metamaterial
/ˌmɛtəˌməˈtɪəriəl/
Definition
An artificially engineered material structured at a microscopic level to exhibit electromagnetic properties not found in naturally occurring substances.
Etymology
The word is a hybrid construction derived from the Greek prefix 'meta-' (meaning beyond or after) and the Latin 'materia' (meaning substance or matter). It gained scientific prominence in the early 21st century to describe synthetic materials with properties 'beyond' those naturally available.
In the news
In this article, researchers used engineered metamaterials to create a radio-frequency device that modulates wave propagation to simulate ultrafast rotation. This allows them to study physical phenomena typically only found near rotating black holes.
A black hole theory comes to life in the lab
Read the full article ↗EurekAlert!