Metamaterials Explained Simply and Visually

Steve Cummer, professor of electrical and computer engineering at Duke University, explains the concept of metamaterials using some simple illustrations.
Duke-developed “metamaterials” are carefully designed structures that control all sorts of energy waves in previously impossible ways. Our researchers are poised to make these devices a household name.
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[@John-ym9ht]

Brilliant! Thank God for guys like this that get the crayons out so that people like me can understand at least a wee bit.

[@MikeKleinsteuber]

That was probably the best description of how lenses work I've yet seen. Thanks

[@nickychimes4719]

Perfect... thanks...you have explained beautifully...so easily and efficiently digestible... communication at its finest

[@garytyme9384]

lol

[@MuhammadGulzari]

Very interesting explanation. Thanks to Professor Cummer and his research team at Duke.

[@nevis4567]

Fantastic explanation. Thank you for providing this for free. Served me well to help the understanding of Frank Wilcek's new book

[@CatchupWilliams]

Nicely done! This is a great level of science communications for a research university.

[@garytyme9384]

He should have researched a little more. He doesn't even know that these are called crests and troughs. A wave is what something does, not what something is!! Light is not a wave it is a transverse coaxial circuit - Duke Uni is obviously in the cult of bumping particles. Light also does not travel it sets up a pressure modality in the medium. Hence light is mediated.

[@PatrickAndrewsMacphee]

Quality explanation. Now...where can I buy sheets of this stuff to knock out neighbour noise?

[@brooklynsoundproofing]

You'll just have to stick to decoupling your structure to block out your neighbors.

[@John-ym9ht]

I need one that blocks the frequency of an incessant yappy little dog.

[@garytyme9384]

Not exactly. A wave is what something does, not what something is!! Light is not a wave it is a transverse coaxial circuit - Duke Uni is obviously in the cult of bumping particles. Light also does not travel it sets up a pressure modality in the medium.

[@timavery3912]

$MMAT (Metamaterials - metamaterial.com/) just joined NASDAQ, so you can now invest in their groundbreaking technologies. Not sure if they have those sheets available, at this moment, but it's in the future, along with some really cool tech (i.e. See-through windshields that are simultaneously 5G antennas, non-invasive glucose monitoring for diabetics, clear de-icing windshields, and, oh yeah... the potential for an invisibility cloak, just to name a few).

[@tonyocean8551]

Fantastic explanation! Understood after the first watch. Am I the only one, or that little dance move at 4:05 took the explanation to a whole new level.

[@wnderer4365]

i have to say the explanation was one of the most simple and amazing explanation i have ever watched

[@jamorgan1000]

This explanation answered a lot my questions. Perfect. So light and sound are merely octaves or degrees apart

[@yrussq]

Nope. Light is a wave and also a particle while the sound is a wave only.

[@Lexx0787]

Maybe it should be added here that metamaterials are not necessarily easier to construct (actually they are more complicated) comparing to, for example, glass lens. However, the biggest advantage are these new properties like wavefront shaping, going beyond the limits of ordinary lenses etc. And also, this is just one implementation of metamaterials, another one is related to size reduction of electromagnetic devices. And also, major disadvantage of passive metamaterials is their narrowband behavior. Most often, metamaterial device will work only at single operating frequency due to its resonant nature. There is no practical experiment with so called invisibility cloaks, and if it were, it would work only at one wavelength (in another words, it could make only one color invisible).

[@dreadone6894]

Doc: hey you new glasses came in Patient: great I can’t wait to see Doc: that will be $5000 please It’s not glass anymore...

[@Lauri-B]

Within a few years up scaled mass production will be able to cut the costs of such materials and largely affect the market and demand for metamaterials

[@er.shailendrasingh7731]

Very nice explanation in a very period of time.With this lecture i got the concept of plane lens. Thanks Prof.

[@CYQ776]

That is about the best explanation of basic meta materials as I have seen. Thank you!

[@joewebster903]

Why no examples of metamaterials ?

[@bjk7797]

Beautiful way of explaining metamaterials ,thanks

[@dharmverma7595]

Speed of light waves is slowing down to the same extent per unit of distance traversed through the glass both at the periphery as well as the center of the glass. However, in the case of convex lens inthe central part it is traveling for longer therefore resulting in more slowing than at the periphery where the glass is thinner.

[@angelorf]

Nice explanation, but what you are explaining is not metamaterials. You are only describing a very small subset of metamaterials. Perhaps you should rename the title of this video to "optical metamaterial explained."

[@challahsheen6667]

ya i went in hoping to learn more about the meta materials allegedly recovered by TTSA that are said to be from space

[@hamzao3359]

@@challahsheen6667 how would that work. A meta material is man-made how could it be from space?

[@thomastmc]

Could you create a lens with magnetic or electrical fields, or without "material", similar to gravitational lensing?

[@ramteja5]

I think we already have lenses which uses electric and magnetic fields that are used in SEM and TEM to focus the electrons.

[@girishgk395]

A perfect explanation. Thank you sir.

[@dvsdvsdvs329]

This should have way more many views

[@jodifrank4200]

What a simple and effective explanation! Thank you!

[@iramta5974]

Very well explained. Today what we need alot is such kind of explainations which can make one imagine things easily and profoundly. Thank you sir

[@pradyumnapatra1356]

Excellent clarity in subject, I loved it... 👍👍🙏🙏

[@PrometheusZandski]

Sorry, but telling me that metamaterials act differently than standard materials doesn't tell me what they are or how they work.

[@jeremyallen7442]

Couldn't you basically use mylar since it flexible. To create convex and covex and u can also fixate it to shapes in an array

[@cigskill101]

What is the atomic structure of the metamaterials used?

[@chet2201]

Electrogravitics to converge a Scalar wave for directional amplified energy.

[@OccultDemonCassette]

Do metamaterial optics require glass, or could the modern injection molded optics be used ?

[@YZManOne]

Can't we use cone shaped lens or crystal to focus the beeam?

[@danroberts2055]

metamaterials could also be used to filter various liquids and or radio waves. and if we think about it at the quantum level maybe even be a lens to another dimension. Spooky MetaMaterials!

[@泠然御風]

good idea, so difficult for pratical use, the idea has been there over 20 years? how ahout any practical lens on the market?

[@benwilms3942]

Why would convergence be explained only by slowing light at by different amounts. That doesn't explain change direction, it only creates situation where one would expect the light travelling through the thinnest point to continue to travel straight and simply arrive at its destination sooner.

[@anujarora0]

You did a great job

[@abc20723]

Superb Explanation

[@betterlifeexe4378]

seems to me like you could do all sorts of things if your manufacturing wasn't a limitation. think about random radiation pressure gradients sucked up by power antennas embedded in your wall or even clothing, exciting some electrons in a capacitor circuit or maybe tiny solid state battery. embedded layers of transformations of input fields generated by embedded emitters could act like ASIC's, FPGA might be more complicated and you might have to have a computer interface at some point, but still. can you imagine, you might one day buy a wall segment that acts as an extension to your gpu. some limitations apply, as architectures don't exist for this sort of thing. What would you call 3d solid state computing/thermal-photo-acoustical-electronics? Maybe multispectronics?

[@betterlifeexe4378]

I actually have some ideas about how to control the formation. it involves some of those ai controlled negative heat lasers though. think quick-set 3d printing on the atomic level. It would also have to be massively parallelized, And I have no idea how much energy would be involved yet.

[@subhachatterjee4597]

perfectly explained thank you :)

[@mrigankasthana4152]

sir, i have studied that the wavelength is distance between mean and trough or mean and the crest . please correct me , if i am wrong or wavelength can v defined either way?

[@Tyler_Lalonde-]

So a meta lens. Where titanium dioxide is use to focus the light. Slowing down the blue light to match up with the red light.

[@gwgwgwgw1854]

Thank you!

[@irfankanth368]

Brilliant !

[@junotliang1966]

very nice explanation

[@hughman6431]

strain some metasurfaces, play with relativity, receive magic.

[@yrussq]

Good explanation of the principle. But I'm not sure, i thought the metamaterial is a material that has redefined properties due to artificially redesinged structure. The key element is an altered structure while he didn't make it clear. Composites he is talking about here are not necessary metamaterials. I think the lens is a metamaterial, in some way it's one of the first metamaterials.

[@bjornf]

I'm inclined to partially agree. The best explanation for me was that meta means (outside or beyond) in greek so a metamaterial is in this context a material outside of our natural world. A lense of glass could by that definition be a meta material as it is refined by humans, unless you want to talk about gravitation lensing or light focused in a droplet of water. Now, I also agree with the metamaterial description that you can start using technology and create a lens (or any effect) by creating an almost lego-based material and in some kind of lattice adding whatever building blocks you need. That would often create end products/materials "outside what you'll find in nature", well unless your lattice is filled with only glass that makes up a lens. A fresnel lens could be a meta material, it's a flat version of the typical magnifying glass shows and also draws. I dont know, I've got lots of words I to this day struggle with. Plywood is even a meta material in this matter, a tree grows making directional wood, there's no version like plywood laminated creating a more uniformly strong sheet of wood, but unless you make a composite of more materials then the plywood is still mainly made out of wood and a little glue. I'm not trying to sound smart, it's just that definitions get fuzzy when context becomes too broad... or something. Now I'm thinking of brick walls as meta materals... I need to cut back on all this coffee.

[@StrugglingBeliever]

Wow that very interesting.... I wish i have University like Duke😢

[@ASTERisk44946]

PROGRAMMABLE METAL MATERIAL COOL

[@markbrzezinski8889]

Why not just use a Fresnel lens and create the same effect. Use segments that are smaller than can be defined by the human eye. If you want to get sexy you could make it from aspheric segments. If it has to be flat on both sides then just laminate it. Why use different segmented inducy materials when you can achieve the same with refraction.

[@Samng271]

Mark Brzezinski glass lens not effectively control radio wave which has frequency much lower than light. Huge big size and heavy. Meta material can create lens to bend radio wave with small size and lighter wave

[@goldbrick2563]

$MMAT (Metamaterials) stock price $4.70 as of november 2021.

[@victoryfirst2878]

The meta material that has surfaced is so unique that you will not reproduce it in a long time. When something has to be accurate on a nanoscale you need an alien to show you have to make the item from the start to finish. Most of the elements are on this earth the manufacturing part is the holy grail. I would bet you if I could make the metal I would never show mankind anything since the first thing they would do is weaponize the great achievement and pay you the inventor a dollar like Roosevelt did during WW2. Peace

[@TranNguyen-dk1mn]

Duke University, where Prof. David R. Smith, the pioneer in metamaterials, is working at.

[@kawpow9880]

Is anyone investing in MMAT ( metamaterials inc)? The shares are only 3 dollars right now. So I figured I'd take a chance and get a couple.

[@randyandamberthompson9972]

Right to left had me stuck.

[@seandton]

so in essence you could manufacture a type of optical camouflage?! i saw some of this that the Chinese were working on about 15 years ago and never kept up with it. So when can i order my first Predator suit?!?!?! META for the future!!!!!!

[@JapanShopBrazil]

GODAMN I'm Brazilian and I perfectly understood you, best explanation ever, more please! Currently I'm trying to study by myself the engineering of UFO propelling, magnectic ressonance plus metamaterials to lessen and shorten light speed peak. I overved this when I was 15 yo playing with a CD but teachers never cared, god it was in front of me the whole time! How could I be so dumb XD anyways...please come up with more updated exotic tech explanations....you have my support :D !!! I'd like to know about the engineering of the mini sun unlimited energy core that chinese invented, I want to understand it~! Also I think we can benefit from the magnectic ressonances to heal our cells using cellphones etc daily instead of harming ourselves, tru reverse engineering. It's a hint since I have no funds to do this by myself.

[@richardv9648]

i came here not to learn about on how to control light waves. i came here to learn how build an alien space ship.

[@laarakus9213]

crazy stuff

[@Coco_EC]

*I'LL TAKE YOUR ENTIRE STOCK*

[@themysteriousstranger5822]

We can do MUCH more with Meta Materials and what was described is arguably the least valuable use of those materials.

[@nicholasbiddle7893]

I guess a lens is a meta material! Huh..

[@marcelmcrae668]

you can turn invisible?!

[@028TuvaluanHero]

I got interested because of that Chinese Billionaire kid news.

[@libera9519]

That's a Magical Realism story

[@HallALujah]

new telescopes coming?

[@martinmalloy8119]

I m not a physicist, but I thought the speed of light was constant and can t be changed...?

[@jeevanrois2094]

Only in vacuum.

[@AltNationVideo]

hello Father

[@finddeniro]

Royal Commission. .1600s..

[@wyattnoise]

Why can’t we amplify/cancel out gravity waves?

[@dannypope1860]

Since gravity is a wave, meta-material science will eventually be able to create gravity based propulsion.

[@WILLZE]

Or it already has been created .

[@KT-en8pq]

Tic Tac - metamaterial - Dr. Sarfatti

[@dannypope1860]

@@WILLZE Yup! The UFOs figured this stuff out a long time ago for sure.

[@louishermann7676]

What kind of powerful wave processing, spectroscopy?

[@MARSHY-j1q]

Now all of you better invest in MMAT (Meta Materials) located in Canada and shares office space with Tesla. They just merged with Torchlight Holdings which was an oil and gas company and that's how they got their Nasdaq listing fresh on the market starting Monday June 28. Google the info for your own DD and I hope you will all take advantage of the opportunity.

[@SohilShah_Melodyman]

Very well explained, very informative. Thanks for sharing!

[@VikramReddyAnapana]

Wonderful

[@baldevsinghjadon1601]

I had a theory which suggests that why light bends when it go into a material with another refractive index and after watching this video I realises that this theory proven long time ago. And now,I m crying. Does it happens to you also? I mean that you created or thing something very innovative and came to know that that thing is created before?

[@NAIR-X]

everytime

[@nombreapellido3478]

Jacob Nikolajczyk

[@antonis7x]

Crystal clear and impressively simple, thank you!

[@diogitalk]

Funny name

[@waterfuel]

Can this hand held special lens allow people to see UP at shieded invisible ufos about to abduct them, in time so they can run away? I read that this happened before when someone saw one over a city building and piece of special glass was held up, so as he saw it leave the area.

[@TJDASHDASH]

Fatastic explanation! He is describing a LCD panel, I guess, but more advanced.

[@notanothercreativetechnologist]

For an explanation about new lens technologies, you could have closed up that aperture a bit and got Steve in focus. :p

[@DavidSmith-gb8em]

Their is a company that manufactures this material that’s going to be on the nasdaq soon. Metta materials

[@rohithamaz8767]

Sir , can you also please explain how can this help the mri imaging ...

[@pasxalisdoboudis2714]

Is'nt diffraction a big problem in this materials?

[@smartdoctorphysicist3095]

Hi very good I will still need money to get my Ph.D. you did a good job. Thank you

[@mrigankasthana4152]

and many thanks for such beautiful explanation sir

[@fahadp7454]

Thanks. But what is about granular meta materials?

[@debadritadas8392]

The explanation was so great! Thank you!

[@CYQ776]

This is the best explanation of the basics of metamaterials I have seen. Thanks, please cover Gluons next.

[@rabiulislamsikder344]

Perfect explanation. Great.....

[@TheCareerpedia]

thx

[@smbhatti5445]

Great explanation 👍🏻

[@betterlifeexe4378]

such a great way to teach

[@zinavejzovic9247]

very good explained, thank you

[@louisbifano142]

Excellent

[@armaan1510]

How were you drawing on an "invisible" whiteboard ?

[@JustinJaybrown]

X Gamer 55 it’s glass

[@YongfanMen]

justin brown There must be some lighting on the glass so that the drawings are very bright, correct? Is it a typical teaching instrument in the US’ universities? Is there a link for that set up? Thanks