Windows on Metamaterials -Tweets, Institute of Physics-Physics World , Institute of Materials (IOM3) Materials World

Record-breaking metamaterial
Researchers in Korea have created a new metamaterial  -Physics World.
A recent follower of my blog posts on twitter reminded me that I have neglected the relatively recent materials science-solid state physics & condensed matter field of Metamaterials, which have caught the public imagination as possible roads to invisibility and stealth (the invisible cloak - Metamaterial Cloaking link-wikipedia)

Thanks to my follower's tweets I rapidly zoomed in and chose the link to recent research in the Metamaterial Field, in fact Physics Today the Popular Journal of the Institute of Physics UK,

The tweeted page Feb 2011 is the eye catching Metamaterials breaks refraction record.

"The refractive index of a material defines the angle through which light is bent when it travels between a material and the vacuum. Ordinary materials such as glass have refractive indices between one and three at optical frequencies, with a few materials like silicon approaching four. Over the past decade or so, physicists have been developing artificial materials with negative indices of refraction. These metamaterials bend light in the opposite direction to normal materials and can be used to make invisibility cloaks and superlenses.


While this new material has a positive index of refraction, its value is so large that it could lead to new terahertz technologies for security scanning and cancer diagnosis. The researchers also believe that the metamaterial could find use in invisibility cloaks."

Terahertz frequencies have potential in security checkpoints and skin cancer diagnosis.

Each article allows the reader to increase his learning experience by providing several related stories (typical of the professional scientific magazines) By choosing any of the related articles cf below will often open many more related articles.

Physics World related articles:
Negative-index material modulates light
Double-negative metamaterial edges towards the visible
Flexible metamaterial springs to life
Terahertz scanning acquires sense of direction


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The Year 2008 in Materials from MIT's Tech Review

The Institute of Physics is a sister of our Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3) often referenced here. Both are UK scientific and professional bodies. Articles in Materials World are referenced below.
References:
History and Introduction to Metamaterials, Physics Today by JB Pendry & DR Smith

Overview - Scope of Metamaterials from Wikipedia

Materials World (MW): IOM3 references

3d-metamaterials-semiconductors

Metamaterials for magnifying superlenses


Unweaving-rainbow-Jack-Harris-muses-transparent-materials-and-refractive-indexes

Stealth-technology-ships__Access to Members only

Making light work silicon chips

MW Book Reviews
Electrical-properties-materials, Book Review

Optical-properties-solids-book review

The Year 2008 in Materials from MIT's Tech Review

Just reviewed and up-dated my RSS feed, tarrying on MIT's Tech Rev. Fortunately I did not give-up in face of the such advanced topics and the complexities of the underlying materials science. Note in passing the incredible revival in these metallurgical and materials fields.

You may have noticed that perseverance, "courage" is of great assistance in serendipity-good luck.

On instinct I picked a couple of stories from the MIT Tech. Rev:
(you may wish to follow this lead and find your own hopefully inspired by my unfinalised RSS approach and remarks)

Story 1: Super-Resolution Imaging and a $10 Microscope
key words which caught my a attention "low cost (10$)" and "metamaterials"

Super-Resolution Imaging and a $10 Microscope Metamaterials are usually lauded for their potential to direct light around an object, completely hiding it. This year brought the first designs for acoustic metamaterials, which will shield objects from sound. But the earliest application of metamaterials, usually made up of metals carefully structured on the nano- or microscale to tailor their interactions with light, is likely to be in super-resolution imaging. Light microscopes with resolutions on the scale of biological molecules will help biologists understand not just what proteins are at work in diseased cells, but also how they interact with other molecules to cause disease. Nicholas Fang of the University of Illinois is using metamaterials made up of metals structured on the nanoscale to make superlenses, which increase the resolution of biological light microscopes by an order of magnitude.

Read More...


Story 2. Tough, Strong, and Sticky
Key words new ceramics - negative overplayed "gecko" almost made me skip this

Some of the year's coolest new materials were made possible by mimicking the nanoscale features of natural structures. For years, researchers have been trying to make materials that are as tough as nacre, the material that lines abalone shells, with limited success. This year, materials scientists created a new ceramic that's better than nacre; it could eventually be used as a structural material for buildings and vehicles. Like nacre, the new ceramic is a composite of a hard material and a gluey one. Researchers have also finally outdone the gecko, which uses arrays of nanoscale hairs on its paws to scale walls and ceilings. Arrays of carbon nanotubes with two layers--one vertically aligned, the other tangled--mimic gecko-foot structures but are 10 times as sticky.


As one thing leads to another -> Other Top Choice Topics are:
Graphene, the strongest material ever, the tip of an atomic force microscope!

Nanomedicine and Nanomaterials Safety.
Hey there!
Two studies in mice suggested that carbon nanotubes could behave like asbestos in the lungs, causing cancer.
Read More...

Sixteen Research Roadmaps for Materials from the Directorate-General for Research Unit G3 Added- value Materials

It is widely recognized that, Materials Science and Technology are advancing fast.  Materials create added value in most products as so are of particular relevance for industry and society.

At the same time, costs must be minimised, sustainability improved, and products rendered more attractive, portable, or usable by making them smaller and lighter, improving functionality etc.

Due to their importance the EU Commission’s  Directorate-General for Research- G3 for Added- value Materials has published a guide-Research Roadmaps for Materials, in order  to focus attention of all interested parties on: the efforts engaged, to encourage further engagement and on the potential rewards for success.   

 -16 Research Road Maps 

 -10 Key Thematic Programmes (Framework programme7. FP7)

-RRM PURPOSE

-Three Key Overview Themes

-Strategies outline (Open and closed)

-Layered approach (4 layer example)

-WHY INVEST?

-11 Supporting chapters

   16 Research Road Maps, each with its specially dedicated web site has been drawn up as follows:

   1     CMA- Complex metallic alloys

   2     DISC-REGENERATION-Novel biofunctional highly porous polymer scaffolds and techniques

controlling angiogenesis for the regeneration and repair of the degenerated intervertebral disc

 3     POLYSACCHARIDES -The European polysaccharide network

 4     EXCELL-Thin Fims Network of Excellence: to overcome the fragmentation of European

research in multifunctional thin films

 5     EXPERTISSUES-Novel therapeutic strategies for tissue engineering of bone

and cartilage using second generation biomimetic scaffolds LINK2 expertissues

 6     FAME & EMMI -Functionalised advanced materials and engineering of hybrids

and ceramics

 7     IDECAT-ERIC ERIC- the European Research Institute of Catalysis 

Integrated design of catalytic nanomaterials for a sustainable production ( IDECAT logo has been corrupted!) Use ERIC Link here

 8     KMM-NoE_ Knowledge-based multicomponent materials for durable

and safe performance

 9       MAGISTER and EIMM-Magnetic scaffolds for in vivo engineering and biomimetic materials

 10     MAGMANet -Molecular approach to nanomagnets and multifunctional materials

 11     METAMORPHOSE-Metamaterials organized for radio, millimeter wave, and photonic

superlattice engineering

 12     MIND-Multi-functional and integrated piezoelectric devices

 13     NANOFUN-POLY _Nanostructured and functional polymer-based materials and

nanocomposites

 14    NANOMEMPRO-Expanding membrane macroscale applications by exploring

nanoscale material properties LINK 2

 15     ONE-P_Organic nanomaterials for electronics and photonics: design,

synthesis, characterization, processing, fabrication and applications

 16     SOFTCOMP-Soft matter composites – an approach to nanoscale functional

material

Key Thematic Programmes (FP7):

•  Theme 1      Health

•   Theme 2       Food, agriculture and fisheries, and  biotechnology

•   Theme 3       Information and communications  technologies (ICT)

•   Theme 4       Nanosciences, nanotechnologies, materials and new production  technologies (NMP)

•   Theme 5       Energy

•   Theme 6       Environment (including climate change)

•   Theme 7      Transport (including aeronautics)

•   Theme 8       Socio-economic sciences and the humanities

•   Theme 9       Space

•   Theme 10    Security

NMP underpins progress in virtually all other above mentioned Themes. The materials research

done tries to find answers to questions such as:

•   How can products and processes be improved?

•   Are there better alternative materials and process?

•   How can new materials reduce the number of components and production steps?

•   What is the impact of materials on cost, quality, safety, consumer experience and regulatory

compliance?

•   How can maximum added value be derived from materials? Can we use fewer or local materials and suppliers?

•   Which is the most sustainable material in terms of energy and primary resource consumption?

New materials can make crucial differences in many products. Multi-application materials form

a generic, horizontal, cross-cutting field with actors in many different industrial sectors.

The Nano Materials Production (NMP) theme develops both multi-application materials, and materials for targeted applications in all FP7 Thematic Areas, notably Energy, Environment, Health, ICT and Transport.

RRM PURPOSE

Risking repletion, Research Road Maps (RRM) arise from the dialogue between scientists and industrialists.

Research Road Maps (RRM) have the potential to offer great added value in guiding the activities undertaken by all stakeholders: scientists, industries, venture capitalists, research managers, etc.

In addition, if based on economic and societal needs, they can be of great value in priority-setting interactions with public administrations at national and European level.

Research road mapping involves identifying scientific and technological challenges related to the socio-economic and industrial trends expected for the coming decade(s). An analysis of existing RRMs shows that they are generally organised around three ’parameters’:

Three Key Overview Themes

•   Thematic areas/economic and societal challenges, from which common drivers for materials innovation can be derived and which have cross-sector relevance such as the FP7 Themes: Energy, Environment,…

•   Horizontal and vertical classes: horizontal classes are cross-cutting technologies e.g. modelling, metrology and standards, process technologies, manufacturing. Examples of vertical classes are structural, functional, multi-functional and bio-materials.

•   Market industry sectors e.g. aerospace, transport, healthcare, packaging, textiles, construction.

Strategies outline.

The strategies followed by roadmap producers vary from closed to open.

In closed strategies, the desired end-result is chosen and means are defined to reach this goal.

Such RRMs can easily be up-dated at regular intervals. Closed roadmaps tend to be highly

predictive constructions that are adapted to the needs of markets and activities.

Open Strategies start from a good knowledge of the state-of-the-art in a specific field of activity,

then extrapolate the developments of this activity over time. Open roadmaps may be fragile

constructions, low on prediction and usually involving accompanying blue-sky research.

A RRM could consist of 4 layers and 11 supporting chapters

First layer 

FP Theme (Health, Energy, Environment, ICT,…) supported by the NMP Programme

Second layer

Applications/systems supporting the Theme and enabled by new materials

Third layer

Materials and/or processes enabling the applications/systems

Fourth layer 

Research necessary to create the materials.

WHY INVEST?

Supporting chapters justify why scientists, industry or funding agencies should invest in these research areas.

11 Supporting chapters are listed as follows:

•   Potential application domains/lead market sector for new material scientific and technological results.

•   Context, including current bottlenecks.

•   Motivation.

•   Key performance figures (targets).

•   Activity in- and dynamics of- the field, including the patent landscape.

•   References.

•   Time-line (for Research & Development and applications).

•   Dependencies/conditions to be addressed (regulations, standardisation).

•   Prioritisation for different (regional, national, European) funding schemes.

•   Technology transfer possibilities and necessary education.

•  Conclusions and recommendations.

REFERENCES

Research Roadmaps for Materials, Ed. Anne de Baas

Directorate-General for Research

Directorate G — Industrial Technologies

Unit G.3 — Value-added Materials

Ed. Anne de Baas

European Commission

EUR 24210 — Research Road Mapping in Materials 

Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union

2010 — 24 pp. — 17.6 x 25 cm

ISBN 978-92-79-14485-1

doi: 10.2777/87000