Physics and Astronomy

Photo of Prof Alastair P Hibbins

Prof Alastair P Hibbins

Professor in Metamaterial Physics

 A.P.Hibbins@exeter.ac.uk

 (Streatham) 2100

 01392 722100

Overview

I am Director of Exeter's Centre of Metamaterials Research and Innovation and the associated doctoral training centre for PhD students.

If you are interested in finding out more about the science of Metamaterials and the relevent application sectors, please visit our website; and if you would like to consider undertaking a PhD with me or one of our other academics, please see here for a list of opportunities, and details about how get in touch and apply.

I am Director of Business Engagement and Innovation for Physics and Astronomy and Natural Science.

If you would like to understand more about how to work with our academics, please visit our Collaborate pages.

You can find out about my own research interests by visiting our Microwave and Acoustic Metamaterials research pages. You can browse the theses of my PhD students and follow their careers using the links on the right.

I also lead the UK Metamaterials Network, which is a community of over 600 university academics, and industry and governmenal scientists and engineers. If you are a student, postdoc, academic or industry employee, please join our community and engage with our events and activities.

Collaborate with us

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Publications

Copyright Notice: Any articles made available for download are for personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission of the author and the copyright holder.

| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1996 | Patents |

2024

2023

2022

  • Glasbey JJ, Hibbins AP, Sambles JR. (2022) Accidental Degeneracies and Band Inversion with a Microwave Metasurface, International Conference on Metamaterials, Photonic Crystals and Plasmonics.
  • Moore DB, Ward GP, Smith JD, Hibbins AP, Sambles JR, Starkey TA. (2022) Coupled Confined Acoustic Line Modes within a Glide-Symmetric Waveguide, International Conference on Metamaterials, Photonic Crystals and Plasmonics, pages 1130-1131.
  • Stanfield LD, Hibbins AP, Sambles JR, Powell AW. (2022) Enhancing the Performance of Small Antennas, International Conference on Metamaterials, Photonic Crystals and Plasmonics, pages 1026-1027.
  • Arnold KO, Clow N, Horsley SAR, Hibbins AP, Sambles RJ. (2022) Anomalous Reflection Designed Considering Spatially Varying Surface Impedance, International Conference on Metamaterials, Photonic Crystals and Plasmonics, pages 927-928.
  • Gudge-Brooke J, Hibbins AP, Sambles JR, Powell A, Clow N. (2022) Superdirective Helical Dimers Fabricated using 3D printed Molds with Liquid Metal Injection, International Conference on Metamaterials, Photonic Crystals and Plasmonics, pages 1002-1003.
  • Lewis KA, Sambles JR, Hibbins AP, Youngs I, Ogrin FY. (2022) Advanced Magnetic Metamaterials for Microwave Applications, International Conference on Metamaterials, Photonic Crystals and Plasmonics, pages 1008-1009.
  • Moore D, Sambles J, Hibbins A, Starkey T, Chaplain G. (2022) Acoustic surface modes on metasurfaces with embedded next-nearest neighbor coupling, DOI:10.48550/arXiv.2212.06583.
  • Capers JR, Boyes SJ, Hibbins AP, Horsley SAR. (2022) Designing disordered multi-functional metamaterials using the discrete dipole approximation, New Journal of Physics, volume 24, no. 11, pages 113035-113035, DOI:10.1088/1367-2630/aca174. [PDF]
  • Stanfield LD, Powell AW, Horsley SAR, Sambles JR, Hibbins AP. (2022) Microwave Demonstration of Purcell Effect Enhanced Radiation Efficiency. [PDF]
  • Chaplain G, Hooper I, Hibbins A, Starkey T. (2022) Reconfigurable Elastic Metamaterials: Engineering Dispersion with Meccano™, DOI:10.48550/arXiv.2206.10487.
  • Tatnell DM, Heath MS, Hibbins AP, Horsell DW. (2022) A thermophone-based bridge circuit for the measurement of electrical and thermal properties of thin films, Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, volume 55, no. 35, pages 35LT01-35LT01, DOI:10.1088/1361-6463/ac782f. [PDF]
  • Damani S, Braaten E, Szoke M, Alexander WN, Devenport WJ, Balantrapu NA, Pearce BP, Starkey TA, Hibbins AP, Sambles JR. (2022) Resonator-based Pressure Sensor for Wall Pressure, 28th AIAA/CEAS Aeroacoustics 2022 Conference, 28th AIAA/CEAS Aeroacoustics 2022 Conference, DOI:10.2514/6.2022-2956. [PDF]
  • Capers JR, Boyes SJ, Hibbins AP, Horsley SAR. (2022) Designing Metasurfaces to Manipulate Antenna Radiation, Proc. SPIE 12130, Metamaterials XIII, 121300H (24 May 2022). [PDF]
  • Powell AW, Capers JR, Horsley SAR, Sambles JR, Hibbins AP. (2022) 3D printed metaparticles based on platonic solids for isotropic, multimode microwave scattering, 2022 16th European Conference on Antennas and Propagation, EuCAP 2022.
  • Ward GP, Smith JD, Hibbins A, Sambles JR, Starkey T. (2022) Gapless Dispersion of Acoustic Line Modes with Glide-Symmetry, Physical Review B, volume 105, DOI:10.1103/PhysRevB.105.245401. [PDF]
  • Capers JR, Boyes SJ, Hibbins AP, Horsley SAR. (2022) Designing Multi-functional Metamaterials, New Journal of Physics, volume 24. [PDF]
  • Capers JR, Boyes SJ, Hibbins AP, Horsley SAR. (2022) Designing metasurfaces to manipulate antenna radiation, Metamaterials XIII, Proceedings of SPIE--the International Society for Optical Engineering, volume 12130, DOI:10.1117/12.2621160.
  • Barr LE, Ward GP, Hibbins AP, Hendry E, Sambles JR. (2022) Slow waves on long helices, Sci Rep, volume 12, no. 1, DOI:10.1038/s41598-022-05345-1. [PDF]

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

  • Hibbins, A.P., Sambles, J.R.. (2003) Low angular-dispersion microwave absorption of a dual-pitch non-diffracting metal bi-grating, Applied Physics Letters, volume 83, pages 806-808.

2002

  • Sambles, J.R., Lawrence, C.R.. (2002) The excitation of remarkably non-dispersive surface plasmons on a non-diffracting, dual-pitch metal grating, Applied Physics Letters, volume 80, pages 2410-2412.
  • Sambles, J.R., Lawrence, C.R.. (2002) Gratingless enhanced microwave transmission through a subwavelength aperture in a thick metal plate, Applied Physics Letters, volume 81, no. 24, pages 4661-4663.
  • Lawrence CJ, Hibbins, A.P., Sambles JR, Robinson DM. (2002) Remarkable transmission of radiation through a wall of long metallic bricks, SPIE Photonics West, San Jose, Usa, SPIE, volume 4655, pages 181-191.

2001

  • Hibbins, A.P., Sambles, J.R., Lawrence, C.R., Robinson, D.M.. (2001) Remarkable transmission of microwaves through a wall of long metallic bricks, Applied Physics Letters, volume 79, no. 17, pages 2844-2846.

2000

1999

1998

1996


Patents

  • Hibbins AP, Lawrence CR, Hobson PA, Lockyear MJ, Sambles JR. Radiation absorption.
  • Lawrence CR, Sambles JR, Hibbins AP. Low frequency electromagnetic absorption surfaces, 2003.
  • Treen AS, Lawrence CR, Sambles JR, Hibbins AP. Electromagnetic radiation absorber, 2008.

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Further information

People

Post doctoral researchers and Independent Fellows

PhD Researchers 

  • Beth Staples "Control of Flow-induced Near-field Noise Through The use of Metasurfaces" (CDT / Thales ICASE)
  • Katie Lewis "Advanced Magnetic Materials for Radio, Microwave and Millimetre-wave applications" (CDT / DSTL
  • Nick Jones "Disruptive Technologies for Acoustic Noise Reduction" (QinetiQ)
  • Leanne Dawn Stanfield “Antenna efficiency and match manipulation using metamaterials (Leonardo ICASE)
  • Joshua Glasbey “Manipulating the Coupling and Scattering between Surface Waves and Plane” CDT/MBDA)
  • James Capers "Exploring the space of electromagnetic materials, with applications to antenna design" (Dstl)
  • Kyle Arnold “Artificial Magnetic Conductor Surfaces for Conformal Antenna Design”(DSTL)
  • Jenner Gudge-Brooke “Miniaturised helical antennas for superdirectivity” (DSTL)
  • Dan Moore “Making the world sound better – acoustic metamaterials for manipulating sound in air and underwater”(CDT/DSTL)
  • Jonathon Smith “Next Generation metasurfaces: tensorial surfaces for novel antenna functionality” (CDT/DSTL ICASE)
  • Philip Skelland "Hydroacoustic Metamaterials for Focusing and Filtering of Underwater Sound" (Atlas Elektronik)
  • Kieran Cowan "Retrodirective Metamaterials for Long-Range Identification and Sensing" (QinetiQ ICASE)

Alumni

 

Research

Metamaterials are rationally designed composites, with structure on a scale-length smaller than the wavelength. Their electromagnetic or acoustic character is different to those of the bulk properties of the ingredients they comprise. At the point of design, we can engineer properties to develop materials capable of manipulating the flow of energy, for example by absorbing, bending or radiating, to achieve benefits that go beyond what is possible with conventional materials. More information about the broader scope of metamaterial research at Exeter can be found on the Centre for Metamaterial Research and Innovation webpages.‌

Our metamaterial research grew from experimental studies of microwave metamaterials, where the cm- and mm-length scales allow fabrication of complex structures with relative ease, using both conventional workshop and advanced 3D printing techniques.

We also exploit similar advantages of scale through research with acoustic metamaterials, both in air and underwater (SONAR), and we are using metamaterial concepts to manipulate the flow of fluids.

Our metamaterials portfolio exploits synergies with our research in plasmonics, natural photonics and disordered systems, magnetic materials and THz photonics research.

We are pursuing theoretical and modelling studies to:

  • drive the targeted design of metamaterials,
  • understand the novel fundamental phenomena that can be probed,
  • pioneer the design of new meta-atoms,
  • and explore the functionality of devices that can be envisaged in the future.

The ability to manipulate energy flow through the opportunities offered by metamaterials have relevance for a large number of end-users. We have a long and successful track record of working with industry, with applications including:

  • signature control
  • communications (antennas)
  • imaging
  • tagging
  • security
  • sensing
  • and energy harvesting.

Our recent and current sponsors and collaborators include Dstl, Leonardo, QinetiQ, Thales, PepsiCo, BT, and MBDA.  Read more about the industry application of metamaterials on the Centre for Metamaterial and Innovation website.

 

Brief biography

Alastair Hibbins is a Professor in Metamaterial Physics, and has an h-index of 33 Born in Taunton, Somerset in 1975, he undertook his undergraduate and PhD degrees at Exeter, and has been a member staff since 2000. He was awarded a prestigious EPSRC Advanced Fellowship in 2004. In 2007 he became a Lecturer, and was promoted to full professor at the end of 2016. He is now Director of the Centre for Metamaterial Research and Innovation and the associated EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Metamaterials, and he is Principal Investigator of the EPSRC-funded UK Metamaterials Network, and the International Centre to Centre collaboration "A-Meta".  He leads the microwave and acoustics labs in the Physics department.

His interdisciplinary team of researchers work on a wide range of fundamental and industry-inspired projects collaborating with many other academics in the department.  Currently our research team team comprises of 2 indepedent research fellows, 3 further postdoctoral researchers and 10 PhD researchers; we all explore how the energy associated with electromagnetic, acoustic and mechnical waves and fluid flow can be manipulated using structured materials including metamaterials.  We collaborate with a large number of Industry and Governmental partners including Leonardo, Dstl, PepsiCo, QinetiQ, Thales, and TWI.

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