Admission Requirements
BSc in Physics or similar
Description
This course introduces and discusses the physical principles of mechanical metamaterials. Research on these metamaterials, whose properties depend on their geometric structure rather than their composition, has exploded in the last decade. Examples of such metamaterials include patterned elastic media and origami (folding) structures, leading to unusual negative response, programmable mechanics and shape morphing materials.
Using recent literature, we discuss these materials, as well as their underlying principles, which include (tensorial) elasticity and elastic instabilities, mechanisms, frustration and combinatorics: cool physics for new and surprising materials.
Each lecture deals with one or more recently studied mechanical metamaterial, and to understand their physics, the course introduces three more general topics:
Introduction to linear elasticity
Buckling and nonlinear instabilities
Maxwell Counting, Floppy Modes and Self Stresses
After each lecture a set of exercises have to be made and one or two papers have to be read.
Each lecture a presentation is given by one of the students on these papers, followed by a general discussion in which active participation is required. The course is ended by a final short presentation on a student design for a metamaterial.
Specific topics that are covered:
Introduction to elasticity, elastic constants, stress and strain, and auxetic metamaterials
Elastic tensor, anisotropic elasticity, extremal and pentamode materials, mechanical cloak.
Maxwell counting, floppy modes, and self stresses. Disordered metamaterials.
Spontaneous symmetry breaking, Bending, buckling, holey sheet metamaterial
Controlled symmetry breaking, nonlinear instabilities and programmable mechanical metamaterials
Characteristic lengthscales
Combinatorial design and metacubes
Origami metamaterials, foldability
Course objectives
Main learning objective of MSc course Mechanical Metamaterials: you are able to critically discuss the role of geometry in determining the effective properties of metamaterials.
Specifically, after this course, you are able to:
Write down the elastic equations for complex and anisotropic materials and geometries.
Perform scaling analysis for elastic constants etc.
Analyze basic elastic instabilities.
Analyze the degrees of freedom of complex hinged structures.
Critically discuss the role of geometry in metamaterials
Moreover, you have acquired an overview of a very recent piece of literature.
Transferable skills
During this course you will be trained how to
critically read research papers
to present and discuss research work
perform calculations on complex elastic structures
Timetable
Physics Schedule
For detailed information go to Timetable in Brightspace
In MyTimetable, you can find all course and programme schedules, allowing you to create your personal timetable. Activities for which you have enrolled via MyStudyMap will automatically appear in your timetable.
Additionally, you can easily link MyTimetable to a calendar app on your phone, and schedule changes will be automatically updated in your calendar. You can also choose to receive email notifications about schedule changes. You can enable notifications in Settings after logging in.
Questions? Watch the video, read the instructions, or contact the ISSC helpdesk.
Note: Joint Degree students from Leiden/Delft need to combine information from both the Leiden and Delft MyTimetables to see a complete schedule. This video explains how to do it.
Mode of instruction
See Brightspace
Assessment method
Grading according to a weighted average of exercies and presentations.
Reading list
not applicable
Registration
As a student, you are responsible for enrolling on time through MyStudyMap.
In this short video, you can see step-by-step how to enrol for courses in MyStudyMap.
Extensive information about the operation of MyStudyMap can be found here.
There are two enrolment periods per year:
Enrolment for the fall opens in July
Enrolment for the spring opens in December
See this page for more information about deadlines and enrolling for courses and exams.
Note:
It is mandatory to enrol for all activities of a course that you are going to follow.
Your enrolment is only complete when you submit your course planning in the ‘Ready for enrolment’ tab by clicking ‘Send’.
Not being enrolled for an exam/resit means that you are not allowed to participate in the exam/resit.
Contact
Lecturer: Prof.dr. Martin van Hecke
Remarks
Software
Starting from the 2024/2025 academic year, the Faculty of Science will use the software distribution platform Academic Software. Through this platform, you can access the software needed for specific courses in your studies. For some software, your laptop must meet certain system requirements, which will be specified with the software. It is important to install the software before the start of the course. More information about the laptop requirements can be found on the student website.