What is a "metamaterial"? For a long time, people have dreamed of creating their own materials that can be tailored as desired, rather than relying on what the Earth provides in its raw form. With advances in manufacturing technologies, interest has been revived in fabricated structures and composite materials that either mimic the behavior of known materials or possess new functions that do not occur in nature or may not be readily available there. The unique properties of these metamaterials arise from assembling microscopic and nanoscopic structures in unusual combinations. The underlying interest in these artificial materials lies in their potential to be engineered to have specific electromagnetic and optical properties for a variety of applications.

The design flexibility associated with metamaterials offers a promising approach to bridging the “terahertz gap.” In our research group, the strong localization and enhancement of fields in metamaterials are utilized to detect minute changes in the electromagnetic properties of samples, enabling the detection of, for example, DNA, proteins, or bacteria. Here, the structures are designed to exhibit the desired response precisely at the spectral “sweet spot” of the material of interest.

Another focus is on reconfigurable metamaterials, also known as metadevices. Metamaterials offer a wide range of possibilities for actively influencing the interaction with radiation, for example by modifying individual metamolecules or by varying their structural arrangement. This has opened up a wide range of new design possibilities for micromechanical systems (MEMS), for the use of electro-optical materials and liquid crystals, or for the manipulation of charge carrier density. Our primary focus is on the design of serialized 1D or 2D arrays for THz imaging.

The group covers the entire process chain —from development, concept, simulation, and optimization to prototyping and characterization—of metamaterials. With extensive expertise in THz and microfabrication technologies, we are specifically developing robust metadevices suitable for mass production for practical, everyday applications.