Looking for a PhD in metamaterials?
Claire Dancer and Alastair Hibbins, joint leads of the UK Metamaterials Network (UKMMN) explain the commercial potential of metamaterials.
Centre for Metamaterial Research and Innovation
Novel solutions for today's technological problems; new science for tomorrow's challenges.
The CMRI is a community of academic, industrial, and governmental partners that harnesses research excellence from theory to application, and enables simulation, measurement, and fabrication of metamaterials and metamaterial-based devices.
Our breadth is our strength: we are uniquely positioned to solve multi-faceted research questions and industry challenges. Our academic expertise spans electromagnetism (from visible and infra-red through to THz and microwave), acoustics and fluidics. The materials we work with have wide application, e.g. imaging, sensing and spectroscopy, acoustic and RF signature reduction, energy storage and harvesting.
A metamaterial is a 3D structure with a response or function due to collective effects of their building blocks (or meta-atoms) that is not possible to achieve conventionally with any individual constituent material (UKMMN definition 2025).
The response/function of a metamaterial results from the ensemble effects of designed and engineered meta-atom elements. These can take many forms. The response or function may be electromagnetic (photonic, RF & microwave, THz etc), acoustic (audio, ultrasonic, vibrational), magnetic, mechanical/structural, thermal, or chemical.
A metasurface is a 2D version of a metamaterial where the structural elements are confined to a 2D plane.
We believe that excellence in research and impactful science comes from great collaboration and networking. Our long-standing experience in working with industrial partners in ICT, energy, healthcare, and defence & security sectors enables us to provide fit-for-purpose collaborations, adjusted to the needs of a variety of businesses, from SMEs to large companies.
We work with national and international academic and industry partners, through research projects, PhD studentships, and consultancy.
Contact us: metamaterials@exeter.ac.uk
Leadership team: Prof Alastair P Hibbins (Director) and Prof C David Wright (Co-Director for Technology and Applications).