Terminal-Matched Topological Photonic Substrate-Integrated Waveguides and Antennas for Microwave Systems.

In engineered photonic lattices, topological photonic (TP) modes present a promising avenue for designing waveguides with suppressed backscattering. However, the integration of the TP modes in electromagnetic systems has faced longstanding challenges. The primary obstacle is the insufficient development of high-efficiency coupling technologies between the TP modes and the conventional transmission modes.

Real-data-driven real-time reconfigurable microwave reflective surface.

Manipulating the electromagnetic (EM) scattering behavior from an arbitrary surface dynamically on arbitrary design goals is an ultimate ambition for many EM stealth and communication problems, yet it is nearly impossible to accomplish with conventional analysis and optimization techniques. Here we present a reconfigurable conformal metasurface prototype as well as a workflow that enables it to respond to multiple design targets on the reflection pattern with extremely low on-site computing power and time. The metasurface is driven by a sequential tandem neural network which is pre-trained using actual experimental data, avoiding any possible errors that may arise from calculation, simulation, or manufacturing tolerances.

A new synthesis method for complex electric field patterning using a multichannel dense array system with applications in low-intensity noninvasive neuromodulation.

Multichannel coil array systems offer precise spatiotemporal electronic steering and patterning of electric and magnetic fields without the physical movement of coils or magnets. This capability could potentially benefit a wide range of biomagnetic applications such as low-intensity noninvasive neuromodulation or magnetic drug delivery. In this regard, the objective of this work is to develop a unique synthesis method, that enabled by a multichannel dense array system, generates complex current pattern distributions not previously reported in the literature.

Topological Flat Bands in Self-Complementary Plasmonic Metasurfaces.

Photonics can be confined in real space with dispersion vanishing in the momentum space due to destructive interference. In this Letter, we report the experimental realization of flat bands with nontrivial topology in a self-complementary plasmonic metasurface. The band diagram and compact localized states are measured.

Limitations on electromagnetic communication by vibrational resonances in biological systems.

Previous research in biology and physics speculates that high-frequency electromagnetic fields may be an unexplored method of cellular and subcellular communication. The predominant theory for generating electric fields in the cell is mechanical vibration of charged or polar biomolecules such as cell membranes or microtubules. The challenge to this theory is explaining how high-frequency vibrations would not be overdamped by surrounding biological media.

Spin-momentum locked modes on anti-phase boundaries in photonic crystals.

An anti-phase boundary is formed by shifting a portion of photonic crystal lattice along the direction of periodicity. A spinning magnetic dipole is applied to excite edge modes on the anti-phase boundary. We show the unidirectional propagation of the edge modes which is also known as spin-momentum locking.

Simulation of electric fields generated from microtubule vibrations.

Microtubules are tubular proteins that form part of the cytoskeleton in eukaryotic cells. Because of their unique mechanical properties, many studies have theorized microtubules could show high-frequency mechanical vibrations. Others have further suggested these vibrations of the electrically polar microtubules could be a source of electric fields inside the cell that could serve some biological function, such as a role in organizing mitosis or also possibly in cell-to-cell communication.

Guiding Waves Along an Infinitesimal Line between Impedance Surfaces.

We present a new electromagnetic mode that forms at the interface between two planar surfaces laid side by side in free space, effectively guiding energy along an infinitesimal, one-dimensional line. It is shown that this mode occurs when the boundaries have complementary surface impedances, and it is possible to control the mode confinement by altering their values correspondingly. The mode exhibits singular field enhancement, broad bandwidth, direction-dependent polarization, and robustness to certain defects.

Responses of Waveform-Selective Absorbing Metasurfaces to Oblique Waves at the Same Frequency.

Conventional materials vary their electromagnetic properties in response to the frequency of an incoming wave, but these responses generally remain unchanged at the same frequency unless nonlinearity is involved. Waveform-selective metasurfaces, recently developed by integrating several circuit elements with planar subwavelength periodic structures, allowed us to distinguish different waves even at the same frequency depending on how long the waves continued, namely, on their pulse widths. These materials were thus expected to give us an additional degree of freedom to control electromagnetic waves.

Waveform selectivity at the same frequency.

Electromagnetic properties depend on the composition of materials, i.e. either angstrom scales of molecules or, for metamaterials, subwavelength periodic structures.

Waveform-dependent absorbing metasurfaces.

We present the first use of a waveform-dependent absorbing metasurface for high-power pulsed surface currents. The new type of nonlinear metasurface, composed of circuit elements including diodes, is capable of storing high-power pulse energy to dissipate it between pulses, while allowing propagation of small signals. Interestingly, the absorbing performance varies for high-power pulses but not for high-power continuous waves (CW's), since the capacitors used are fully charged up.