Browsing by Subject "Metamaterials."

Now showing 1 - 11 of 11

Open Access
Characterization and applications of negative-index metamaterials
(2008) Aydın, Koray
Metamaterials offer novel electromagnetic properties and promising applications including negative refraction, flat-lenses, superlenses, cloaking devices. In this thesis, we characterized the negative-index metamaterials that is composed of periodic arrangements of split-ring resonators (providing negative permeability) and thin wire (providing negative permittivity) arrays. The resonances of split-ring resonators (SRR) are investigated experimentally and theoretically. By combining SRR and wire arrays together, we observed a transmission band where both permittivity and permeability are simultaneously negative, indicating a left-handed behavior. Reflection measurements reveal that the impedance is matched to the free space at a certain frequency range. The lefthanded metamaterial is also shown to exhibit negative refractive index by using three different experimental methods namely, refraction from a wedge-shaped negative-index metamaterial (NIM), beam-shift from a slab-shaped NIM and phase shift from NIMs with different lengths. Flat-lens behavior is observed from a slabshaped negative-index metamaterial based microwave lenses. Furthermore, we demonstrated subwavelength imaging and subwavelength resolution by using thin superlenses constructed from SRR-wire arrays with an effective negative index. We have been able to image a point source with a record-level, λ/8 resolution. SRRand wire arrays exhibit negative index provided that the wave propagates parallel to the plane of SRR structure which makes it hard to fabricate at higher frequencies. An alternative structure called fishnet metamaterial however could yield negative index with wave propagation normal to the structure. We observed left-handed transmission and negative phase velocity in fishnet type metamaterials. Finally, we studied enhanced transmission from a single subwavelength aperture by coupling incident electromagnetic wave to a single SRR placed at the near-field of the aperture.
Open Access
Chiral metamaterial and high-contrast grating based polarization selective devices
(2013) Mutlu, Mehmet
The utilization of purposely designed artificial media with engineered electromagnetic responses enables the obtaining of intriguing features that are either impossible or difficult to realize using readily available natural materials. Here, we focus on two classes of artificial media: metamaterials and high-contrast gratings. Metamaterials and high-contrast gratings are designed within the subwavelength periodicity range and therefore, they are non-diffractive. We exploit the magnetoelectric coupling effect in chiral metamaterials to design several structures. Firstly, we design a linear to circular polarization convertor that operates for x-polarized normally incident plane waves. Then, we combine the chirality feature and the electromagnetic tunneling phenomenon to design a polarization insensitive 90◦ polarization rotator that exhibits unity transmission and crosspolarization conversion efficiencies. Subsequently, we combine this polarization rotator with a symmetric metallic grating with a subwavelength slit for the purpose of enabling the one-way excitation of spoof surface plasmons and achieving a reversible diodelike beaming regime. Then, we exploit the asymmetric transmission property of chiral metamaterials and show that a polarization angle dependent polarization rotation and a strongly asymmetric diodelike transmission is realizable. Afterwards, a brief waveguide theory is provided and eventually, the dispersion relations for a periodic dielectric waveguide geometry are derived. Then, using these relations and considering the finiteness of the waveguide length, we show the theoretical description of high-contrast gratings. Finally, we theoretically and experimentally show that the achievement of a broadband quarter-wave plate regime is possible by using carefully designed high-contrast gratings.
Open Access
Design of compact optical devices based on periodic meta-structures
(2013) Akosman, Ahmet Emin
Manipulation of the flow of light is demanded for several applications such as communication, data storage, sensor, photovoltaic cells, microscopy, lasers and light emitting diodes for the purpose of designing compact, high-throughput and high efficiency optical devices. Nevertheless, the control of the propagation of the light becomes much harder in devices with smaller geometries mostly because of diffractions, loss mechanisms and fabrication difficulties. Furthermore, materials that are already available in the nature do not provide unprecedented optical properties for nanoscale optical applications. Due to this fact that fabrication of artificial materials is needed for utilizing novel and intriguing optical devices. For this purpose, some relatively new research fields have emerged like photonic crystals, metamaterials and high contrast gratings. We propose several designs based on aforementioned meta-structures to achieve compact and practically realizable optical devices. We presented compact optical demultiplexer, diode-like device and electro-optic modulator designs that are based on photonic crystals. We also proposed two circular polarizer designs based on metamaterials and high contrast gratings. Further, we investigated unidirectional transmission and polarization manipulation properties in chiral metamaterials. For most of the proposed designs, we also experimentally verified the numerical and theoretical findings. In conclusion, we can claim that the utilization of artifically structured materials give opportunity to realize the control of light much more easily in nanoscale designs.
Open Access
Design of novel printed microwave band-reject filters using split-ring resonator and complementary split-ring resonator
(2008) Öznazlı, Volkan
Filters are one of the fundamental microwave components used to prevent the transmission or emission of signals with unwanted frequency components. In general, they can be considered as an interconnection of resonator structures brought together to accomplish a desired frequency response. Up to GHz frequencies, these resonator structures are usually constructed using lumped elements such as discrete capacitors and inductors. At microwave frequencies, discrete components lose their normal charcteristics and resonators can be realized using distributed structures like quarter- or half-wavelength transmission line stubs. However, filters built using this approach are generally big, especially when high frequency selectivity is desired. Recently, sub-wavelength structures, namely split-ring resonator (SRR) and complementary split-ring resonator (CSRR), have attracted the attention of many researchers. Interesting properties of the periodic arrangements of these structures have led to the realization of left-handed materials. Furthermore, high-Q characteristics of these structures enabled the design of highly frequencyselective devices in compact dimensions. In this thesis, these two resonator structures are investigated in detail. A deep exploration of their resonance mechanisms and transmission properties is provided along with a brief survey of related literature. However, the main focus of the thesis is the design of band-reject filters based on these resonator structures. Experimental results based on measuring the scattering paramaters of fabricated prototypes are supported with computer simulations. Band-reject filters based on SRR and CSRR are compared and discussed. It is observed that both filter types have some advantages and disadvantages which make them suitable for different applications. Finally, an electronically switchable split-ring resonator structure based on PIN diodes is presented. It is demonstrated that by employing microwave PIN diodes across the slits of an SRR, the magnetic response of a SRR particle can be eliminated. This leads to the design of filters whose rejection bands can be removed electronically
Open Access
Experimental demonstration of transmission enhancement through subwavelength apertures at microwave frequencies
(2012) Ateş, Damla
Metamaterials are artificial materials with novel electromagnetic characteristics. They are used in many applications including imaging, super lenses, cloaking, transmission enhancement, beaming and recently in nano applications. One of the major building blocks is the split ring resonators (SRR). We can construct metamaterials by using a single or an array of the SRRs. In this thesis, enhanced transmission through subwavelength apertures, which is one of the applications of metamaterials, is obtained by using various split ring resonators configurations. We demonstrated transmission enhancement with Connected Split Ring Resonators (CSRRs), Omega-like Split Ring Resonators and Stack-like Split Ring Resonators through circular and rectangular subwavelength apertures experimentally and numerically at the microwave frequencies. We report the highest experimental transmission enhancement results in the literature so far. Besides high factors, we also obtained multi-peak resonant characteristics with Stack-like SRR designs. Furthermore, we analyzed these various SRR samples numerically in order to understand the resonance behavior. We also discuss the effects of shorting the loops, omitting the components of the SRRs and aperture geometry to the resonance frequency. Finally, we applied Tight Binding methods to analyze the multi-peak characteristics of the Stack-like SRR design.
Open Access
The left hand of electromagnetism : metamaterials
(2010) Alıcı, Kamil Boratay
Metamaterials are artificial periodic structures whose electromagnetic response is solely dependent on the constituting unit cells. In the present thesis, we studied unit cell characteristics of metamaterials that has negative permeability and permittivity. We investigated negative permeability medium elements, especially in terms of their electrical size and resonance strength. Experimental and numerical study of µ-negative (MNG) materials: multi split ring resonators (MSRRs), spiral resonators (SRs) and multi-spiral resonators are presented. The resonance frequency of the structures is determined by the transmission measurements and minimum electrical size of λ0/17 for the MSRRs and of λ0/82 for the SRs observed. We explain a method for tuning the resonance frequency of the multi-split structures. We investigated scalability of MNG materials and designed a low loss double negative composite metamaterial that operates at the millimeter wave regime. A negative pass-band with a peak transmission value of -2.7 dB was obtained experimentally at 100 GHz. We performed transmission based qualitative effective medium theory analysis numerically and experimentally, in order to prove the double negative nature of the metamaterial. These results were supported by the standard retrieval analysis method. We confirmed that the effective index of the metamaterial was indeed negative by performing far field angular scanning measurements for a metamaterial prism. Moreover, we illuminated the split-ring resonator based metamaterial flat lens with oblique incidence and observed from the scanning experiments, the shifting of the beam to the negative side. The first device was a horn antenna and metamaterial lens composite whose behavior was similar to Yagi-Uda antenna. We numerically and experimentally investigated planar fishnet metamaterials operating at around 20 GHz and 100 GHz and demonstrated that their effective index is negative. The study is extended to include the response of the metamaterial layer when the metamaterial plane normal and the propagation vector are not parallel. We also experimentally studied the transmission response of a one dimensional rectangle prism shaped metamaterial slab for oblique incidence angles and confirmed the insensitivity of split-ring resonator based metamaterials to the angle of incidence. After the demonstration of complete transmission enhancement by using deep subwavelength resonators into periodically arranged subwavelength apertures, we designed and implemented a metamaterial with controllable bandwidth. The metamaterial based devices can be listed under the categories of antennas absorbers and transmission enhancement. We studied electrically small resonant antennas composed of split ring resonators (SRR) and monopoles. The electrical size, gain and efficiency of the antenna were λ0/10, 2.38 and 43.6%, respectively. When we increased the number of SRRs in one dimension, we observed beam steerability property. These achievements provide a way to create rather small steerable resonant antennas. We also demonstrated an electrically small antenna that operates at two modes for two perpendicular polarizations. The antenna was single fed and composed of perpendicularly placed metamaterial elements and a monopole. One of the metamaterial elements was a multi split ring resonator and the other one was a split ring resonator. When the antenna operates for the MSRR mode at 4.72 GHz for one polarization, it simultaneously operates for the SRR mode at 5.76 GHz, but for the perpendicular polarization. The efficiencies of the modes were 15% and 40% with electrical sizes of λ/11.2 and λ/9.5. Finally, we experimentally verified a miniaturization method of circular patch antennas. By loading the space between the patch and ground plane with metamaterial media composed of multi-split ring resonators and spiral resonators, we manufactured two electrically small patch antennas of electrical sizes λ/3.69 and λ/8.26. The antenna efficiency was 40% for the first mode of the multi-split ring resonator antenna with broad far field radiation patterns similar to regular patch antennas. We designed, implemented, and experimentally characterized electrically thin microwave absorbers by using the metamaterial concept. The absorbers consist of i) a metal back plate and an artificial magnetic material layer; ii) metamaterial back plate and a resistive sheet layer. We investigated absorber performance in terms of absorbance, fractional bandwidth and electrical thickness, all of which depend on the dimensions of the metamaterial unit cell and the distance between the back plate and metamaterial layer. As a proof of concept, we demonstrated a λ/4.7 thick absorber of type i), with a 99.8% absorption peak along with a 8% fractional bandwidth. We have also demonstrated experimentally a λ/4.7 and a λ/4.2 thick absorbers of type ii), based on SRR and MSRR magnetic metamaterial back plates, respectively. The absorption peak of the SRR layout is 97.4%, while for the MSRR one the absorption peak is 98.4%. We conveyed these concepts to optical frequencies and demonstrated a metamaterial inspired absorber for solar cell applications. We finalized the study by a detailed study of split ring resonators at the infrared and visible band. We studied i) frequency tuning, ii) effect of resonator density, iii) shifting magnetic resonance frequency by changing the resonator shape, iv) effect of metal loss and plasma frequency and designed a configuration for transmission enhancement at the optical regime. By using subwavelength optical split ring resonator antennas and couplers we achieved a 400-fold enhanced transmission from a subwavelength aperture area of the electrical size λ2 /25. The power was transmitted to the far field with 3.9 dBi directivity at 300 THz.
Open Access
Negative refraction using true left-handed metamaterials
(2004) Aydın, Koray
Left-handed materials and negative refraction attracted a great amount of attention in recent years due to their unique physical properties. It is possible to obtain a left-handed material by combining a novel artificial structure (split ring resonator) and a wire structure periodically. We investigated the transmission and reflection properties of split ring resonators (SRR), wires and composite metamaterials consisting of SRR and wire structures. We have successfully demonstrated true left-handed behavior in free space with a high transmission peak (-1.2 dB). This is the highest transmission peak reported for a left-handed material. The left-handed transmission band coincides exactly with the region where both dielectric permittivity and magnetic permeability have negative values. We proposed and demonstrated a new method to distinguish the magnetic resonance of the SRR structures. We experimentally confirmed that composite metamaterial has a negative refractive index, at the frequencies where left-handed transmission takes place. Phase shift between consecutive numbers of layers of CMM is measured and phase velocity is shown to be negative at the relevant frequency range. Refractive index values obtained from the refraction experiments (-1.87) and the phase shift experiments (-1.78) are in good agreement.
Open Access
Novel plasmonic devices for nano-photonics applications
(2013) Şahin, Levent
Plasmonics have attracted a great deal of interest because of their potential to design novel photonics devices which have unique optical properties. This dissertation focuses on novel plasmonic device designs for photonics applications. Electromagnetic properties of metamaterials are characterized and the resonance mechanism of Split Ring Resonator (SRR) structure is investigated. Furthermore, novel SRR-based metamaterial structures are studied. We demonstrated the significant plasmonic enhancement in the transmission characteristics through a sub-wavelength aperture by utilizing SRR resonances. Electrical tuning of plasmonic resonance with varying gate bias by using graphene is observed. Also, electrical properties of graphene is investigated. Fabrication of electrically gated graphene based plasmonic structures are realized. In addition, we utilized metamaterials to design novel photonic devices and we experimentally studied and numerically verified the novel propagation characteristics of graphene-based photonic devices and 3D nanostructures. The proposed structures are designed, simulated, fabricated and measured. The simulations and experimental results are in good agreement and shows significant enhancement of transmission characteristics of plasmonic devices. The dimensions of the structures that are designed in our work is less than 10 times smaller than the incident wavelength (r/λ~0.1) which is a desired property for enhanced light confinement of sensors. Also, the gate tuning of SRR's plasmonic resonance is the first demonstration in the contemporary literature according to our knowledge.
Open Access
Novel wireless RF-bioMEMS implant sensors of metamaterials
(2010) Melik, Rohat
Today approximately one out of ten patients with a major bone fracture does not heal properly because of the inability to monitor fracture healing. Standard radiography is not capable of discriminating whether bone healing is occurring normally or aberrantly. To solve this problem, we proposed and developed a new enabling technology of implantable wireless sensors that monitor mechanical strain on implanted hardware telemetrically in real time outside the body. This is intended to provide clinicians with a powerful capability to asses fracture healing following the surgical treatment. Here we present the proof-of-concept in vitro and ex vivo demonstrations of bio-compatible radio-frequency (RF) micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) strain sensors for wireless strain sensing to monitor healing process. The operating frequency of these sensors shifts under mechanical loading; this shift is related to the surface strain of the implantable test material. In this thesis, for the first time, we developed and demonstrated a new class of bio-implant metamaterial-based wireless strain sensors that make use of their unique structural advantages in sensing, opening up important directions for the applications of metamaterials. These custom-design metamaterials exhibit better performance in remote sensing than traditional RF structures (e.g., spiral coils). Despite their small size, these meta-sensors feature a low enough operating frequency to avoid otherwise strong background absorption of soft tissue and yet yield higher Q-factors (because of their splits with high electric field density) compared to the spiral structures. We also designed and fabricated flexible metamaterial sensors to exhibit a high level of linearity, which can also conveniently be used on non-flat surfaces. Innovating on the idea of integrating metamaterials, we proposed and implemented a novel architecture of ‘nested metamaterials’ that incorporate multiple split ring resonators integrated into a compact nested structure to measure strain telemetrically over a thick body of soft tissue. We experimentally verified that this nested metamaterial architecture outperforms classical metamaterial structures in telemetric strain sensing. As a scientific breakthrough, by employing our nested metamaterial design, we succeeded in reducing the electrical length of the sensor chip down to λo/400 and achieved telemetric operation across thick soft tissue with a tissue thickness up to 20 cm, while using only sub-cm implantable chip size (compatible with typical orthopaedic trauma implants and instruments). As a result, with nested metamaterials, we successfully demonstrated wireless strain sensing on sheep’s fractured metatarsal and femur using our sensors integrated on stainless steel fixation plates and on sheep’s spine using directly attached sensors in animal models. This depth of wireless sensing has proved to suffice for a vast portfolio of bone fracture (including spine) and trauma care applications in body, as also supported by ongoing in vivo experiments in live animal models in collaboration with biomechanical and medical doctors. Herein, for all generations of our RF-bioMEMS implant sensors, this dissertation presents a thorough documentation of the device conception, design, modeling, fabrication, device characterization, and system testing and analyses. This thesis work paves the way for “smart” orthopaedic trauma implants, and enables further possible innovations for future healthcare.
Open Access
Wave propagation in metamaterial structures and retrieval of homogenization parameters
(2007) Ircı, Erdinç
Electromagnetic wave propagation in metamaterial structures (metamaterial slabs, metamaterial cylinders, metamaterial coated conducting cylinders etc.) are investigated. Scattered and transmitted electromagnetic fields by these structures due to electric line sources or plane wave illuminations are found. A generic formulation of these wave propagation problems is done, enabling any kind of metamaterial or conventional material to be used, having any sign combination of constitutive parameters and having any electric and/or magnetic losses. For one of these propagation problems i.e., metamaterial coated conducting cylinders illuminated normally with plane waves, achieving transparency and maximizing scattering are investigated thoroughly. It is found out that, rigorous derivation of transparency and resonance (scattering maximization) conditions for PEC core cylinder case under the sub-wavelength limitations yields the same conditions of two electrically small concentric layers of conjugately paired cylinders, given in the literature (when the inner core layer is also taken to the PEC limit). These transparency and resonance conditions are found to be heavily dependent on the permittivity of the metamaterial coating (for TE polarization) and the ratio of core-shell radii. The relations between the permittivity of the coating and the ratio of core-shell radii are investigated for achieving transparency and scattering maximization. Numerical results show that these analytical relations are quite successful and work better when the cylindrical scatter is electrically very small. A novel homogenization method for the retrieval of effective constitutive parameters of metamaterials is proposed and implemented. The method is based on the simple idea that the total reflection coefficient from a finite metamaterial structure has to resemble the reflection from an homogeneous equivalent. While implementing the method, 1, 2, . . ., 20 unit cells of the same metamaterial structure are stacked and their reflection coefficients are collected. The homogenization quality of the metamaterial is evaluated in terms of various factors, which showed that the method is very successful to retrieve the effective constitutive parameters of the metamaterial. Finally, another method has been proposed for the retrieval of surface wave propagation constants on any periodic or non-periodic grounded slab medium. As a preliminary, the method is applied to grounded dielectric slabs. The numerical results generally show good agreement with their theoretical counterparts.
Open Access
Waveguiding of electromagnetic waves and investigation of negative phase velocity in photonic crystals and metamaterials
(2012) Çolak, İlyas Evrim
Electromagnetic wave propagation is characterized in periodic dielectric and metallic structures: Photonic Crystals (PCs) and Metamaterials, respectively. The applications of these structures are demonstrated in the Microwave regime. In the first application, Graded Index (GRIN) PC is used to focus the incoming waves into a small spot. Speaking in terms of PC period a, for an incident beam with Full Width Half Maximum of 9.20a the power of the focusing behavior is quantified by looking at the spot size conversion ratio, which is around 3.9. PCs can act as an efficient input coupler for the PC Waveguide (PCW). The GRIN PC has been experimentally shown to yield a coupling efficiency of 5 dB over the single PCW at 18 GHz. This method can be applied to provide a solution for the input coupling losses between PC structures and other lightwave circuits. PCs can also be used to achieve dual-bandpass and bandstop spatial filtering by proper adjustments of the lattice parameters and the frequency range. For the plane-wave excitation, a wideband spatial filtering is shown to exist due to the specific Fabry-Perot type resonances, which are nearly independent on the angle of incidence. The effect of the finite angular distribution of the Gaussian-beam excitation is also demonstrated. The spatial filtering in the incidence and observation angle domains has been discussed both numerically and experimentally for the non-plane-wave excitations under the light of calculated iso-frequency contours. In addition to bandstop characteristics, the dispersion relation of the PCs can be modified with the proper arrangement, namely by employment of the dimer layer. This surface layer supports the surface waves and serves like a waveguide for the electromagnetic waves. At higher frequencies above the lightline, surface waves radiate into air in the form of backward leaky waves and frequency dependent steering is reported from 0 º to 70º for the outgoing beam. The leaky wave behavior and backward radiation is similar to that is seen in Left-Handed (LH) Metamaterials. Metallic fishnet layers are used to demonstrate negative refractive index (NRI) in conjunction with the left-handed behavior in this class of metamaterial. A wedge structure formed by fishnet layers is used to measure the NRI which was also verified by the retrieval analysis. The limits of homogenization are discussed. The dependence of the LH properties on the fishnet parameters is investigated parametrically. For example, the NRI changes from -1.8 to -1.3 as the interseperation distance of the layers varies from as=λ/10.5 (2mm) to as=λ/4.2 (4mm) at magnetic resonance frequency around 14.3 GHz (ωm). It is also shown that the fishnet layers behave as an LC resonator as well as a TEM waveguide and a 1D transmission line at ωm.