Special issue

Abstract

This Special Issue is devoted to recent developments in the field of artificial materials and their applications, ranging from compositions and structures, such as the orientation, arrangement, geometry, size, and shape, to smart properties, including the manipulation of electromagnetic waves by blocking, absorbing, enhancing, or bending waves. Over the past 20 years, techniques for producing nanostructures have matured, resulting in a wide range of ground-breaking solutions able to control light and heat on very small scales. Some areas of advancement that have contributed to these techniques are photonic crystals, nanolithography, plasmonic phenomena, and nanoparticle manipulation. From these advances, a new branch of novel material science has emerged—metamaterials. Metamaterials have recently been embedding novel quantum materials such as graphene, dielectric nanostructures, and, as metasurfaces, surface geometries and surface waves, while also embracing new functionalities such as nonlinearity, quantum gain, and strong light-matter coupling. The Special Issue hopes to provide a unique topical opportunity for engineers, students, researchers, and professionals from academia and industries alike to present their research results, breakthrough innovations, discoveries, path-breaking ideas, experiences, and products displayed at an international platform.