Metamaterials for electromagnetic and thermal waves

In the last decade, electromagnetic metamaterials, thanks to their exotic properties and the possibility to control electromagnetic waves at will, become crucial building blocks to develop new and advanced technologies in several practical applications. Even though until now the metamaterial concept has been mostly associated with electromagnetism and optics; the same concepts can be also applied to other wave phenomena, such as thermodynamics. For this reason, here the aim is to realize a multi-functional metamaterial able to control and manipulate simultaneously both electromagnetic and thermal waves. The structure is, first, designed and fabricated by using additive manufacturing techniques. Then, it is tested for the following industrial applications: sensing and medical diagnostics (optical and thermal imaging), military/safety (electromagnetic and thermal guiding structures) and automotive (electrical vehicles battery electric and thermal management). Experimental results reveal that such multifunctional metamaterial can fully manipulate and process both electromagnetic and thermal waves at will. The proposed structure appears to be highly versatile and scalable, with great potential to be used also for other wave phenomena such as mechanics, acoustics and hydrodynamics.