All‐Dielectric Self‐Adaptive Electromagnetic Metamaterials Under Mechanical Deformation

ABSTRACT Electromagnetic metamaterials can regulate the propagation behavior of electromagnetic waves through the distribution of effective refractive indices. Two kinds of self‐adaptive electromagnetic metamaterials whose electromagnetic properties can be changed automatically under mechanical deformation are designed in this research. When the two kinds of metamaterials undergo bending or shear deformation, respectively, electromagnetic waves propagating in them will also propagate in a bent or sheared path, respectively. The metamaterials are designed to be a combination of an effective electromagnetic medium, which is realized using dielectric arrays, and a mechanical structure, which is realized using a mechanical metamaterial or a link mechanism. The self‐adaptive conditions of the two kinds of metamaterials are derived based on transformation optics theory, and the structural parameters of the metamaterials are determined with the help of computer simulation. The self‐adaptivity of the metamaterials is verified through full wave simulation. The self‐adaptive metamaterials designed in this study are passive with no need for external sensors or power source, and the non‐resonant feature of the metamaterial structures enables a broad band operating frequency. This research may be helpful for the future applications of metamaterials in complex environments.