Wheatstone Lecture 2026 - Sir John Pendry - Metamaterials open new horizons in electromagnetism

Описание: Regarded as the founder of the metamaterials field, Sir John Pendry, Chair in Theoretical Solid State Physics at Imperial College London, will explain how metamaterials are revolutionising our understanding of electromagnetism by enabling properties and effects never before seen in nature.

The lecture will explore the extraordinary innovations in metamaterials and their potential to reshape the future of science and technology.

Metamaterials open new horizons in electromagnetism
In recent years, the ability to design and fabricate materials with entirely new electromagnetic properties has given rise to the exciting field of metamaterials. Known as metamaterials because they take us beyond the properties of conventional materials, they display remarkable effects not found in nature, such as negative refraction.

Spurred on by these new opportunities, theorists have produced exotic concepts that exploit the new materials: we can now specify how to make a lens whose resolution is limited not by the laws of nature but only by our ability to build to the stated specifications. We can guide radiation along a trajectory, avoiding objects and causing them to appear invisible. We can design and manufacture materials that are active magnetically in the optical range.

There has been a truly amazing amount of innovation but more is yet to come. The field of metamaterials is developing into a highly disruptive technology for a plethora of applications where control over light (or more generally electromagnetic radiation) is crucial for example in 5G/6G technology, satellite communications, solar energy harvesting, stealth, biological imaging and sensing, and enhanced MRI scanners.

The lecture will conclude with a look at cutting-edge research into space-time crystals, materials structured in both space and time that break time-reversal symmetry. These developments not only offer possibilities for new devices but also raise fascinating theoretical possibilities, such as simulating Hawking radiation in laboratory settings.
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About the Wheatstone Lecture

Hosted since 2013, Wheatstone Lecture is the flagship lecture series for the the Department of Physics. The event brings together distinguished academics, allowing them to delve into pivotal research topics within their respective fields.

Sir Charles Wheatstone FRS (1802-75) was Professor of Experimental Philosophy at King's and was the first Professor in the Department from 1834 until he died in 1875. Polymath and self-taught son of a London-based musical instrument maker, Wheatstone conducted early experiments into acoustics and the transmission of sound. His greatest achievement was the development of the electric telegraph, which revolutionised communications in the 19th century.