Metamaterial Electromagnetic Wave Absorbers

Book excerpt: Electromagnetic metamaterials are a family of shaped periodic materials which achieve extraordinary scattering properties that are difficult or impossible to achieve with naturally occurring materials. This book focuses on one such feature of electromagnetic metamaterials—the theory, properties, and applications of the absorption of electromagnetic radiation. We have written this book for undergraduate and graduate students, researchers, and practitioners, covering the background and tools necessary to engage in the research and practice of metamaterial electromagnetic wave absorbers in various fundamental and applied settings. Given the growing impact of climate change, the call for innovations that can circumvent the use of conventional energy sources will be increasingly important. As we highlight in Chapter 6, the absorption of radiation with electromagnetic metamaterials has been used for energy harvesting and energy generation, and will help to reduce reliance on fossil fuels. Other applications ranging from biochemical sensing to imaging are also covered. We hope this book equips interested readers with the tools necessary to successfully engage in applied metamaterials research for clean, sustainable energy. This book consists of six chapters. Chapter 1 provides an introduction and a brief history of electromagnetic wave absorbers; Chapter 2 focuses on several theories of perfect absorbers; Chapter 3 discusses the scattering properties achievable with metamaterial absorbers; Chapter 4 provides significant detail on the fabricational processes; Chapter 5 discusses examples of dynamical absorbers; and Chapter 6 highlights applications of metamaterial absorbers.