Dr Alexander Powell - Exeter University

Research Fellowships 2020

Dr Alex Powell’s Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellowship focuses on creating metamaterials, materials whose unusual properties arise because of the subwavelength control of their physical structure that can be used to control the electromagnetic behaviour of objects. This property can be utilised for enhancing long-range detection and identification, sensing, and communications. His work at the University of Exeter includes the design of small, ‘superscatterers’ which interact very strongly with incident radiation compared to their size, making small object appear bright to radar. The designs for these come from both metamaterial physics and from mimicking structures found in nature.

Arrays of scatterers can also be programmed to create a specific, desired electromagnetic response, and part of his work has been to experimentally realise custom arrays of scattering elements to transform the reflection profile of a small object, or the behaviour of a small antenna.

Finally, he is combining electromagnetic and mechanical shape-morphing metamaterials to create structures with new behaviours and easily reconfigurable electromagnetic responses. These can be used to transform radar signatures or help with signal coverage in telecommunications networks.

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