Scientific Sessions

Metamaterials are artificially engineered materials designed to have properties not found in naturally occurring substances. They derive their unique characteristics from their structure rather than their composition, with their properties determined by the arrangement of subwavelength building blocks. These materials can manipulate electromagnetic waves in unconventional ways, enabling phenomena such as negative refractive index, electromagnetic cloaking, and superlensing, which surpass the diffraction limit of conventional optics. The design of metamaterials often involves precise patterning at the nanoscale or microscale, allowing them to control the propagation of light, sound, or even seismic waves. Their applications extend across a wide range of fields, including advanced antenna design, stealth technology, imaging systems, and medical diagnostics. The ability to tailor electromagnetic responses opens up new possibilities in developing compact, efficient, and high-performance optical and communication devices.

Photonic crystals, on the other hand, are periodic optical nanostructures that affect the motion of photons much like the periodic potential in a semiconductor crystal affects the motion of electrons. They are characterized by a photonic band gap, a range of wavelengths that cannot propagate through the crystal. By controlling the periodic arrangement of dielectric materials, photonic crystals can manipulate the flow of light with high precision, enabling the creation of waveguides, resonators, and highly efficient optical filters. These structures are particularly significant in optical communication systems, laser technology, and sensing applications. Unlike metamaterials, which rely on subwavelength structuring to achieve unusual electromagnetic responses, photonic crystals exploit periodicity and interference effects to guide or confine light. Both metamaterials and photonic crystals are at the forefront of modern photonics research, and their combination has the potential to create devices with unprecedented control over electromagnetic waves. By integrating the unique dispersion control of metamaterials with the wavelength-selective capabilities of photonic crystals, researchers are paving the way for breakthroughs in quantum communication, optical computing, and next-generation photonic circuits.