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Name (Acronym)Metastructures – Surface Electromagnetics (MTS)
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Date23 February - 05 June 2026
(Semester II) -
Teacher
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Contact E-mail2025-2026.LM.MTS.UniTN.TRENTO.IT@eledia.org
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ECTS2
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Syllabus
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Institution
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Study Program
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Degree
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LanguageEnglish
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Tracks
ABSTRACT
The course provides a comprehensive exploration of wave phenomena in acoustics, mechanics, and electromagnetics, with a particular focus on electromagnetic wave theory and its applications. Beginning with the fundamental wave equation across different physical domains, the course focuses on Maxwell’s equations and their canonical solutions, including plane waves in homogeneous media. Key topics include dispersion diagrams, bandgap materials, and wave interactions at planar interfaces, with an emphasis on Snell’s laws. A special focus is given to periodic and quasi-periodic metamaterials, covering their design, implementation, and impact on wave propagation. The course culminates with the study of generalized Snell’s laws and their applications to wave control in electromagnetic systems, enabling advanced functionalities in modern wave-based technologies.
COURSE CONTENT
- The wave equation in acoustics, mechanics, and electromagnetics
- The nature of Electromagnetic Waves – Maxwell’s Equations and the EM Wave Equation
- Canonical Solutions to Maxwell’s Equations: Plane Waves in Homogeneous Media
- Dispersion diagrams and bandgap materials
- Waves and planar interfaces? The Snell’s Laws
- Periodic and Quasi-Periodic Metamaterials: concept, design, implementation
- Waves and Metamaterials - the Generalized Snell’s Laws
- Applications of Generalized Snell’s Laws to Wave Control in EM Systems
TEACHING ACTIVITIES
- Theoretical Lessons
- e-Xam Self Assessment (each teaching class or periodically)
- MATLAB Hands-On
- e-Xam Final Assessment
FURTHER READINGS
- F. Yang, Y. Rahmat-Samii, Surface Electromagnetics with Applications in Antenna, Microwave, and Optical Engineering, Cambridge University Press, 2019.
- N. Yu, P. Genevet, M. A. Kats, F. Aieta, J.-P. Tetienne, F. Capasso, and Z. Gaburro, "Light Propagation with Phase Discontinuities: Generalized Laws of Reflection and Refraction," Science, vol. 334, no. 6054, pp. 333-337, 2011.
- G. Oliveri, F. Zardi, P. Rocca, M. Salucci and A. Massa, "Building a Smart EM Environment - AI-Enhanced Aperiodic Micro-Scale Design of Passive EM Skins," in IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, vol. 70, no. 10, pp. 8757-8770, Oct. 2022.
- G. Oliveri, P. Rocca, M. Salucci and A. Massa, "Holographic Smart EM Skins for Advanced Beam Power Shaping in Next Generation Wireless Environments,“ in IEEE Journal on Multiscale and Multiphysics Computational Techniques, vol. 6, pp. 171-182, 2021.
(*) Each registered participant acknowledges that the material distributed in the frame of the course, available for the duration of one academic year, is protected by copyright and delivered for educational purposes and personal use only. The participant agrees and undertakes not to forward, publish, disclose, distribute, disseminate - in any form or manner - such a material without written consent of the author(s) of the material. Unless otherwise explicitly allowed by the speaker in written form, no recordings of the online lectures can be made.
Registration Information
| UniTN Students: | Free |
| EXTERNAL Students: |
216 Eu: First course 180 Eu: Every course from the second one |
The fees include the course teaching, video recordings, hand-outs, etc. (*).
Registration Procedure for UniTN Students
Please contact the Student Support Office of your Department/Centre/School to include the course in your study plan.
Registration Procedure for EXTERNAL Students
Step 1: Register a "guest" type account (@guest.unitn.it)
- Should you still not have a UniTN account, you have to register and log in with your SPID identity or CIE (electronic ID card). If you cannot use SPID or CIE, please create your own UniTN account.
Step 2: Enroll to a Single UniTN Course
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Complete the online application through the dedicated webpage.
In the application form (Section "Teaching Activities") put the following information:- Name of single class/teaching activity: Metastructures
- Code of single class/teaching activity: 140722
- Degree course to which the teaching activity is associated: [0332H] Ingegneria per l'ambiente e il territorio
- Once received the outcome of the application (1-3 days), login into ESSE3 with your "guest" account user-name and password. Then, pay the bulletin you find in Administrative Office – Payments.
NOTES:
- A vademecum with a step-by-step guide to enroll to a single course at the University of Trento is available here
- For any question on the registration process, please write to didattica@eledia.org
(*) Each registered participant acknowledges that the material distributed in the frame of the course, available for the duration of one academic year, is protected by copyright and delivered for educational purposes and personal use only. The participant agrees and undertakes not to forward, publish, disclose, distribute, disseminate - in any form or manner - such a material without written consent of the author(s) of the material. Unless otherwise explicitly allowed by the speaker in written form, no recordings of the online lectures can be made.