is 10 × 10 × 1.57 mm3 and constitutes an affordable FR-4 substrate. The absorber exhibits dual absorption peaks at 3.470 GHz for the S-band and 7.219 GHz for the C-band, respectively. Both absorption characteristics have been validated through comprehensive simulation and experimental procedures. The dual-band absorption rate exceeded 99% during simulations, and experimental validation showed an absorption rate above 98%. For sensing applications, various solid materials, including different Rogers substrates (RT 5880, RT 5870, RT 4003 and RT 4835) and liquids such as sunflower and crown oil, were utilized. Our findings indicate that the proposed MTMA achieves a maximum Q-factor of 191 and a sensitivity of up to 2.5 for both solid and liquid sensing applications compared to previous studies. The simulation and experimental validation of the result indicate that suggested MTMA can be effectively used in different sensing applications such as the medical and communications industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hiding an isolated object in free space using a transmissive invisibility cloak has become a significant research area, propelled by advancements in metamaterials and transformation optics over the past decade. Despite the availability of various simplified methods for implementing transmissive cloaks, issues such as impedance mismatches and narrow working bandwidths often arise, posing challenges. Achieving a broadband transmissive cloak in free space has proven to be particularly arduous. This study presents a near‐perfect one‐directional broadband transmissive cloak constructed from multilayer metasurfaces of arbitrary shapes, showcasing superior performance across a broadband frequency range. The phase distribution of the metasurfaces and the efficacy of the transmissive cloak are assessed using the generalized Snell's law. An experimental near‐perfect broadband transmissive cloak is successfully demonstrated to operate within the frequency range of 8.5 to 11.2 GHz. This study contributes to reducing the density and mass of cloaks, thereby facilitating the expansion of cloaking capabilities in various directions and across different frequency bands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interferometers and beam splitters are fundamental building blocks for photonic neuromorphic and quantum computing machinery. In waveguide‐based photonic integrated circuits, beam‐splitting is achieved with directional couplers that rely on transition regions where the waveguides are adiabatically bent to suppress back‐reflection. In this study, a novel, compact approach for introducing guided mode coupling is presented. Along the multimodal domain wall between topological photonic crystals, the photonic spin is conserved to suppress back‐reflection, and the topological protection of the valley degree of freedom is relaxed to implement tunable beam splitting. Rapid advancements in chip‐scale topological photonics suggest that the proposed simultaneous utilization of multiple topological degrees of freedom could benefit the development of novel photonic computing platforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we demonstrate the reflectance spectrum of one-dimensional photonic crystals comprising two different types of metamaterials. In this regard, the designed structure can act as a simple and efficient detector for fat concentrations in milk samples. Here, the hyperbolic and gyroidal metamaterials represent the two types of metamaterials that are stacked together to construct the candidate structure; meanwhile, the designed 1D PCs can be simply configured as [G(ED)m]S. Here, G refers to the gyroidal metamaterial layers in which Ag is designed in a gyroidal configuration form inside a hosting medium of TiO2. In contrast, (ED) defines a single unit cell of the hyperbolic metamaterials in which two layers of porous SiC (E) and Ag (D) are combined together. It is worth noting that our theoretical and simulation methodology is essentially based on the effective medium theory, characteristic matrix method, Drude model, Bruggeman's approximation, and Sellmeier formula. Accordingly, the numerical findings demonstrate the emergence of three resonant peaks at a specified wavelength between 0.8 μm and 3.5 μm. In this context, the first peak located at 1.025 μm represents the optimal one regarding the detection of fat concentrations in milk samples due to its low reflectivity and narrow full bandwidth. Accordingly, the candidate detector could provide a relatively high sensitivity of 3864 nm/RIU based on the optimal values of the different parameters. Finally, we believe that the proposed sensor may be more efficient compared to other counterparts in monitoring different concentrations of liquid, similar to fats in milk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triply periodic minimal surfaces (TPMSs) constitute a type of metamaterial, deriving their unique characteristics from their microstructure topology. They exhibit wide parameterization possibilities, but their behavior is hard to predict. This study focuses on using an implicit modeling method that can effectively generate novel thin-walled metamaterials, proposing eight shell-based TPMS topologies and one stochastic structure, along with the gyroid acting as a reference. After insights into the printability and design parameters of the proposed samples are presented, a cell homogeneity analysis is conducted, indicating the level of anisotropy of each cellular structure. For each of the designed metamaterials, multiple samples were printed using a stereolithography (SLA) method, using a constant 0.3 relative density and 50 µm resolution. To provide an understanding of their behavior, compression tests of sandwich-type specimens were performed and specific deformation modes were identified. Furthermore, the study estimates the general mechanical behavior of the novel TPMS cores at different relative densities using an open cell mathematical model. Alterations of the uniform topologies are then suggested and the way these modifications affect the compressive response are presented. Thus, this paper demonstrates that an implicit modeling method could easily generate novel thin-walled TPMSs and stochastic structures, which led to identifying an artificially designed structure with superior properties to already mature topologies, such as the gyroid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electromagnetic (EM) absorbers are specially designed structures that dissipate the absorbed EM energy into heat by minimizing the reflection as well as transmission. The absorbers operating in microwave and millimetre wave regimes have been found essential in applications such as radar, communication systems, EM interference prevention, and stealth technologies. Design concepts such as Salisbury, Jaunman screens, and impedance-matching layers are discussed. As a game-changing innovation in wave attribute manipulation, metamaterial behaviour provides an unprecedented command over how waves interact with matter. This review examines the significant hurdles and restrictions metamaterial absorbers must overcome, like fabrication, the tradeoff between absorption bandwidth and thickness, and material losses. Broadband absorption, tunability, and feasibility of producing thin, lightweight absorbers all contribute to their desirability for various applications. Different losses responsible for the absorption phenomena are detailed for both narrowband and broadband cases. This critical analysis highlights the enormous promise of metamaterial absorbers while emphasizing the ongoing research efforts needed to overcome the associated obstacles. Its goal is to advance state-of-the-art designs by critically assessing the existing status of the field, thereby guiding future research, development, making it easier to implement microwave and millimetre wave absorbers in a wide range of real-time applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spatiotemporally-nonlocal phenomena in heat conduction become significant but challenging for metamaterials with artificial microstructures. However, the microstructure-dependent heat conduction phenomena are captured under the hypothesis of spatiotemporally local equilibrium. To capture the microstructure-dependent heat conduction phenomena, a generalized nonlocal irreversible thermodynamics is proposed by removing both the temporally-local and spatially-local equilibrium hypotheses from the classical irreversible thermodynamics. The generalized nonlocal irreversible thermodynamics has intrinsic length and time parameters and thus can provide a thermodynamics basis for the spatiotemporally-nonlocal law of heat conduction. To remove the temporally-local equilibrium hypothesis, the generalized entropy is assumed to depend not only on the internal energy but also on its first-order and high-order time derivatives. To remove the spatially local equilibrium hypothesis, the thermodynamics flux field in the dissipation function is assumed to relate not only to the thermodynamics force at the reference point but also to the thermodynamics force of the neighboring points. With the developed theoretical framework, the thermodynamics-consistent spatiotemporally-nonlocal models can then be developed for heat transfer problems. Two examples are provided to illustrate the applications of steady-state and transient heat conduction problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study derives the constitutive relationships between stress resultants and strain measures for 4-star auxetic structures using force-moment analysis of a representative unit cell and the Castigliano strain energy method. To validate the accuracy of the constitutive model, bending analysis is performed for a 4-star auxetic rectangular plate under Levy boundary conditions. The analytical and numerical results show excellent agreement, confirming the validity of the constitutive relations extracted from the generic 4-star unit cell. This work establishes a theoretical framework for designing 4-star auxetic metamaterials and demonstrates their potential for diverse engineering applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pipeline structures usually suffer from serious vibration problems due to pressure pulsation and fluid excitation, potentially compromising their structural stability and service life. In this paper, a lightweight body center cubic (BCC) meta-lattice sandwich sleeve is proposed to isolate vibrations in pipelines within a broadband frequency range. The vibration isolation is based on the concepts of the locally resonant metamaterials. An equivalent mass-spring model is conducted to theoretically predict frequency range and elucidate the generation mechanism of the band gap. In addition, an analytical methodology is also proposed to predict the equivalent stiffness of the BCC meta-lattice sleeves. The influence of geometric parameters and configuration layout of the meta-lattice on the flexural wave band gap is further investigated. Numerical studies and experimental tests are also conducted to validate the vibration isolation effectiveness, considering various pipe lengths and different numbers of meta-lattice units. The proposed design provides fundamental support for the design of lightweight vibration isolation structure for pipelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a metamaterial inspired meandered line loaded antenna with dual-band characteristics for wireless applications is presented. Initially, the antenna is loaded with a single meandered line structure and operates over a single band with a center frequency of 5.64 GHz and circularly polarized (CP) radiation. Further, it is loaded with two more similar meandered line structures inducing an extra band with a center frequency of 3.4 GHz and hence operating as a dual band antenna with an impedance bandwidth of 11.4% and 33.7%, respectively, exhibiting CP radiation in its second band. Moreover, the antenna is backed with a metasurface (MS) at the ground side with a separation of 18.4 mm to enhance the gain and radiation of the antenna. The antenna exhibits good radiation characteristics with peak gains of 7.66 dBi and 8.7 dBi in the first and second bands, respectively. The antenna is fabricated, and promising experimental results have been observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: In wireless power transfer (WPT) systems, extended transmission distances significantly impede efficiency, posing a major challenge to their practical application. This paper presents a novel ortho‐octagonal double‐helix metamaterial that can effectively enhance the transmission efficiency of WPT systems. It has theoretically derived and experimentally verified the enhancement of evanescent wave transmission by this metamaterial dielectric plate. A WPT simulation system operating at 10.78 MHz is constructed by HFSS software, and the effects of adding passive relay coils and different shapes of metamaterials on the transmission efficiency are comparatively investigated. Simulated data converge to indicate that integrating variously shaped metamaterials at the transceiver's end distinctly elevates the WPT system's transmission efficiency. When the transceiver coil spacing of the WPT system is greater than 22 cm, the effect of metamaterials on the system transmission efficiency enhancement shows an increasing and then decreasing trend as the distance increases. The positive octagonal metamaterial improves 12% over the circular metamaterial in the mid‐range transmission distance due to its better magnetic coupling effect. When the transceiver coil spacing is 22 cm, the open‐circuit voltage of the receiving coil after loading the metamaterial is stabilized to be enhanced by nearly five times, and it has the best effect at 30 cm, and the transmission efficiency is enhanced from 30% to 60%, which verifies the effective enhancement of the metamaterial on the transmission efficiency of the WPT system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]