At its core, the EMLab is an electromagnetics research group that focuses on revolutionary electromagnetic technologies that are enabled by 3D printing. Our research explores innovative ways to fully exploit all of the new degrees of freedom offered by 3D printing and the third dimension. New freedoms include geometrically complex structures, three-dimensional structures, anisotropy, spatially-variant lattices, and more. Research also includes simulation, design, and manufacturing technologies that allow all of these freedoms to be fully exploited. The EMLab has delivered an impressive array of breakthroughs, world records, and first-ever achievements in electromagnetics.
Learning Resources for Electromagnetics:
- Electromagnetic Field Theory
- Microwave Engineering
- Antenna Engineering
- 21st Century Electromagnetics
- Engineering the Dispersion and Anisotropy of Periodic Electromagnetic Structures
Three-Dimensional Antennas
The new degrees of freedom offered by 3D printing are being explored to develop new types of antennas that operate closer to the fundamental limits than anything previous. Antenna research includes three-dimensional structures, antennas designed via optimizations and/or machine learning, antennas that make more efficient use of space, curved and conformal array antennas, electrically small antennas, all-dielectric antennas, and more.
Learning Resources for Three-Dimensional Antennas
- Ultra-Thin 3D Printed All-Dielectric Antenna
- Effects of Extreme Surface Roughness on 3D Printed Horn Antenna
Conformal Electromagnetic Arrays
Researchers in the EMLab have adapted their spatially-variant lattice algorithm to generate periodic structures over doubly-curved surfaces that preserve the size, shape, and spacing of the elements. This maintains the electromagnetic properties allowing planar periodic structures to be formed into any type of curved surface. Structures may include array antennas, frequency selective surfaces, metamaterials, metasurfaces, guided-mode resonance filters, and diffraction gratings.
Resources for Conformal Electromagnetic Arrays
- Spatially-Variant Periodic Structures in Electromagnetics
- Conformal Frequency Selective Surfaces for Arbitrary Curvature (pending review)
High Power Microwave Frequency Selective Surfaces
The EMLab demonstrated the world’s highest power microwave frequency selective surface, operating at over 2.0 gigawatts! The technology was based on guided-mode resonance in order to provide a strong filter response without using metals. A primary challenge the EMLab solved was to develop designs that only required a few periods instead of hundreds. At the same time, the EMLab developed all-dielectric frequency selective surfaces with record-breaking bandwidth. The all-dielectric design is adaptable to many other high-power applications including stealth, beam shaping, and antenna isolation.
Learning Resources for High-Power Microwave FSS
- All-Dielectric Frequency Selective Surfaces with Few Periods
- Guided-Mode Resonance Filter Compensated to Opedrate on a Curved Surface
- All-Dielectric Frequency Selective Surface for High Power Microwaves
- 3D Printed All-Dielectric Frequency Selective Surface with Large Bandwidth and Field-of-View
Want to work with the EMLab?
Get in touch and let’s see what we can do to work together?