A breakthrough software package developed by Macquarie University researchers can precisely model how waves interact with complex configurations of particles. This advancement will revolutionize the rapid design of metamaterials, which are artificial materials used to manipulate waves.
The research, published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society A on 19 Jun 2024, showcased the effectiveness of TMATSOLVER, a multipole-based tool that accurately models interactions between waves and particles of various shapes and properties.
TMATSOLVER allows for the simulation of arrangements of up to several hundred scatterers, even when they possess complex shapes, making it a highly versatile software. Lead author Dr. Stuart Hawkins from Macquarie University’s Department of Mathematics and Statistics highlighted that the software utilizes the transition matrix (T-matrix) to fully describe how a certain object scatters waves.
“The T-matrix has been used since the 1960s, but we’ve made a big step forward in accurately computing the T-matrix for particles much larger than the wavelength and with complex shapes,” says Dr Hawkins. “Using TMATSOLVER, we have been able to model configurations of particles that could previously not be addressed.”
“It was fantastic to work on this project and incorporate the TMATSOLVER software into my research on metamaterials,” says Dr Luke Bennetts, a researcher at the University of Adelaide and co-author of the article. “It meant I could avoid the bottleneck of producing numerical computations to test metamaterial theories and allowed me to easily generalize my test cases to far more complicated geometries.”
The software’s capabilities were showcased by the researchers through four example problems in metamaterial design. These problems encompass arrays of anisotropic particles, high-contrast square particles, and tuneable periodic structures that effectively slow down waves.
Metamaterials are uniquely designed to interact with electromagnetic, sound, or other waves by exerting control over the size, shape, and arrangement of their nanoscale structures, thus possessing properties not found in nature.
The innovative possibilities of metamaterial research are boundless, from super-lenses that allow us to view objects at the molecular scale to invisibility cloaks capable of refracting all visible light.
Additionally, the development of the TMATSOLVER tool promises to propel research and development in the global metamaterials market, enabling precise wave control and accelerating technological advancement.
“We have shown that our software can compute the T-matrix for a very wide range of particles, using the techniques most appropriate for the type of particle,” Dr Hawkins says. “This will enable rapid prototyping and validation of new metamaterial designs.”
Professor Lucy Marshall, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering at Macquarie University, says the software could accelerate new breakthroughs.
“This research represents a big leap forward in our ability to design and simulate complex metamaterials and is a prime example of how innovative computational methods can drive advancements in materials science and engineering,” says Professor Marshall.
Journal reference:
- Stuart C. Hawkins, Luke G. Bennetts, Matthew A. Nethercote, Malte A. Peter, Daniel Peterseim, Henry J. Putley and Barbara Verfürth. Metamaterial applications of Tmatsolver, an easy-to-use software for simulating multiple wave scattering in two dimensions. Proceedings of the Royal Society A, 2024; DOI: 10.1098/rspa.2023.0934