| HOME >> BIOLOGY >> TECHNOLOGY |
CHESTNUT HILL, MA (February 24, 2009) An engineered metamaterial proved it can function as a state-of-the-art device in the complex terahertz range of the electromagnetic spectrum, setting a standard of performance for modulating tiny waves of radiation, according to a team of researchers from Boston College, the Los Alamos and Sandia national laboratories, and Boston University.
An electrical current applied to the metamaterial a hybrid structure of metallic split-ring resonators controlled the phase of a terahertz (THz) beam 30 times faster and with far greater precision than a conventional optical device, the researchers report in the current online edition of the journal Nature Photonics.
The discovery marks a milestone in the use of metamaterials and terahertz radiation, a safe, non-ionizing frequency that is the subject of a growing body of research and viewed as a promising component in applications that include advanced security screening systems and imaging technologies.
"This is a true metamaterial device," Boston College Asst. Prof. of Physics Willie J. Padilla, one of the co-authors of the paper, said. "This highlights the fact that you can make solid state devices at terahertz frequencies with metamaterials."
Constructed on the micron-scale, metamaterials are composites that use unique metallic contours in order to produce responses to light waves, giving each metamaterial its own unique properties beyond the elements of the actual materials in use. Within the past decade, researchers have sought ways to significantly expand the range of material responses to waves of electromagnetic radiation classified by increasing frequency as radio waves, microwaves, terahertz radiation, infrared radiation, visible light, ultraviolet radiation, X-rays and gamma rays. These metamaterials have demonstrated numerous novel effects that defy accepted electromagnetic principles.
Previously, in systems known as
'/>"/>
| Contact: Ed Hayward ed.hayward@bc.edu 617-552-4826 Boston College Source:Eurekalert |
Related biology technology :
1. UCF professor develops vaccine to protect against black plague bioterror attack
2. UCF professor develops vaccine to protect against black plague bioterror attack
3. UC Riverside researcher develops novel method to grow human embryonic stem cells
4. China Sky One Medical, Inc. Develops Nasal Spray for Rheumatic Disease
5. Zounds Hearing Develops and Releases Power BTE Hearing Aid
6. Bionovo Develops a High Throughput LC-MS/MS Method for Simultaneous Quantification of Multiple Bioactive Compounds
7. MIT develops a paper towel for oil spills
8. Bio Career Center Develops New Tool to Assist in Employer/Candidate Match
9. A New Era in Cell Biology: German Company Develops Groundbreaking Alternative to Stem Cell Therapy
10. Team develops energy-efficient microchip
11. NIST develops test method for key micromechanical property
| Copyright © 2003-2012 Bio-Medicine. All rights reserved. ABOUT | CONTACT US | DISCLAIMER | PRIVACY POLICY | TERMS AND CONDITIONS |  |