Metamaterial

Introduction and Motivation:

Considering today’s science and industry interest to reach compact, reliable and cost-effective

communications, systems which aim to provide such pioneering characteristics are growingly analyzed,

designed and implemented. In this regard, microwave/millimeter wave components and antennas are

of the common and unavoidable elements of these systems, [1]. On the other hand, the field of

Metamaterials is still a relatively new field of study and many applications are yet to be discovered. The

utilization of Metamaterials (MTMs) can make an important contribution to the improvement of these

devices and many research projects are still investigating the future development in the MTM area and

their potential fields of application. The research agenda on MTMs is now shifting towards achieving

tunable, switchable, nonlinear and sensing functionalities. Thus, efficient MTM structures compatible

with integrated circuits play a vital role in effective fabrication and implementation of communication

systems, [2]. By this research, we intend to find new opportunities in the design of antennas as well as

wireless components through the usage of conventional MTMs and also generate more applicable

structures regarding a desired design. This fast-growing field still fascinates me and draws much of my

research interest and effort.

Background and Literature Review:

One of the major directions of research in the field of electromagnetism has been microwave

applications of Metamaterials structures. The structures could exhibit unique and unusual

electromagnetic properties through which various microwave components and antennas with unique

features have been demonstrated. So far, MTMs have been successful in many circuits and devices

allowing phase compensating lines for Active Electronically Scanned Arrays, suppressing parasitic

waves, nondestructive testing, Material Characterization and sensing applications, etc. Specifically, of

the Metamaterials, the so-called negative index materials have been of interest. Although most

demonstrations of negative index materials have been based on resonant structures, these structures

suffer from high losses and narrow bandwidths. In this regard, the trend has recently been towards

MTM structures which can effectively eliminate these two common drawbacks, [3]-[4].

Solution and Contribution:

We will start by a comprehensive survey of different MTM structures and their conventional

applications. The study can be later used to predict future and potential developments. We will also

strongly emphasize on providing a MTM unit cell with the following characteristics which provides a

better and more efficient control on the frequency response of the unit cell:

❖Broadband and Low-Loss Volumetric Metamaterials

High performance volumetric Metamaterials have proven to overcome the bandwidth and loss

limitations of conventional designs.

❖Transmission-Line Based Metamaterials with Arbitrary Material Tensors

These novel transmission-line (TL) based Metamaterials can exhibit tensor material properties and

devices. In addition, tensor Metamaterials are TL based (traveling-wave structures) and they promise

broad bandwidths of operation and low losses. These tensor TL Metamaterials allow unprecedented

control of electromagnetic fields along a surface / radiating aperture.

❖Tunable Metamaterials

This research will incorporate tunable elements into the Metamaterials unit cell to achieve a

controllable electromagnetic response.

We will emphasize on providing a specifically-designed MTM unit cell (e.g. embedded SRRs can be

applicable to most devices where a control of the constitutive parameters could significantly improve

the overall performance besides tenability and miniaturization enhancements. Previous studies have

been performed and further studies are still welcome, [5-10]. This unit cell will be a very engineerable

design enhancing the performance of various antennas as well as microwave/millimeter wave

components in miniaturized overall dimensions. Analytical modeling of candidate structures besides

software simulations and experiments will also be a major focus of this effort.

References:

[1]. K. Chang, Editor, Handbook of RF/Microwave Components and Engineering, J. Wiley & Sons, Inc

[2]. C. Caloz and T. Itoh, “Electromagnetic Metamaterials: Transmission Line Theory and Microwave

Applications”, New York, NY, USA. Wiley, 2005.

[3]. S.M. Rudolph and A. Grbic,” A broadband three-dimensionally isotropic negative-refractive-index

medium,” IEEE Trans. Antennas. 2012.

[4] G. Gok and A. Grbic “A printed beam-shifting slab designed using tensor transmission-line

metamaterials, ” IEEE Trans. Antennas. Propag. 2013.

[5] F. Farzami; S. Khaledian; B. Smida; D. Erricolo, “Pattern Reconfigurable Printed Dipole Antenna

Using Loaded Parasitic Elements,“IEEE Antenn. Wireless Propag. Lett. 2016.

[6]. Farzami, F.; Norooziarab, M., “Experimental Realization of Tunable Transmission Lines Based on

Single-Layer SIWs Loaded by Embedded SRRs,” IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech. 2013.

[7]. Norooziarab, M.; Rafaei-Booket, M.; Atlasbaf, Z.; Farzami, F., “A tunable transmission line based

on an SIW loaded by a new single-cell metamaterial,” Telecommunications (IST), 2012 Sixth

International Symposium on , vol., no., pp.75,79, 6-8 Nov. 2012.

[8]. F. Farzami, K. Forooraghi, and M. Norooziarab, “Miniaturization of a microstrip antenna using a

compact and thin magneto-dielectric sub-strate,” IEEE Antenn. Wireless Propag. Lett. 2011.

[9]. Farzami, F.; Forooraghi, K.; Norooziarab, M., “Design and Modeling of a Miniaturized Substrate

Integrated Waveguide Using Embedded SRRs,” IEEE Antenn. Wireless Propag. Lett. 2011.

[10]. Majid Norooziarab, Zahra Atlasbaf, Farhad Farzami, “Substrate integrated waveguide loaded by

3-dimensional embedded split ring resonators,” AEU - International Journal of Electronics and

Communications, 2014.