Abstract
(English)
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The main scientific objective of the partners of this consortium is to develop new types of artificial materials, referred to below as metamaterials, with electromagnetic properties that cannot be found among natural materials. The results of this development should lead to a conceptually new range of radio, microwave, and optical technologies, based on revolutionary new materials made by large-scale assembly of some basic elements (nanoscopic and microscopic) in unprecedented combinations.
Metamaterials are artificial electromagnetic (multi-)functional materials engineered to satisfy the prescribed requirements. The prefix meta means after, beyond and also of a higher kind. Superior properties as compared to what can be found in nature are often underlying in the spelling of metamaterial. These new properties emerge due to specific interactions with electromagnetic fields or due to external electrical control.
Electromagnetic metamaterials will play a key role in providing new functionalities and enhancements to the future electronic devices and components, such as high-speed circuits, multifunctional smart miniature antennas and apertures, high-resolution imaging systems, smart skins, and so forth. Multitudinous applications in many areas of information technology and life science can be envisaged just for this single particular example, like e.g. better imaging systems, higher capacity optical data storage systems, more compact integrated optical telecom solutions, etc.
The strategic objective to develop new metamaterials means opening a new branch of research in the multidisciplinary field of material physics, electromagnetics, optics, radio engineering and electronics. At present, there are no specialists trained in this field. Participating laboratories make high-level but fragmented research and they need coordination and structuring of their efforts.
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