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LightningInAJar
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I was curious what meta materials can do or be used for? Particularly I was curious if they can mimic the properties of expensive and rare materials like rare earth metals which China has an advantage with.
Given the OP's posting history, one can make a pretty good guess to this. Further, since it assumes facts contrary to reality, that guess can be supported.DaveC426913 said:Have you read up on what meta materials are?
That's because it's a medium-rare earth element.Vanadium 50 said:Gadolimium costs as much per pound as a decent steak.
Well I'm pretty sure they are common materials that have been "textured" at the moleculer level in the range of smaller than wavelengths as that their properties are different? I just don't know in what ways other than in what ways besides maybe more reflective.DaveC426913 said:Have you read up on what meta materials are? What similarities are you thinking they might share with rare and expensive earth metals?
And are rare-earth elements naturally occurring?LightningInAJar said:"any material engineered to have a property that is not found in naturally occurring materials."
Well they aren't man made. China has a mining advantage over the US in extracting it, and I heard (likely on 60 minutes) that the process of getting them is toxic and expensive but we need them for many devices. In any event if metamaterials can't be used as a stand in I guess that settles that.Vanadium 50 said:And are rare-earth elements naturally occurring?
Metamaterials are artificially engineered materials designed to have properties that may not be found in naturally occurring materials. They are structured at a scale smaller than the wavelength of external stimuli, such as light, to achieve unique electromagnetic properties.
Yes, one of the most famous properties of metamaterials is their ability to exhibit a negative refractive index. This means that they can bend light in the opposite direction to that normally expected, which can lead to applications like superlenses and cloaking devices.
Metamaterials can exhibit a variety of electromagnetic properties, including negative permittivity, negative permeability, and negative refractive index. These properties allow them to manipulate electromagnetic waves in unconventional ways, such as focusing light beyond the diffraction limit or creating invisibility cloaks.
Yes, metamaterials can also be designed to control acoustic waves. These are known as acoustic metamaterials and can be used to create soundproofing materials, acoustic lenses, and devices that can steer sound waves around objects, effectively making them "invisible" to sound.
While still largely in the research and development phase, metamaterials hold promise for a wide range of practical applications. These include advanced imaging systems, cloaking devices, improved antennas, and even novel medical devices. Some commercial applications, such as improved wireless communication systems, are already beginning to emerge.