Dynamic Metasurfaces: From Tunability to Parametric Modulation
Abstract
Metasurfaces are planar analogues of metamaterials, they are artificially engineered media composed of subwavelength structural elements. Their constituent meta-atoms, through carefully tailored geometry, arrangement, and collective interactions, enable precise control of electromagnetic waves and give rise to properties not found in natural materials. The dynamic tuning of metamaterials has become a rapidly growing area of research, holding promise as the next breakthrough in their evolution. Dynamic metasurfaces, whose properties vary in time, are often referred to as time-varying or parametric metasurfaces. They offer unique opportunities to overcome fundamental limitations in electromagnetics and to realise effects unattainable with conventional materials, such as magnetic-field-free nonreciprocity. With sufficiently high modulation speeds, complete control of light in both space and time becomes achievable.
In this talk, I will present my research on dynamic metasurfaces, focusing on recent theoretical and experimental advances in parametric metasurfaces based on split-ring resonators integrated with varactor diodes. These metasurfaces exhibit amplification and frequency upconversion in the microwave range, offering a promising pathway toward high-frequency applications enabled by ultrafast modulation. I will also highlight the potential of tunable metasurfaces utilising phase-change materials such as vanadium dioxide and micro-electro-mechanical systems for applications including terahertz bolometric detection, modulators, and spectrally tunable band-pass filters for infrared imaging and sensing. Finally, I will briefly discuss the use of metasurface filters in biomedical fibre-optic imaging.
Date and Time
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- University of Technology Sydney
- Room CB11.06.408
- Sydney - Ultimo, New South Wales
- Australia 2007
- Building: Building 11
- Starts 27 October 2025 01:00 AM UTC
- Ends 07 November 2025 01:00 AM UTC
- No Admission Charge
Speakers
Fedor Kovalev
Biography:
Fedor Kovalev is a PhD candidate at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Transformative MetaOptical Systems (TMOS), Research School of Physics, the Australian National University. His
research focuses on dynamic metasurfaces for parametric amplification and frequency
conversion, hyperspectral imaging, bolometric detection, and biomedical fibre-optic imaging and
sensing.
Fedor Kovalev earned a Master's degree in Physics from the National University of Science and
Technology MISIS in 2020. Since obtaining an Engineer's degree in Radiophysics and
Electronics from the National Research University MPEI in 2013, he has been actively involved
in a range of scientific and technical projects across both industry and academia.
As an engineer, he developed devices such as filters, diplexers, splitters, and couplers for
microwave communication systems. In the two years preceding his PhD studies, Fedor Kovalev
worked on the preliminary design of ground terminals for satellite communication, gaining
extensive experience in link budget analysis and transceiver system design.