Patents by Inventor Nicholas Estep

Nicholas Estep has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9880403
    Abstract: A non-reciprocal device incorporating metamaterials which exhibit non-reciprocity through angular momentum biasing. The metamaterial, such as a ring resonator, is angular-momentum biased. This is achieved by applying a suitable mechanical or spatio-temporal modulation to resonant inclusions of the metamaterial, thereby producing strong non-reciprocity. In this manner, non-reciprocity can be produced without requiring the use of large and bulky magnets to produce a static magnetic field. The metamaterials of the present invention can be realized by semiconducting and/or metallic materials which are widely used in integrated circuit technology, and therefore, contrary to magneto-optical materials, can be easily integrated into the non-reciprocal devices and large microwave or optical systems. The metamaterials of the present invention can be compact at various frequencies due to the enhanced wave-matter interaction in the constituent resonant inclusions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: Board of Regents, The University of Texas System
    Inventors: Andrea Alu, Dimitrios Sounas, Nicholas Estep
  • Publication number: 20170212367
    Abstract: A non-reciprocal device incorporating metamaterials which exhibit non-reciprocity through angular momentum biasing. The metamaterial, such as a ring resonator, is angular-momentum biased. This is achieved by applying a suitable mechanical or spatio-temporal modulation to resonant inclusions of the metamaterial, thereby producing strong non-reciprocity. In this manner, non-reciprocity can be produced without requiring the use of large and bulky magnets to produce a static magnetic field. The metamaterials of the present invention can be realized by semiconducting and/or metallic materials which are widely used in integrated circuit technology, and therefore, contrary to magneto-optical materials, can be easily integrated into the non-reciprocal devices and large microwave or optical systems. The metamaterials of the present invention can be compact at various frequencies due to the enhanced wave-matter interaction in the constituent resonant inclusions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2016
    Publication date: July 27, 2017
    Inventors: Andrea Alu, Dimitrios Sounas, Nicholas Estep
  • Patent number: 9405136
    Abstract: A non-reciprocal device incorporating metamaterials which exhibit non-reciprocity through angular momentum biasing. The metamaterial, such as a ring resonator, is angular-momentum biased. This is achieved by applying a suitable mechanical or spatio-temporal modulation to resonant inclusions of the metamaterial, thereby producing strong non-reciprocity. In this manner, non-reciprocity can be produced without requiring the use of large and bulky magnets to produce a static magnetic field. The metamaterials of the present invention can be realized by semiconducting and/or metallic materials which are widely used in integrated circuit technology, and therefore, contrary to magneto-optical materials, can be easily integrated into the non-reciprocal devices and large microwave or optical systems. The metamaterials of the present invention can be compact at various frequencies due to the enhanced wave-matter interaction in the constituent resonant inclusions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: Board of Regents, The University of Texas System
    Inventors: Andrea Alu, Dimitrios Sounas, Nicholas Estep
  • Publication number: 20150030280
    Abstract: A non-reciprocal device incorporating metamaterials which exhibit non-reciprocity through angular momentum biasing. The metamaterial, such as a ring resonator, is angular-momentum biased. This is achieved by applying a suitable mechanical or spatio-temporal modulation to resonant inclusions of the metamaterial, thereby producing strong non-reciprocity. In this manner, non-reciprocity can be produced without requiring the use of large and bulky magnets to produce a static magnetic field. The metamaterials of the present invention can be realized by semiconducting and/or metallic materials which are widely used in integrated circuit technology, and therefore, contrary to magneto-optical materials, can be easily integrated into the non-reciprocal devices and large microwave or optical systems. The metamaterials of the present invention can be compact at various frequencies due to the enhanced wave-matter interaction in the constituent resonant inclusions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2014
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Inventors: Andrea Alu, Dimitrios Sounas, Nicholas Estep