Communications of the ACM
New Understanding of Electromagnetism Could Enable 'Antennas on a Chip'
Better understanding of electromagnetism could lead to antennas small enough to fit on chips.
Credit: Generated using Mathematica from Wolfram Inc.
New insight into the nature of electromagnetism could lead to antennas small enough to fit on computer chips and pinpoint overlapping areas between theories of classical electromagnetism and quantum mechanics.
University of Cambridge researchers suggest electromagnetic waves are generated not only from electron acceleration, but also from symmetry breaking, or radiation resulting from broken symmetry of the electric field.
"An aerial's size is determined by the wavelength associated with the transmission frequency of the application, and in most cases it's a matter of finding a compromise between aerial size and the characteristics required for that application," notes Cambridge professor Gehan Amaratunga.
The researchers employed thin films of piezoelectric materials, an insulator which deforms or vibrates when voltage is applied. They discovered at a certain frequency, these materials become efficient radiators and can serve as aerials.
The underlying mechanism is the symmetry breaking of the electric field associated with the electron acceleration. Symmetry breaking also is relevant in instances such as a pair of parallel wires in which electrons can be accelerated via application of an oscillating electric field.
The researchers learned subjecting the piezoelectric films to an asymmetric excitation causes similar breakage of the system's symmetry, triggering a corresponding symmetry breaking of the electric field and the generation of electromagnetic radiation.
From University of Cambridge
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