A team of engineers led by researchers from the University of Glasgow have created a new “metamaterial” which could lead to improved satellite communication, high-speed data transmission, and remote sensing.

The team have developed an ultrathin 2D surface which harnesses the unique properties of metamaterials to manipulate and convert radio waves across the frequencies most commonly used by satellites.

Metamaterials are structures which have been carefully engineered to imbue them with properties that don’t exist in naturally-occurring materials.

The team’s metamaterial, which has been unveiled today in a new paper in the academic journal Communications Engineering, could allow future generations of 6G satellites to carry more data, improve their remote sensing ability, and benefit from improved signal quality.

The device, which is just 0.64mm thick, is made from tiny cells of geometrically-patterned copper and is laid over a commercial circuit board commonly used in high-frequency communications. Further, the device is both cheap and easily manufacturable.

“This is an exciting development, which outperforms previously-developed technologies by a significant margin,” said Dr Humayun Zubair Khan, first author of the academic paper on the new metamaterial.

“Being able to manipulate and convert electromagnetic waves with a single piece of equipment opens up a range of new potential applications across the communications sector, but particularly in the space industry, where lightweight, compact materials are prized to help keep launch payloads down.”

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Professor Qammer H. Abbasi, of the University of Glasgow’s James Watt School of Engineering, is the paper’s lead and corresponding author. He said: “Previous developments in metamaterials have provided new ways for electromagnetic waves to be manipulated in devices with small form factors. However, they’ve largely been limited to narrow bands of the spectrum, which has limited their practical applications so far.

“The metamaterial surface we’ve developed works across a wide range of frequencies across the Ku-, K- and Ka-bands, which span 12 GHz to 40Ghz, and are commonly used in satellite applications and remote sensing.

“This kind of 2D metamaterial surface, capable of the complex task of linear to circular polarisation, can enable antennae to communicate with each other more effectively in challenging conditions.

“It could help satellites provide better signals for phones, and more stable connections for data transmission. It could also improve satellites’ ability to scan the surface of the Earth, improving our understanding of the effects of climate change or our ability to track wildlife migration.”

The team’s research was supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and Pakistan’s Higher Education Commission.