Optoelectronics Research Centre, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK.
Nat Mater. 2012 Nov;11(11):917-24. doi: 10.1038/nmat3431.
Metamaterials, artificial electromagnetic media that are structured on the subwavelength scale, were initially suggested for the negative-index 'superlens'. Later metamaterials became a paradigm for engineering electromagnetic space and controlling propagation of waves: the field of transformation optics was born. The research agenda is now shifting towards achieving tunable, switchable, nonlinear and sensing functionalities. It is therefore timely to discuss the emerging field of metadevices where we define the devices as having unique and useful functionalities that are realized by structuring of functional matter on the subwavelength scale. In this Review we summarize research on photonic, terahertz and microwave electromagnetic metamaterials and metadevices with functionalities attained through the exploitation of phase-change media, semiconductors, graphene, carbon nanotubes and liquid crystals. The Review also encompasses microelectromechanical metadevices, metadevices engaging the nonlinear and quantum response of superconductors, electrostatic and optomechanical forces and nonlinear metadevices incorporating lumped nonlinear components.
超材料,即亚波长尺度结构的人工电磁媒质,最初是为负折射率“超级透镜”而提出的。后来,超材料成为了工程电磁空间和控制波传播的范例:变换光学领域诞生了。现在,研究重点已经转向实现可调谐、可切换、非线性和传感功能。因此,及时讨论新兴的介观器件领域是很有必要的,我们将这些器件定义为通过在亚波长尺度上对功能材料进行结构设计来实现独特而有用的功能。在这篇综述中,我们总结了光子、太赫兹和微波电磁超材料和介观器件的研究,这些器件的功能是通过相变介质、半导体、石墨烯、碳纳米管和液晶的利用来实现的。综述还包括微机电介观器件、利用超导体的非线性和量子响应、静电和光机械力以及包含集中非线性元件的非线性介观器件。