Quantum Optics Seminar: Dr. David R. Smith, Duke University

Electromagnetic Metamaterials: Past, Present and Future

In 2000 our group (then at UCSD) reported an artificially structured medium that had the unusual property of a negative index-of-refraction. This experimental milestone not only confirmed a nearly forty-year-old conjecture from Russian physicist Viktor Veselago but also represented the first physical realization of what is now commonly known as a “metamaterial.” The negative index medium revealed that a metamaterial could be used to obtain electromagnetic response that is difficult or even impossible to produce with conventional materials. Over the last 25+ years, the community has significantly broadened the metamaterials concept while at the same time refining metamaterials design techniques. The result has been a flurry of creative and novel structures that have advantages for generating, receiving, guiding or processing waves of any type. In this talk, I will discuss the motivation and thought process involved in the original experiment, as well as the many directions pursued by our group over the ensuing years. The advantages offered by metamaterials and metasurfaces have proved enduring, to the point that numerous metamaterial concepts have transitioned to industry, with many startup companies now propelled by metamaterial products. I will also discuss the current state of commercialization and potential future directions.