Non-linear metamaterials

This project aims to investigate metamaterial wave interactions, examining the little explored area of non-linear parametric metamaterials. Specifically examining metamaterial configurations for Second Harmonic Generation and self-parametric oscillations to create a new class of metamaterial EM sources.
Metamaterials are artificial materials, consisting of "meta-atoms", that derive their properties from their geometry rather than their composition, offering by design, a range of novel properties not available in nature. This is a growing research area both national and internationally attracting interest from academia and industry, and is expect to become a billion-dollar market by 2020. Although a key issue with commercialising metamaterials is the high-loss associated with the resonate behaviour exhibited by the meta-atoms, a necessary consequence required for a simultaneous negative permittivity and permeability. We aim to address this loss issue by researching a parametric metamaterial so that a wave at a set frequency travels "backward" through the material mitigating the effects of loss (more so than is achievable with a "normal" material).