This summer I was fortunate to work in the Duke Center for Metamaterials and Integrated Plasmonics, run by Professor David Smith. My time in the lab was fulfilling to say the least, researching and programming in such an advanced laboratory under very cited researchers.
My work in the lab actually started last March, when I was employed as a programmer and research assistant in the metamaterial imaging laboratory of the Center. This lab receives funding from the Department of Homeland security to develop the next airport scanner. Basically, using the remarkable properties of metamaterials, one can image using a lens-less aperture. Traditional computational imaging takes in a scattering of light from the scene and reconstructs it into an imaging using different compression techniques like .jpeg or .png. In the case of the metamaterial, radiation of varying frequencies (usually between 18 and 26 GHz) is emmitted into the scene and the waves interfere with each other. This pattern is then received by a detector. This device provides cheap alternative compared to current security scanners and has no moving parts.
To start, I was given a few coding projects in the lab, including some simple Arduino circuits. But, when I returned for the summer, my involvement increased greatly and I worked on a diverse array of projects. Over my summer in the lab, I implemented a Arduino-MATLAB communication system so data collection could be run in MATLAB and the script would control the Arduino at high speeds. I also worked in OpenSCAD, an open-source CAD software, to create a device enclosure for a circuit that would disperse radiation away from the sensors. I also build a circuit to characterize the PIN diodes we were using under AC and DC conditions. Then, I got involved with more in-depth parts of the project. Right now, I am helping research the optimal 'modes' (frequency and aperture combination) to image a scene. Different modes result in different wave structures, and so a diverse array of measurement modes reveal the best scene.
Anyway, it has been a great summer in the lab, and I look forward to my continued involvement in the lab this fall!