Recently, Professor Huang Wanxia's team from the School of Materials Science and Engineering at Sichuan University demonstrated a flexible metamaterial sensor array based on Mie resonance, achieving progress in terahertz metamaterial sensor research. The related findings were published in Nature Communications.
Large-area flexible strain sensor arrays with high spatial resolution have promising applications in wearable devices, the Internet of Things, and other fields. However, the integration of large-area, high-density arrays often comes with challenges such as manufacturing difficulty, complex wiring, and signal crosstalk between sensing elements, posing significant challenges in strain direction recognition.
The demonstrated flexible metamaterial sensor array based on Mie resonance ingeniously utilizes the flexibility of the polymer material PDMS and the Mie resonance effect between the metamaterial ZrO2 microspheres. By employing dynamic transmission of terahertz (THz) signals, precise detection of strain direction and magnitude within the plane is achieved. This terahertz flexible strain metamaterial sensor boasts a high sensor density (~11.1 cm-2), requires no wiring, and is easily expandable for large-area rapid fabrication. Additionally, its outstanding superhydrophobic surface treatment endows the device with self-cleaning capability, further enhancing its engineering application potential.
Related paper information: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-47474-3
