The role of metamaterials in

Analog space missions

Prof. Juliano Katrib

Ahmad Alrbaidi
 The metamaterial
3-4
existence of metamaterial
5

uses of metamaterial 6-8

limitations of metamaterial
8

Outline
General definition :
Metamaterials are new artificial materials with unusual
electromagnetic properties that are not found in naturally
occurring materials. All "natural" materials such as glass, diamond
and such have positive electrical permittivity, magnetic
permeability and an index of refraction. In these new artificially
fabricated materials - termed as negative index materials (NIM) or
double negative (ONG) media or left handed (LH) materials or
backward wave (BW) media - all these material parameters are
negative. With these unusual material parameters, new kinds of
miniaturized antennas and microwave components/devices can
be created for the wireless communications and the defense
industries. The electrical permittivity and the magnetic
permeability are the main determinants of a material's response to
electromagnetic (EM) waves. In metamaterials, both these
material parameters are negative. Correspondingly, the refractive
index of the metamaterials is also negative. Another strange
property of metamaterials is its reverse Doppler effect.1
Basic concepts :
In order to understand the metamaterial , we must have some
basic phisicall and mechanical concepts of it :
In order to understand the metamaterial , we must have some
basic phisicall and mechanical concepts of it :

1- Refractive Index : it is the ratio between the speed of light

in vacuum and the speed of light in substance .

2- electromagnetic waves : consists of waves of

the electromagnetic (EM) field, which propagate
through space and carry momentum and
electromagnetic radiant energy.2

A metamaterial is a material engineered to have properties not

found in naturally occurring materials. They are typically
composed of periodic structures or patterns on a scale smaller

1
IEEE website : https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/1368916

2
than the wavelength of the phenomena they affect. The
physical properties of metamaterials arise from their structure
rather than their composition. Key characteristics often
include:
• Negative Refractive Index: Metamaterials can bend light
or other waves in the opposite direction compared to
conventional materials.
• Electromagnetic Properties: They can manipulate
electromagnetic waves, including light, in unusual ways,
such as focusing light beyond the diffraction limit.
• Acoustic Properties: the controlling , directing , and
manipulating sound waves.

History :
The Popular name which is known by the most inventors and
people is known as left handed materials (LHM). The concept
of this material was 1st prospective in 1968 by Veselago, he
allegation that the materials with both negative permeability
and positive permittivity are possible theoretically. In 1999 the
scientist John Pendry determines a practical way to
manufacture an LHM which did not follow the right hand rule of
conventional type In 2005, the Smith demonstrated a new left
handed material that exhibits negative permeability and
permittivity simultaneously
The metamaterial is derived from Greek language whose
meaning is superior/beyond. It is an artificial synthetic
composite material produced by combining a number of
elements, including plastic and metals .
According to European Union the term metamaterials is
defined as, “an arrangement of manmade structural
components, designed to achieve advantageous & unusual
electromagnetic characteristics. Metamaterial is generally
used to enhance the performance of the antenna system,
electromagnetic characteristics3
Permittivity (ε) : the property of every material, which measures
the opposition offered against the formation of an electric field.

Permeability (μ) : is a measure of how a material responds to a

magnetic field and affects how magnetic fields propagate through
the material

Applications
4.1. Metamaterial Antennas
Metamaterial antennas are a class of antennas which use
metamaterials to enhance or increase
performance of thesystem. The metamaterials could
enhance the radiated powerof an antenna.
Materials which can attain negative magneticpermeability
could possibly allow for properties such as an
electrically small antenna size, high directivity, and tunable
operational frequency, including an array system.
Furthermore, metamaterial based antennas can
demonstrate improved efficiency-bandwidth performance.
Metamaterials are manufactured materials that exhibit
properties not found in nature. A significant improvement
in antenna performance is predicted for a class of
metamaterials exhibiting a negative electric permittivity,

3
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2214785321074435 (2)
 (ENG), a negative magnetic permeability (MNG), or both
(ENG/MNG). Antennas constructed from metamaterials
have revolutionary potential of overcoming restrictive
efficiency-bandwidth limitations for natural or conventionally
constructed electrically small antennas.
Metamaterial antennas, if successful, would allow smaller
antenna elements that cover a wider frequency range, thus
making better use of available space for small platforms or
spaces. Metamaterials employed in the ground planes
surrounding antennas offers improved isolation between 88
SHRIDHAR E. MENDHE & YOGESHWAR PRASAD KOSTA
radio frequency or microwave channels of (multiple-input
multiple-output) (MIMO) antenna arrays. Metamaterial,
high-impedance ground planes can also be used to improve
the radiation efficiency, and axial radio performance of
lowprofile antennas located close to the ground plane
surface. Metamaterials have also been used to increase the
beam scanning range by using both the forward and
backward waves in leaky wave antennas. Various
metamaterial antenna systems can be employed to support
surveillance sensors, communication links, navigation
systems, command and control systems4
.2. Superlens
A superlens uses metamaterials to achieve resolution
beyond the diffraction limit. The diffraction limit is inherent
inconventional optical devices or lenses.
3 . Clocking Devices

4
International Journal of Information Technology and Knowledge Management January-June 2011,
Volume 4, No. 1, pp. 85-89 METAMATERIAL PROPERTIES AND APPLICATIONS Shridhar E. Mendhe1 &
Yogeshwar Prasad Kosta2 (3)
 Metamaterials are a basis for attempting to build a practical
cloaking device. The cloak deflects microwave beams so they
flow around a “hidden” object inside with little distortion,
making it appear almost as if nothing were thereat all. Such a
device typically involves surrounding the object to be cloaked
with a shell which affects the passage of light near it
.4. Acoustic Metamaterials
Acoustic metamaterials are artificially fabricated
materialsdesigned to control, direct, and manipulate sound
in the formof sonic, infrasonic, or ultrasonic waves, as these
might occurin gases, liquids, and solids.

. Seismic Metamaterials
Seismic metamaterials are metamaterials which are
designed to counteract the adverse effects of seismic waves
on manmade structures, which exist on or near the surface of
theeart
5

Limitations : -
Although metamaterials can produce some unique
physical phenomena and functions, there are many
disadvantages of metamaterials, such as: high loss,
complex manufacturing process, high manufacturing
cost, and large weight. In addition, the narrow operating
spectrum is also one of the disadvantages of
metamaterials, and their efficiency is relatively low,
5
International Journal of Information Technology and Knowledge Management January-June 2011,
Volume 4, No. 1, pp. 85-89 METAMATERIAL PROPERTIES AND APPLICATIONS Shridhar E. Mendhe1 &
Yogeshwar Prasad Kosta2 (4)
 which may hinder the promotion of metamaterials in
practical applications.6

6
Although metamaterials can produce some unique physical phenomena and functions, there are
many disadvantages of metamaterials, such as: high loss, complex manufacturing process, high
manufacturing cost, and large weight. In addition, the narrow operating spectrum is also one of the
disadvantages of metamaterials, and their efficiency is relatively low, which may hinder the
promotion of metamaterials in practical applications. (5)