Composite Electromagnetic Materials – basic notions

In electromagnetics, all industrial sectors, from aeronautics and aerospace to automotive, maritime, rail and radio communications, are looking to composite materials to fulfill new functions and meet new requirements in terms of energy savings, adaptability, cost, lightness and compactness. These composite materials, loaded with dielectric or conductive inclusions, active or passive, can provide solutions. This article is part of a series dedicated to composite materials in electromagnetics, in which we aim to provide an overview of existing and future composite materials, and to indicate the applications and fields concerned. In this article, we first define the microwave field, then the notion of electromagnetic composite materials, and finally discuss the modeling and characterization aspects of these materials. We then introduce the main electromagnetic quantities we will be using in the future.

This series on composite materials in electromagnetics continues with the following articles:

• [E 1 165] Electromagnetic composite materials and metamaterials ;

• [E 1 166] Composite materials in electromagnetism – Radar absorbing materials;

• [E 1 167] Composite materials for electromagnetism – Characterization.

These articles are independent, and cover the modeling of passive or active composites and metamaterials. We then go on to discuss absorbing media and the main principles governing them, as well as new concepts in thin materials called metasurfaces, and we conclude with characterization procedures for these composite media.

At the end of the article, readers will find a glossary and a table of symbols used.