Metamaterials for Information and Communications Technology (ICT)

Management of signals and digital data: From processing, modulation, and transmission to absorption and storage

Our research expertise in acoustics, photonics, RF and microwaves drives applications in areas such as antennas, signature control, sensing, beam steering, frequency selective wallpaper, electronic tagging, energy harvesting, absorbers, noise control, acoustic wave forming and imaging.

Examples of relevant studies include

• 2D metasurfaces and 3D metamaterials for electromagnetics (IR, visible, microwave) and acoustics, involving tunability and reconfigurability for some applications:
  • to control energy or data propagation;
  • to enhance the performance of detectors and antennas;
  • to control field distribution and beam steering;
  • for filtering and absorption;
  • for imaging 
• single-photon source development to generate, manipulate and measure light as the underpinning element of modern communication;
• magnetic and elastic waves generated in magnetic materials using designed electromagnetic and bias field transducers for signal transmission, storage and processing;
• spin waves (or magnons) offering the technology to carry and process both analog signals and digital data at low power, with magnetic reconfigurability and scalability to nanometre dimensions;
• development of RFID tags and gate systems, using electromagnetic and acousto-magnetic designs;
• novel acoustic sources, e.g. thermally generated sound;
• the coupling of sound to mechanical vibrations and fluid flow, and vice versa for wake control, noise reduction and energy harvesting;
• phase change materials for photonic memory and processing;
• flexible and optically transparent graphene-based electronics and electronic textiles;
• the control of surface acoustic waves (SAW) for RF communications, sensing, and wireless communications;
• harvesting of energy from the environment to power IoT devices.