Multiscale Quasiperiodic Metamaterials

Extrusion-based 3D printing is an extremely versatile technique that enables the introduction of new functional, advanced and 2D materials with high added value and limited availability into an additive manufacturing process to create on demand structures and devices.[1-4] It enables intricate parts for very specific applications to be created when a low number of parts are required, which would not be viable or affordable to make by other means. The potential of this technique is not fully developed and its application is for now limited to lab-scale manufacturing. The end goal of this project is to expand its applications, exploring new fields that require intricate 3D shapes. In particular, this multi-disciplinary project aims to fabricate multi-scale metamaterials with novel quasicrystalline structures, such as Fibonacci Square or Cubic Grids [5], using additive manufacturing (AM) techniques and to explore these metamaterials for an application in wave propagation.

The project involves fabricating quasicrystalline metamaterials at multiple scale lengths (microns to mm) using 3-d printing methodologies and investigating the propagation of photons through these materials, seeking for possible applications in photonics. This will be an experimental PhD that will start with the study of the most suitable manufacturing techniques available, the design of complex structures for wave propagation (i.e. quasicrystals REF) and materials selection (Yr1). The second stage will deal with manufacturing (Yr2), characterization and testing (Yr3).

Qualifications: A 2:1 or higher degree or equivalent in Materials Science, Physics, Chemistry or Engineering, with a strong interest in Materials Science and Manufacturing. The candidate will be expected to have previous experimental expertise and a background in Materials is highly desirable.
The studentship, jointly funded between the School of Engineering (50%) and the School of Physical Sciences (50%), will be supervised by Dr Esther García-Tuñón (MIF Lecturer in Materials Science and Engineering affiliated to the School of Engineering) and co-supervised by Prof Ronan McGrath and Dr Hem Raj Sharma in the Physics Department, School of Physical Sciences.