Metamaterials, metasurfaces, and metadevices

Abstract

Metamaterials are artificial electromagnetic media that are structured on the subwavelength scale. Such structures were initially suggested for achieving negative index of refraction, but later they became a paradigm for engineering electromagnetic space and controlling propagation of waves through transformation optics and optically-induced magnetic response. The research agenda is now shifting towards achieving tunable, switchable, nonlinear and sensing functionalities of metamaterials, and it involves the fields of metasurfaces and metadevices where the Nonlinear Physics Centre in Canberra is playing an important role, with the recent demonstrations of breakthrough results in nonlinear metamaterials and tunable metasurfaces. Here we discuss briefly the basic concepts of this rapidly growing research field highlighting the recent developments in the physics of metamaterials and subwavelength nanophotonics.