Metamaterials at the University of Southampton and beyond

Abstract

At the University of Southampton, research on metamaterials started in 2000 with a paper describing a metallic microstructure, comprising an ensemble of fully metallic 'molecules'. In the years since then, metamaterials have evolved from an approach for designing unusual electromagnetic properties by structuring matter at the sub-wavelength scale to become a universal paradigm for active functional media with optical properties on demand at any given point in time and space. Metamaterials are now recognized as a promising enabling technology and one of the most buoyant and exciting research disciplines at the crossroads between photonics and nanoscience. Many 'made in Southampton' concepts have influenced the global research community, and we are now working in collaboration with our sister research centre in Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. In this article, I provide a historical overview of the metamaterials research field, from early studies to recent developments through the lens of the Southampton group, and discuss promising future directions.