Find this out... (in Contests)

First person to accurately describe a left-handed material (metamaterial) and how you make one wins 25k :P

Visual aids will be cool too if u want

In general, materials have two parameters, permeability and permittivity, that determine how the material will interact with electromagnetic radiation, which includes light, microwaves, radio waves, even x-rays. A Left-Handed material is a material whose permeability and permittivity are simultaneously negative. Our material is a structure composed of copper elements, some in the shape of rings, some ordinary wires, that causes microwaves to behave in a manner that is unusual.



Physics allows us to predict how electromagnetic radiation will interact with a material. By combining different materials, or materials structured in different patterns, engineers can create structures to control light (or EM radiation).



This is, for example, the basis of 'photonic band gap' materials. In our case, we have created a material that, in a certain band of frequencies, behaves in a manner that can be simply described as Left-Handed.

What are some applications for this material?

We can't anticipate specific examples, yet. We believe that when one creates a new material that scatters electromagnetic radiation in a unique manner, some useful purpose will be found. We can envision, for example, uses in the cellular communications industry, where novel filters, antennas, and other electromagnetic devices are of great importance. Even slight improvements to these devices can make a significant financial impact. As our research progresses, we will look for areas suited to this technology and develop appropriate structures.


What was the basis for this work?

Recent developments by Professor John Pendry, who has reexamined metal structures, led us to the current discovery. Pendry has shown that certain configurations of metal can have a unique response to electric fields, while other configurations of metal can have a unique response to magnetic fields. The latter discovery is rather surprising, since no magnetic elements are needed only conductors. This effective magnetic material has the further property that it can have a negative permeability, something not observed in ordinary materials, especially at microwave and higher frequencies. As this is the first time a clean negative permeability substance has been found, this is naturally the first chance that a left-handed medium, simultaneously negative permeability and permittivity, could be created.

yeah i kinda guessed it was cut and pasted lol

Ok my initial question was a bit vague so to clarify:

Why are they called left-handed?

What can these materials be used for?

What fundamental laws or trends are changed when a RH material becomes LH?

*p.s. This isn't for my work, I already have had to read too many papers on this whack for my project and I'm just wondering what peeps can come up with? It'd be good if you could write it yourself, coz Ctrl-C, Ctrl-V is a bit too easy :P

1) These materials are called "left-handed" because a wave appears to propagate backward in it (the fields E and H make a left-handed triplet with the propagation vector).

2) Materials can therefore be used to guide or manipulate electromagnetic waves–in the way a glass lens can focus light. But the available electromagnetic response from naturally occurring materials is limited; for example, there are no known materials with a negative index-of refraction. Artificial constructed metamaterials, however, are not subject to the same limitations as real materials, and can be used to extend material response.

3) I already answered that

I provided a pic.

If i win, plz send to Geralt. TY

~Leon

Google ruins contests.

I'll try this.

ahem..
(If i even think this is what you mean)

1) They are called left-handed because people who use their left hand or are more controlled with their left hand use it.

2) Ya ok i have no clue what i'm saying here :p

ya well done leon, almost right but noone else bothered so I guess u win :(

maybe a more pop contest next time... hmm

Sorry but the pic doesn't really mean anything, try searching for Split Ring Resonators (SRRs) and you might find some stuff.

1, These materials are called left-handed because they reverse the right hand rule like u said, because of their similtaneous negative permittivity and permeability.

2, These materials can be used for (the field is relatively new since 2001 so noone really knows) microwave filters and the like. Their special properties allow them to become highly efficient band-pass or band-stop filters concentrating on a very small bandwidth. A good analogy would be that if they were used in a loud classroom, all other noise could be removed apart from a ticking clock. (only applied to frequencies not different sounds). :p

3, If the whole world was made to be left handed, everything would be weird. If you know what the Doppler effect is (an ambulance moving toward you has a quicker siren than when its going away), that would be reversed so it would go weeeee......awwwww......weeeee......awwwww coming towards u then, wee..aww..wee..aww..wee..aww (much quicker) when going away. Crazy! Snell's law of refraction is also reversed and wave propagation is too.

Have fun trying to read my crazed ramblings!