A team of researchers have tested a variety of compact devices made of rectangular metal tubes with different sized openings to redirect electromagnetic waves with close to 100% efficiency. Through simulations, the researchers have demonstrated how a light beam can be steered, and power splitters can be used to control terahertz waves.
The researchers describe their work using the following example, “if we shine a torch on a wall in which we have made a hole, experience tells us that the bigger the hole is, the greater the amount of light that will pass through to the other side. However, if we fill the hole with an ENZ metamaterial, something that appears to defy logic happens: the smaller the hole is, the greater the amount of light that passes through.” This new technique could be used in security, biomedical engineering, and space applications.
Read more about the devices used to redirect electromagnetic waves.