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Nanomaterials
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Metamaterials and Metasurfaces for Advanced Electromagnetic Wave Manipulation and Applications
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Metamaterials and Metasurfaces for Advanced Electromagnetic Wave Manipulation and Applications

A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991). This special issue belongs to the section "Nanophotonics Materials and Devices".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 6242

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Weiren Zhu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Electronic Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
Interests: metamaterials; metasurfaces
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Linda Shao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Electronic Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
Interests: electromagnetic metasurface; metamaterial based antenna
Dr. Liming Si

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Integrated Circuits and Electronics, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
Interests: terahertz; metasurface; metamaterials; antennas; radar
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Over the past decade, remarkable progress has been witnessed in the field of metamaterials and metasurfaces, offering a unique avenue for generating, guiding, modulating, and detecting light, thanks to their structural features that are significantly smaller than the operational wavelength. The development of metamaterials and metasurfaces has paved the way for intriguing applications, ranging from achieving a negative index of refraction, imaging with sub-wavelength resolution, beamforming, polarization control, wavefront shaping, data processing, and highly flexible sensing and modulation. This special issue aims to provide a comprehensive platform for researchers, scientists, and engineers to share their latest findings, innovative designs, and practical applications in this rapidly evolving domain.

The special issue welcomes original research articles, review papers, and technical notes that cover, but are not limited to, the following topics:

  • Fundamental theories and modeling of metamaterials and metasurfaces
  • Design and optimization of metamaterials for electromagnetic wave manipulation
  • Novel metasurface architectures for beamforming, polarization control, and wavefront shaping
  • Active and tunable metamaterials and metasurfaces
  • Nonlinear and quantum effects in metamaterial-based systems
  • Metamaterial-inspired antennas and radomes
  • Applications in telecommunications, radar systems, stealth technology, and energy harvesting
  • Experimental characterization and measurement techniques for metamaterials and metasurfaces
  • Integration of metamaterials and metasurfaces into smart and adaptive structures
  • Emerging trends and future perspectives in electromagnetic wave manipulation technologies

Dr. Weiren Zhu
Dr. Linda Shao
Dr. Liming Si
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nanomaterials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • metamaterial
  • metasurface
  • wave manipulation
  • stealth technology
  • polarization control

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 8103 KiB  
Article
A Thermally Controlled Ultra-Wideband Wide Incident Angle Metamaterial Absorber with Switchable Transmission at the THz Band
by Liansheng Wang, Fengkai Xin, Quanhong Fu and Dongyan Xia
Nanomaterials 2025, 15(5), 404; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano15050404 - 6 Mar 2025
Viewed by 546
Abstract
We demonstrate a thermally controlled ultra-wideband wide incident angle metamaterial absorber with switchable transmission at the THz band in this paper. The underlying hybrid structure of FSS-VO2 thin films make them switchable between absorption mode and transmission mode by controlling the temperature. [...] Read more.
We demonstrate a thermally controlled ultra-wideband wide incident angle metamaterial absorber with switchable transmission at the THz band in this paper. The underlying hybrid structure of FSS-VO2 thin films make them switchable between absorption mode and transmission mode by controlling the temperature. It can achieve ultra-wideband absorption with above 90% absorption from 1 THz to 10 THz and exhibits excellent absorption performance under a wide range of incident and polarization angles at a high temperature (80 °C). At room temperature (27 °C), it acts in transmission mode with a transmission coefficient of up to 60% at 3.1278 THz. The transmission region is inside the absorption band, which is very important for practical applications. The metamaterial absorber has the advantage of easy fabrication, an ultra-wideband, a wide incident angle, switchable multi-functions, and passivity with wide application prospects on terahertz communication and radar devices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metamaterials and Metasurfaces for Advanced Electromagnetic Wave Manipulation and Applications)
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11 pages, 1448 KiB  
Article
Design of a Low-Infrared-Emission and Wideband-Microwave-Absorption Lightweight Metasurface
by Liping Liu, Zongsheng Chen, Zhigang Li, Yajing Chang, Pengfei Li, Xun Liu, Xuesong Deng and Yunsong Feng
Nanomaterials 2025, 15(5), 399; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano15050399 - 5 Mar 2025
Viewed by 800
Abstract
The compatibility of low infrared emission and wideband microwave absorption has drawn extensive attention, both theoretically and practically. In this paper, an infrared–radar-compatible stealth metasurface is designed using transparent conductive materials, namely indium tin oxide (ITO) and poly methacrylimide (PMI). The designed structure [...] Read more.
The compatibility of low infrared emission and wideband microwave absorption has drawn extensive attention, both theoretically and practically. In this paper, an infrared–radar-compatible stealth metasurface is designed using transparent conductive materials, namely indium tin oxide (ITO) and poly methacrylimide (PMI). The designed structure is a combination of a radar-absorbing layer (RAL) and a low-infrared-emission layer (IRSL), with an overall thickness of about 1.7 mm. It consists of three layers, a top-layer patch-type ITO frequency-selective surface, an intermediate layer of a four-fold rotationally symmetric ITO patterned structure, and a bottom reflective surface. The layers are separated by PMI. Simulation results show that the structure achieves over 90% broadband absorption in the microwave band from 7 to 58 GHz and low emissivity of 0.36 in the infrared band. In addition, due to the four-fold rotationally symmetric design, the structure also exhibits polarization insensitivity and excellent angular stability. Therefore, the designed structure possesses ultra-broadband radar absorption performance, low infrared emissivity, and polarization-insensitive properties at a thin thickness, and has a promising application in the field of multi-band-compatible stealth technology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metamaterials and Metasurfaces for Advanced Electromagnetic Wave Manipulation and Applications)
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13 pages, 7152 KiB  
Article
Deep Learning Design for Loss Optimization in Metamaterials
by Xianfeng Wu, Jing Zhao, Kunlun Xie and Xiaopeng Zhao
Nanomaterials 2025, 15(3), 178; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano15030178 - 23 Jan 2025
Viewed by 897
Abstract
Inherent material loss is a pivotal challenge that impedes the development of metamaterial properties, particularly in the context of 3D metamaterials operating at visible wavelengths. Traditional approaches, such as the design of periodic model structures and the selection of noble metals, have encountered [...] Read more.
Inherent material loss is a pivotal challenge that impedes the development of metamaterial properties, particularly in the context of 3D metamaterials operating at visible wavelengths. Traditional approaches, such as the design of periodic model structures and the selection of noble metals, have encountered a plateau. Coupled with the complexities of constructing 3D structures and achieving precise alignment, these factors have made the creation of low-loss metamaterials in the visible spectrum a formidable task. In this work, we harness the concept of deep learning, combined with the principle of weak interactions in metamaterials, to re-examine and optimize previously validated disordered discrete metamaterials. The paper presents an innovative strategy for loss optimization in metamaterials with disordered structural unit distributions, proving their robustness and ability to perform intended functions within a critical distribution ratio. This refined design strategy offers a theoretical framework for the development of single-frequency and broadband metamaterials within disordered discrete systems. It paves the way for the loss optimization of optical metamaterials and the facile fabrication of high-performance photonic devices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metamaterials and Metasurfaces for Advanced Electromagnetic Wave Manipulation and Applications)
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12 pages, 10856 KiB  
Article
Multi-Resonant Full-Solar-Spectrum Perfect Metamaterial Absorber
by Zhe Shen and Junfan Ni
Nanomaterials 2024, 14(23), 1959; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano14231959 - 6 Dec 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 952
Abstract
Currently, perfect absorption properties of metamaterials have attracted widespread interest in the area of solar energy. Ultra-broadband absorption, incidence angle insensitivity, and polarization independence are key performance indicators in the design of the absorbers. In this work, we proposed a metamaterial absorber based [...] Read more.
Currently, perfect absorption properties of metamaterials have attracted widespread interest in the area of solar energy. Ultra-broadband absorption, incidence angle insensitivity, and polarization independence are key performance indicators in the design of the absorbers. In this work, we proposed a metamaterial absorber based on the absorption mechanism with multiple resonances, including propagation surface plasmon resonance (PSPR), localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), electric dipole resonance (EDR), and magnetic dipole resonance (MDR). The absorber, consisting of composite nanocylinders and a microcavity, can perform solar energy full-spectrum absorption. The proposed absorber obtained high absorption (>95%) from 272 nm to 2742 nm at normal incidence. The weighted absorption rate of the absorber at air mass 1.5 direct in the wavelength range of 280 nm to 3000 nm exceeds 98.5%. The ultra-broadband perfect absorption can be ascribed to the interaction of those resonances. The photothermal conversion efficiency of the absorber reaches 85.3% at 375 K. By analyzing the influence of the structural parameters on the absorption efficiency, the absorber exhibits excellent fault tolerance. In addition, the designed absorber is insensitive to polarization and variation in ambient refractive index and has an absorption rate of more than 80% at the incident angle of 50°. Our proposed absorber has great application potential in solar energy collection, photothermal conversion, and other related areas. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metamaterials and Metasurfaces for Advanced Electromagnetic Wave Manipulation and Applications)
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9 pages, 1656 KiB  
Article
Graphene-Based Dual-Band Metasurface Absorber with High Frequency Ratio
by Anjie Cao, Nengfu Chen, Weiren Zhu and Zhansheng Chen
Nanomaterials 2024, 14(18), 1522; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano14181522 - 20 Sep 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1754
Abstract
In this paper, we propose a novel dual-band metasurface absorber with a high frequency ratio based on graphene. By carefully designing a centrally symmetrical graphene pattern and positioning it on a glass medium, while utilizing ITO as a ground, the metasurface absorber achieves [...] Read more.
In this paper, we propose a novel dual-band metasurface absorber with a high frequency ratio based on graphene. By carefully designing a centrally symmetrical graphene pattern and positioning it on a glass medium, while utilizing ITO as a ground, the metasurface absorber achieves remarkable high frequency ratio microwave absorption. Specifically, this metasurface absorber exhibits two distinct resonance points at 3.7 GHz and 14 GHz, with an impressive frequency ratio over 3.5. It achieves over 90% absorption efficiency in the frequency ranges of 3.5–4.5 GHz and 13.5–14.5 GHz, highlighting its capability to effectively absorb microwaves across widely spaced frequency bands. Furthermore, the metasurface absorber demonstrates optical transparency and polarization insensitivity, adding to its versatility and potential applications. The measured results of the fabricated prototype validate its design and potential for practical use. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metamaterials and Metasurfaces for Advanced Electromagnetic Wave Manipulation and Applications)
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Review

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35 pages, 7430 KiB  
Review
Emerging Thermal Detectors Based on Low-Dimensional Materials: Strategies and Progress
by Yang Peng, Jun Liu, Jintao Fu, Ying Luo, Xiangrui Zhao and Xingzhan Wei
Nanomaterials 2025, 15(6), 459; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano15060459 - 18 Mar 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 481
Abstract
Thermal detectors, owing to their broadband spectral response and ambient operating temperature capabilities, represent a key technological avenue for surpassing the inherent limitations of traditional photon detectors. A fundamental trade-off exists between the thermal properties and the response performance of conventional thermosensitive materials [...] Read more.
Thermal detectors, owing to their broadband spectral response and ambient operating temperature capabilities, represent a key technological avenue for surpassing the inherent limitations of traditional photon detectors. A fundamental trade-off exists between the thermal properties and the response performance of conventional thermosensitive materials (e.g., vanadium oxide and amorphous silicon), significantly hindering the simultaneous enhancement of device sensitivity and response speed. Recently, low-dimensional materials, with their atomically thin thickness leading to ultralow thermal capacitance and tunable thermoelectric properties, have emerged as a promising perspective for addressing these bottlenecks. Integrating low-dimensional materials with metasurfaces enables the utilization of subwavelength periodic configurations and localized electromagnetic field enhancements. This not only overcomes the limitation of low light absorption efficiency in thermal detectors based on low-dimensional materials (TDLMs) but also imparts full Stokes polarization detection capability, thus offering a paradigm shift towards multidimensional light field sensing. This review systematically elucidates the working principle and device architecture of TDLMs. Subsequently, it reviews recent research advancements in this field, delving into the unique advantages of metasurface design in terms of light localization and interfacial heat transfer optimization. Furthermore, it summarizes the cutting-edge applications of TDLMs in wideband communication, flexible sensing, and multidimensional photodetection. Finally, it analyzes the major challenges confronting TDLMs and provides an outlook on their future development prospects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metamaterials and Metasurfaces for Advanced Electromagnetic Wave Manipulation and Applications)
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