Last summer, I won the Young Scientist Award at the 16th International Congress on Artificial Materials for Novel Wave Phenomena – Metamaterials 2022.
The conference
METAMATERIALS conference is a prestigious event, bringing together scientists from academia and industry to present leading-edge research on the advancements in Electromagnetic Applications and Telecommunications. METAMATERIALS 2022 was a 4-day Conference (12–15 September) at the University of Siena, Italy. It attracted almost 300 participants from the engineering, physics, applied mathematics, and material science communities working on artificial materials to exchange fresh ideas and present the latest achievements. The conference includes 4 plenary speakers, 173 oral presentations, and 87 posters from 30 countries!
I presented the results of my PhD project entitled “100% Deformable and Reversible Active Metasurface for Visible Frequency” at this conference. The scientific committee of the conference recognised my research as one which has a high impact on this research field, and I received the Young Scientist Award at this event. The aim of this award is to acknowledge young researchers for their notable and outstanding contributions to the field of flexible metamaterials.
My project
My project focuses on flexible metamaterials which are being used to control the interaction of electromagnetic waves and nanostructures. The limited operational range of the current stretchable structures ( < 30%) has restricted the practical applications of flexible metamaterials.
In this multidisciplinary project which is supervised by Dr. Mehdi Keshavarz Hedayati and Prof. Dagou Zeze, I have shown that the amendment of the current designs can transform the level of stretchability of conventional metasurfaces up to 100%. This is the first time a metasurface has been reported with such a high level of flexibility. I am also using artificial intelligence to improve the structure’s performance and propose the most efficient design. Such new geometries could pave the way for flexible electrical and optical devices to be used in the form of clothing, the human body, skin attachment, or implanted devices in the close future.
This prestigious award has both inspired and challenged me to do more for society. It tells me that people are watching all that we do in this life, so we always have to put our best foot forward and think about how to become better people in society. I should also mention that without the support of my knowledgeable supervisors, my wife, and my colleagues, I couldn’t achieve this achievement.
Great opportunities
There is no doubt that Durham University has provided me with so many amazing opportunities. Joining this university means being part of a professional family that guides you toward your goals. As a researcher who has experienced both academia and industry, I would say that nothing more than teaching and research can satisfy me and in my current position, I am seeking a more challenging and professional atmosphere. My long-term goal is to run parallel interdisciplinary research to bridge the gap between lab research and practical applications.
Discover more
Our Department of Engineering offers a wide range of Engineering pathways, is recognised as one of the leading centres of research in Engineering in the world and is ranked 5th in the UK in The Guardian University Guide 2022. Students benefit from excellent employment opportunities as well as interdisciplinary research and national and international cooperation.
Feeling inspired? Visit our Engineering webpages to learn more about our postgraduate and undergraduate programmes.
