Time-Variations and Gain for the Next Generation of Metamaterials
Metamaterials are artificial materials with properties well beyond what offered by nature, providing unprecedented opportunities to tailor and enhance the control of waves. In this talk, I discuss our recent activity in electromagnetics and acoustics, showing how suitably tailored meta-atoms and their arrangements open exciting venues for new technology. I focus in particular on the opportunities offered by time modulation and switching, as well as gain, in new metamaterials, which offer an interesting platform for enhanced sensing, one-way signal transport and nonlinear phenomena. These concepts are ideally suited for the new technological opportunities offered by piezo-electric, opto-mechanical and electro-mechanical phenomena. Physical insights into the underlying phenomena, and new devices based on these concepts will be presented.