How Metamaterials Are Making Their Mark

The 2024 Advanced Multifunctional Metamaterials (AMM) Workshop brought together over 125 thought leaders, researchers and innovators from around the world to Durham, NC, to explore the transformative applications of electromagnetic, acoustic, mechanical and quantum metamaterials.

Sponsored by Duke’s Pratt School of Engineering; the Duke Materials Initiative (DMI); Duke’s Departments of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science, and Physics; and the U.S. Army Research Office’s Physics Division, the event aimed to push the boundaries of metamaterial science, foster interdisciplinary collaboration and chart the course for future advancements in this rapidly evolving field.

This inaugural workshop focused on the design, optimization and application of multifunctional metamaterials—engineered materials with properties not found in nature. These materials show great promise in diverse areas such as invisibility cloaking, energy harvesting, advanced medical imaging and quantum technologies.

Over two days, leading researchers addressed challenges, shared innovations and explored interdisciplinary approaches to metamaterial science.

Key themes included responsive, programmable and biomimetic metamaterials with the potential to revolutionize industries ranging from telecommunications and health care to robotics and quantum computing.

The workshop was organized by Willie Padilla, the Dr. Paul Wang Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering; Natalia Litchinitser, professor of electrical and computer engineering, physics, and mechanical engineering and materials science; Stefan Zauscher, professor of mechanical engineering and materials science and co-director of the Duke Materials Initiative; Xiaoyue Ni, assistant professor of mechanical engineering and materials science; Steven Cummer, professor of electrical and computer engineering; Gleb Finkelstein, professor of physics; and Harold Baranger, professor of physics.

Their combined expertise in metamaterials and materials science ensured the workshop was academically rigorous and forward-thinking. The workshop also would not have been possible without the invaluable support from Liana Igescu, Rachel Bingle, and Jamal Michel.

“The Duke AMM Workshop is an essential part of materials science research at Duke, directly addressing key aspects of DMI’s vision and contributing uniquely to the field’s advancement,” Padilla shared. “Our goals include fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, showcasing cutting-edge research, strengthening industry and government partnerships, training the next generation of scientists and engineers, and enhancing Duke’s reputation in materials research.”

The workshop featured renowned speakers from prestigious institutions worldwide, including Sir John Pendry from Imperial College London, a pioneer in the theoretical foundations of metamaterials and the visionary behind the first practical “invisibility cloak”; Martin Wegener of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, known for his groundbreaking work in optical metamaterials; and Andrea Alù from the City University of New York, whose contributions to acoustical and electromagnetic metamaterials have led to transformative applications in both theory and practice.

A key highlight was the session on electromagnetic metamaterials, which explored the dynamic interaction of light and matter at the subwavelength scale.

Pendry opened the session by discussing the potential of time-based metamaterials and the experimental opportunities they present. Michael Scalora of the US Navy followed with a talk on the spatiotemporal dynamics of high-harmonic generation. At the same time, Viktor Podolskiy of the University of Massachusetts Lowell examined how physics can enhance artificial intelligence in metamaterial design.

Quantum metamaterials also took center stage, with Gleb Finkelstein, professor of physics at Duke University, presenting on multiterminal graphene-based Josephson junctions for nonlinear and quantum physics.

Amit Agrawal from the University of Cambridge further highlighted the integration of metamaterials into quantum technologies, discussing how integrated meta-optics can control atomic quantum systems.

The panel discussion on “Metamaterial Applications for the Next 20 Years” examined the commercial and technological potential of metamaterials, which offer vast opportunities in real-world applications such as cloaking, self-assembly, information processing and energy harvesting.

Ken Brown, the Michael J. Fitzpatrick Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, alongside industry leader Tom Driscoll of Echodyne, reflected on the evolution of metamaterials and their future trajectory. The session highlighted advancements in areas such as radar technologies, healthcare and defense, where metamaterials are already making a significant impact.

“This workshop brought together a diverse group of researchers from various fields, all working on groundbreaking advancements in metamaterials,” Litchinitser shared. “It not only underscored DMI’s leadership in this multidisciplinary domain but also fostered collaboration among top scientists from around the world.

Over two days, we witnessed the latest breakthroughs in electromagnetic, quantum, mechanical and acoustical metamaterials.”

The AMM Workshop also facilitated networking and collaboration among academia, industry and government research agencies. Participants had the opportunity to explore emerging student research through a poster session, highlighting the contributions of graduate students and postdocs.

Two PhD students, Ashleigh Wilson (Norfolk State University, advisor Natalia Noginova) and Eunso Shin (Duke, advisor Maiken Mikkelsen), shared first place in the poster competition and were invited to give flash talks on the second day of the workshop.

Participants praised the event as “well-organized, punctual, and inclusive of diverse topics,” noting the high quality of sessions and the seamless coordination of the overall themes.

By bringing together experts from diverse fields, the inaugural AMM workshop set the stage for the next frontier in metamaterial research and applications. It underscored the interdisciplinary nature of metamaterials and how their development can drive innovation across multiple domains.

As the metamaterials community unites to tackle future challenges, workshops like this will continue to play a crucial role in shaping the direction of materials science in the decades ahead.