An emerging paradigm in metamaterials research Metamaterials is an active area of investigation, with researchers looking to develop materials with properties beyond those available in nature. The QUANTUMMETALINK project combines theoretical and computational research to lay the foundations for ongoing developments in this discipline, as Professor Nicolae Panoiu explains A new class
of materials built from artificially engineered meta-atoms and meta-molecules, metamaterials have attracted a great deal of attention over recent years, with researchers looking to combine different elements to develop materials with properties tailored to specific applications. Based at University College London, Professor Nicolae Panoiu is the Principal Investigator of the QUANTUMMETALINK project, which centres on an emerging area of metamaterials research. “We are investigating quantum metamaterials, in which the interaction and properties of these metamaterials and their constituent parts are not only determined by classical laws of physics, like Maxwell equations, but also by quantum physics,” he says. The project combines theoretical and computational research to build strong foundations for the development of quantum metamaterials. “One third of the project is about theory, about describing the properties of quantum metamaterials. With solid-state physics, we can derive the properties of solids from the properties of atoms and molecules. We are trying to do the same thing for quantum metamaterials,” explains Professor Panoiu. “So, from the basic properties of the constituent parts, we try to derive the properties of whole metamaterials.” A second area of research in the project relates to combining quantum mechanical and classical numerical methods to develop a new set of numerical methods and software tools. While the properties of some materials can be determined by using either classical or quantum numerical methods, there are currently no mature methods available to describe mixed structures. “For example, you can have a quantum dot or molecule coupled to a metallic nanoparticle, where the metallic particle is described by classical physics, by Maxwell equations, and the quantum dot and molecule are described by quantum
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Electron density of quantum plasmons of a graphene nano-flake. physics. So we aim to come up with theoretical models and computational methods that describe such mixed structures,” explains Professor Panoiu. The third part of the project’s work involves exploring possible applications of quantum metamaterials; while there is rich potential in these terms, the main focus in research is about laying the foundations for future development. “This is a theoretical computational project, it’s not experimental,” stresses Professor Panoiu. “We look at different materials and we model them theoretically. We are collaborating with quite a few groups of experimentalists, and the hope is that our research will fire up their interest.”
Quantum metamaterials This research is built on a thorough understanding of the fundamental building blocks or unit cells of quantum metamaterials, including quantum dots and quantum nanowires, the behaviour of which is described by the laws of quantum mechanics, more specifically the Schrodinger equation. Researchers are taking elements of the numerical methods that solve Maxwell equations and elements of the numerical methods that solve Schrodinger equation to develop new tools. “We know that these paradigms are coupled at some level. So we include, in these overall numerical methods, elements that describe this inter-mixing between classical dynamics
Molecular bridges linking two graphene nano-flakes (top) and schematics of nano-antennae made of such quantum basic components (bottom).
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