Local students discover metamaterials and nanotechnology
Students from King Edward VI School found out how metamaterials unlock novel possibilities during a visit to the Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC) which culminated in live nanofabrication of their school logo on human hair.
The ORC's Nanophotonics and Metamaterials group hosted the group of 38 six-form students this week as one in a series of outreach events designed and organised by the Centre for Photonic Metamaterials to widen awareness and participation of students in engineering and science subjects.
Dr Eric Plum, Lecturer at the Centre for Photonic Metamaterials, organising the visit, said: âHosting such a group of bright and curious students who are about to choose a career is a great opportunity to inspire them to choose science. This has become particularly important as Brexit will make it more difficult to compensate for the shortage of British researchers by recruiting the best people from elsewhere.â?
The students learned how the ability to control every property of light with metamaterials in unprecedented ways opens up opportunities for imaging, data storage, communications and information processing. They visited the Universityâs state-of-the-art cleanrooms to find out about nanofabrication from metamaterials and nanoelectronics to optical fibre technology.
Dr Helen Dean, Physics Teacher, King Edward VI School commented: âThe students were very impressed with what they saw and thought the etching of the School Crest into a hair was âvery cool.ââ?
Find out more about the Centre for Photonic Metamaterials.
Learn more about outreach activities at the University of Southampton.