Electromagnetic nanostructured materials

Finally, as for the linear optical properties, alternative approaches are being developed to calculate the nonlinear optical response of nanostructured materials. They are most of the time based on the numerical resolution of tlte equations governing the electromagnetic behaviour of a finite set of nanoparticles in a given spatial arrangement [61]. 

Apart from these few examples, most nanostructured materials are synthetic. Empirical methods for the manufacture of stained glasses have been known for centuries. It is now well established that these methods make use of the diffusion-controlled growth of metal nanoparticles. The geometrical constraints on the electron motion and the electromagnetic field distribution in noble-metal nanoparticles lead to the existence of a particular collective oscillation mode, called the plasmon oscillation, which is responsible for the coloration of the material. It has been noticed recently that the beautiful tone of Maya blue, a paint often used in Mesoamer-ica, involves simultaneously metal nanoparticles and a superlattice organization [3.1]. 

Cost and availability of a suitable quantity of nanostructured materials are two fundamental parameters in the development on these iimovative elements. The nano-elements embedded in the matrix can provide other properties. For example, carbon nanotubes are studied for the development of structural composites for aerospace applications, thermal management, electrical systems, etc. In this case it is possible to think of advanced materials with manifold properties (mechanical, thermal, chemical, and mainly electromagnetic). The materials typically employed in nano-FSS manufacture are ... 

The future applications of these innovative nanomaterials include the development of multifunctional hybrid nanostructured composite materials able to provide, simultaneously, mechanical, thermal and electromagnetic specific behaviours for aerospace, military, navy and communication applications. 

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