SCC0752 - METAMATERIALS

insegnamento

ID:

SCC0752

Durata (ore):

48

CFU:

SSD:

FISICA DELLA MATERIA

Anno:

2025

Periodo di attività

Secondo Semestre (23/02/2026 - 12/06/2026)

Obiettivi Formativi

The aim of the course is to introduce the student to the functioning principles of metamaterials and their applications. During the course exercises are assigned that allow students to check the level of knowledge achieved. In addition, these exercises sometimes require the use of calculation software such as Matlab, databases on the net and the study of fundamental articles in English. At the end of the course these exercises are organized in a written report which constitutes the starting point of the exam. The autonomy of judgment is also expressed in the evaluation of teaching by filling in the prepared questionnaires. At the end of the course the student will have acquired the techniques on which the so-called "effective medium theories" are based and will therefore be able to calculate the effective parameters of different metamaterials. In addition, the student will be able to give a physical explanation of the unusual phenomena that occur in materials with a negative refractive index.

Prerequisiti

Basic knowledge of classical electromagnetism (provided by the Electromagnetism course). However, no preparatory qualifications are required.

Metodi didattici

The lessons, in which the theoretical concepts of the course are introduced, are frontal. The teacher holds the lesson on the blackboard or on the electronic blackboard, introducing the different topics and performing calculations and demonstrations. Gli appunti del Corso sono disponibili sulla piattaforma e-learning

Verifica Apprendimento

The exam is oral and is based initially on the discussion of the report containing the exercises that have been assigned during the course. This allows a first verification of the knowledge of some contents of the course, of the ability to apply them to reproduce some known results and of the ability to write a text. Subsequently, questions are asked on some specific topics covered during the course, for which a general framework is asked and the ability to derive the mathematical formulas that describe the phenomenon. The ability to understand some research articles that have been discussed during the course is also verified.

Contenuti

The first part of the course is devoted to a review of the fundamental concepts of electromagnetism, in particular those concerning the interaction between an electromagnetic wave and a material, insulator or metal. In the second part of the course more specific topics are addressed regarding metamaterials and materials with a negative refractive index: surface plasmons, Maxwell-Garnett's and Bruggeman's theories of effective medium, Wiener bounds, arrays of metallic wires, split ring resonators, Veselago's lens and Pendry's superlens.