The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 05, 2026
Filed:
Sep. 06, 2023
The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA (US);
Nader Engheta, Berwyn, PA (US);
Kathleen J Stebe, Penn Valley, PA (US);
Nasim Mohammadi Estakhri, Anaheim, CA (US);
Tianyi Yao, Exton, PA (US);
Jed-Joan Edziah, Newark, NJ (US);
The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA (US);
Abstract
Provided are new classes of reconfigurable, multistable metasurfaces using the physics of colloids confined within nematic liquid crystals (NLCs). The colloids are physically moved from one stable location to another as defined by NLC-colloid interactions by external switching fields. These colloids can be scatterers within reconfigurable metasurfaces with electromagnetic (EM) responses that change with colloid location. because the colloids are moved between stable loci, these metasurfaces are also multistable, and require energy input only when changing colloid position. Furthermore, because the colloids can be returned to their original positions by simply reversing the switching field, all changes in EM responses are entirely reversible. Also provided are reconfigurable, multistable metasurfaces that utilize colloids disposed within a field of protrusions extended from a surface, with interactions between the colloid and the protrusions and the application of external fields operating to move the colloids between stable states.