Spatiotemporal multiphysics metamaterials with continuously adjustable functions

Abstract

Emerging multiphysics metamaterials offer an exciting opportunity to regulate complex physical processes. However, their functionality and tunability are limited by two severe constraints. Firstly, multiphysics functionality is fixed once structures and materials are prepared, meaning that only one functionality is available for each physical field. Secondly, continuous tunability is challenging to achieve in multiphysics fields because parameters are hard to change on demand. To overcome these limitations, we propose the concept of spatiotemporal multiphysics metamaterials, which takes into account the temporal dimension. The spatiotemporal feature enables multiple functions for each physical field and their continuous switching. We develop rotatable checkerboard structures with different rotation times, material composition, and geometric shapes that allow for flexible thermal and electric function switching between cloaking, sensing, and concentrating. Real-time thermal and electric functions have been theoretically predicted and confirmed by simulations. These results offer a promising spatiotemporal platform for realizing adaptive and intelligent multiphysics field manipulation.