Superconducting Metamaterials

人们发现了一类新的材料（超材料），它们传播的电磁波具有新奇而令人兴奋的特性。这些超材料中的某些预计表现得好像它们具有负折射率，从而颠覆了射线光学，并导致许多反直觉的结果。然而，对超材料及其应用的理解仍处于起步阶段。即使是最基本的预测，以及相关实验的结果，也存在激烈的争议。由于该领域的理论工作与实验工作的比例很高，因此显然需要对可以生产的最理想（即最接近理论的）材料进行更多的实验工作。目的是利用超导超材料研究负介电常数、负磁导率和负折射率材料的关键基本问题，以提供明确的答案。具体活动包括开发新型超导可调谐负e和负u超材料，直接测量超导左手材料中的倏逝波放大，开发新型超紧凑射频谐振器，以及使用超导相滑中心量子力学调谐纳米工程超导超材料的特性。所提出的工作的广泛影响包括展示操纵微波信号的定性新方法，开发这些材料的新型微波应用，包括谐振器，带通和带阻滤波器，具有前所未有性能的近场透镜和负折射材料，所有这些都在工业中有无数的新用途。提出的工作是研究和促进超材料在射频和微波工业中的应用。有新的和可能更好的微波滤波器的概念（带通，停止，可调谐等），从根本上改进了材料和器件的微波特性成像方法，可能改进核磁共振和核磁共振系统的新谐振结构的发展，以及许多其他潜在的应用。这些发展将通过创造高科技就业机会、改善无线通信以及对医疗保健产生积极影响，对社会产生直接和可衡量的价值。该项目将培养两名具有电气工程和物理学背景的研究生，以发现电磁研究前沿的新现象。PI的小组有扩大弱势群体在他的研究小组中的参与的历史，并参与了与附近少数民族为主的初中和高中的外展活动。这项活动将建立一个新的超材料研究分支，有望为基础理解和新的应用做出重大贡献。这些活动将创造新的伙伴关系、合作和设施，从而改变这一领域的格局。研究结果将通过出版物、在国际会议上的演讲和海报、一个研究网站以及PI和学生继续开展广泛的外联活动来传播。

A new class of materials (metamaterials) has been discovered that propagate electromagnetic waves with fantastically novel and exciting properties. Certain of these metamaterials are expected to behave as if they have a negative index of refraction, turning ray optics on its head and leading to many counter-intuitive results. However, the understanding of metamaterials and their applications is still in its infancy. Even the most basic predictions, and the outcomes of the associated experiments, are hotly contested. Because of the high ratio of theoretical to experimental work in this field, there is a clear need for more experimental work on the most ideal (i.e. closest to theory) materials that can be produced. The objective is to investigate key fundamental questions about negative permittivity, negative permeability, and negative index of refraction materials using superconducting metamaterials to provide definitive answers. Specific activities include development of novel superconducting tunable negative-e and negative-u metamaterials, direct measurement of evanescent wave amplification in a superconducting left-handed material development of a novel ultra-compact rf resonator, and the use of superconducting phase-slip centers to quantum mechanically tune the properties of nano-engineered superconducting metamaterials. The broad impact of the proposed work includes demonstrating qualitatively new ways of manipulating microwave signals, developing novel microwave applications of these materials, including resonators, band-pass and band-stop filters, near-field lenses with unprecedented properties, and negative refracting materials, all with myriad new uses in industry.The proposed work investigates and promotes applications of metamaterials for the RF and microwave industry. There are concepts for new and possibly superior microwave filters (band pass, stop, tunable, etc.), radically improved methods to image microwave properties of materials and devices, the development of new resonant structures that may improve NMR and MRI systems, and many other potential applications. These developments will be of direct and measurable value to society through the generation of high tech jobs, improvement of wireless communications, and a positive impact on health care. The project will train two graduate students, with backgrounds in electrical engineering and physics, to discover new phenomena at the cutting edge of electromagnetic research. The PI's group has a history of broadening the participation of underrepresented groups in his research group and is involved in outreach activities with nearby minority-dominated middle and high schools. This activity will establish a new branch of metamaterials research that is expected to make significant contributions to fundamental understanding and new applications. These activities will create new partnerships, collaborations, and facilities that will alter the landscape of this field. The results will be disseminated through publications, talks and posters at international conferences, a research web site, and continuation of the extensive outreach activities by the PI and students.