Table 4 A summary of reported mechanical metamaterial devices for applications related to information processing, along with their key advantages

From: Mechanical metamaterials and beyond

 

Category

Characteristics

Potential applications

Advantages

Ref.

Logic gates

Resonant clock network

Wave-based

Designed with an infinite-wavelength zeroth-order resonance mode and utilizes the ultralow Joule loss of superconductors at microwave frequencies

Scaling the power distribution network in superconductor digital circuits to CMOS levels of integration

Metamaterial resonant clock network for energy-efficient power delivery to large superconducting digital systems

208

Terahertz (THz) metamaterials

Programmable THz metamaterials with cut-wire resonator (CWR) sandwiched two face-to-face split-ring resonators.

Stable polarization switch

Coding digits can be switched by changing the vertical distance of the CWR

209

Terahertz (THz) metamaterials

MEMS-based metadevices based on switchable winding-shaped cantilever metamaterial for active logical modulation

Enlarging the operating frequency range, which provides various possibilities in multifunctional switching, active logical modulating, and optical computing applications

Better optical switching performance, realizing a high-efficient optical switch and programmable devices

210

Boolean mechanical logic

Mechanical-based

Performing Boolean logic operation based on the buckling response of 3D unit cells

Complementing the semiconductor electronics for operation in harsh environments (e.g., high radiation fields in nuclear reactors and hot cell laboratories)

Mechanical logic devices to perform various functions (e.g., Boolean logic, sensing or actuating)

23,160,211

Surface plasmon polaritons

Mechanical-based

Coding and programmable designer plasmon polaritons by an ultrathin corrugated metallic strip loaded with active devices and a digital system

Switching polaritons in real time using a single prototype and the digital control system

Digital-analog functions of logical gates based on 1-bit coding, digital phase shifters based on 2-bit coding, and slow waves based on 4-bit coding

212

Computing

Mathematical operations

Wave-based

Metamaterial blocks to perform mathematical operations by propagating an impinging wave through these blocks

Direct, ultrafast, wave-based analog computation, equation solving, and signal processing at the hardware level

Wave-based computing systems significantly thinner than conventional lens-based optical signal and data processors

213

Image processing

Computational imaging

Low-profile aperture for microwave imaging without lenses, moving parts or phase shifters

Combing computational imaging approach with custom aperture hardware to perform compression in the physical layer

Extending the microwave and millimeter-wave imaging capabilities by the small form factor and lack of moving parts

214

Data processing

Data memory

Electromagnetic-based

Tileable mechanical metamaterial with stable memory at the unit-cell level by arraying physical binary elements (m-bits) with clearly delineated writing and reading phases

Stable memory and on-demand programmability of mechanical properties

Distinctly different mechanical response that is fully elastic and can be reversibly cycled

128