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David R. Smith

James B. Duke Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Box 90291, Durham, NC 27708-0291
2527 CIEMAS Building, Durham, NC 27708

Research Interests


Theory, simulation and demonstration of novel electromagnetic metamaterials across the spectrum, from microwave through optical. Applications of metamaterials for antennas and imaging devices, with a focus on security imaging and satellite imaging. General studies on advanced metamaterials and plasmonics, including nonlinear optics, enhanced spontaneous emission, negative refraction, transformation optics, electromagnetic cloaking, and many other topics

Selected Grants


Metasurface Antenna for Cloud-Targeting Radar (MACTRad): W-Band Metasurface Cloud Sensor

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by MetaCept, Inc. · 2023 - 2026

Active Metasurface Antennas

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Kymeta Corporation · 2023 - 2025

Large-scale Adaptive Metamaterial Apertures for Space (LAMAS)

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Aeronautics and Space Administration · 2023 - 2024

Project Stratum: Enabling Rapid Revisit with Satellite Metasurface Microwave Antenna Technology

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency · 2021 - 2023

Beam-Steering Metasurface Antenna for Soil Moisture Sensing

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Multi3D LLC · 2021 - 2023

Digital Materials with Simultaneous Electromagnetic Functionality

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Aeronautics and Space Administration · 2021 - 2022

Smith Addendum 1 Amendment 10

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by MetaCept, Inc. · 2019 - 2022

Next Generation Metamaterials and Metasurfaces for Novel Radio Frequency and Optical Devices

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Air Force Office of Scientific Research · 2018 - 2021

Metasurfaces for Industrial Imaging with Millimeter waves

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by MetaCept, Inc. · 2019 - 2021

Dynamically Reconfigurable, Conformal, Metasurface Apertures for Communications and Sensing Applications in Aerospace Platforms

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Air Force Office of Scientific Research · 2018 - 2020

Detecting Human Presence Using Dynamic Metasurface Anetennas

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy · 2018 - 2020

Extending the Coupled Dipole Model for Metasurface Antenna Design

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Kymeta Corporation · 2020 - 2020

Integration of Photovoltaic Panels with Dynamic Metasurface Antennas for Autonomous Devices

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency · 2019 - 2019

The Information Content of Ocean Noise: Theory and Experiment

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by University of California - San Diego · 2013 - 2019

Multipath Array Processing for Co-Prime and Under-Sampled Sensor Arrays

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Office of Naval Research · 2013 - 2018

Adapting Towed-Array Tilt for Passive Detection Gain Based on 3-D Noise Field Directionality Estimates

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Office of Naval Research · 2015 - 2018

Metamaterial Physical Layer Implementations of Advanced Computational and Compressive Imaging Schemes at Infrared Bands

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Air Force Office of Scientific Research · 2012 - 2017

Discrete Dipole Approximation as a robust technique for antenna design and metamaterial devices

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Kymeta Corporation · 2016 - 2017

Theory and Simulation of Optical Metasurfaces

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Intellectual Ventures Management, LLC · 2016 - 2016

Hydrodynamic Wake Control with Flui-Permeable Metamaterials

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Office of Naval Research · 2013 - 2016

Transformation Optical Materials

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Army Research Office · 2009 - 2016

Broadband Field Directionally Mapping Using Small Maneuverable Acoustic Sensor Arrays

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Office of Naval Research · 2011 - 2015

Amphiphilic Block Copolymer Mediated Self-Assembly of Nanocomponents Into Active Metamaterial Structures: Nonlinear Meta

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Montana State University · 2012 - 2014

Automated Micromanufacturing for Optical Sensing and Computational Imaging, Metamaterials, and Quantum Computing

EquipmentCo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by Air Force Office of Scientific Research · 2012 - 2014

Advanced MetaCrystal Media for Aerospace Applications

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Air Force Office of Scientific Research · 2009 - 2014

Advanced Metacrystal Media for Aerospace Applications

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Air Force Office of Scientific Research · 2009 - 2014

DURIP: Laser

EquipmentPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Air Force Office of Scientific Research · 2011 - 2012

Detection of Biomolecules by Nanoscale Plasmon Ruler

ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2009 - 2012

Radar Blockage Elimination

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Office of Naval Research · 2011 - 2012

External Relationships


  • Astrobeam Corp.
  • Echodyne
  • Evolv Technologies
  • Extellis Corp.
  • Intellectual Ventures
  • Kymeta
  • Lumotive Corporation
  • MetaVenture Partners (MVP)
  • Metacept Corporation
  • Pivotal Commware
  • Resolv Corp.
  • UCSD

This faculty member (or a member of their immediate family) has reported outside activities with the companies, institutions, or organizations listed above. This information is available to institutional leadership and, when appropriate, management plans are in place to address potential conflicts of interest.