EMET - CONSOLIDER INGENIO 2010

Metamaterials are artificial structures whose electromagnetic properties can be engineered to achieve extraordinary phenomena not observed in natural materials. Specifically, the electric permittivity and the magnetic permeability of a metamaterial can be properly tailored to achieve whatever refractive index and medium impedance that can be imagined. This opens the door for an almost unimaginable control of the waves, not achievable by use of conventional materials.
The metamaterials field involves several scientific hot-topics (left-handed media, negative refraction, cloaking, super-lenses for subwavelength imaging) with a very active and relevant community in Spain. All these novel properties and phenomena arise from the interaction of waves with artificially structured meta-atoms whose periodicity is much smaller than the wavelength. One common feature to all these topics is the scalability: metamaterials are periodic media, so the frequencies at which they display interesting features range from microwaves, millimeter waves, terahertz, and up to the optical wavelengths. Even sound can be controlled by means of acoustic metamaterials, in which the bulk modulus and mass density can be tailored to achieve the properties requested.
The main scientific and technological aim of this project is to encompass the new knowledge generation and the focused application development around metamaterials concepts by means of outstanding and complementary technological capabilities (micro-machining and nanofabrication). This will allow demonstration of scientific and technological challenges in the metamaterials arena for both electromagnetic (microwave, THz, and optical frequencies) and acoustic waves. Novel approaches to the design of super-lenses, super-prisms, cloaks, antennas, filters, etc., will be taken. Of course, a clear motivation is present in order to look for applications in wireless communications, medical imaging, sensing, security, aerospace and defense, etc. To this end, this Consolider program allows joining the complementary forces of the best Spanish teams in this field so that the research activity program will give rise to a significant step in the research quality and in the knowledge and technology transfer to the industry. The different groups of the Consolider team have shown to possess singular capabilities in the field of metamaterials so that the synergy resulting from a co-ordinated work can lead to a worldwide leadership in both fundamentals and applications of metamaterials, overcoming the main roadblocks that still exist in the metamaterials arena.