Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. An apparatus for manipulating or modifying an electromagnetic wave or a beam of particles, the apparatus comprising:a first layer of elongated electrical micro or nano conductors;a second layer of elongated electrical micro or nano conductors spaced apart from the first layer and such that in a projection of the second layer into a plane of the first layer the apparatus has a network of projected cross-over junctions between the elongated conductors of the first and second layers;the first and second layers are substantially parallel to a propagation direction of the electromagnetic wave or the beam of particles;means for receiving respective electrical potentials in a tunable way to the micro or nano conductors of the first and second layers for inducing electrical mechanisms in areas between the first and second layers corresponding to the network of projected cross-over points such that scattering of the electromagnetic wave or the beam of particles occurs in said areas;means for varying a relative disposition of the first and second layers of micro or nano conductors; andwherein the means for varying the relative disposition of the first and second layers is tunable for varying a scattering pattern of the apparatus, a form factor of the scattering, or both. 2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the micro or nano conductors have a width in the range of about 1 nanometer to 300 microns. 3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first and second layers of micro or nano conductors each comprise a subset of multiple substantially parallel conductors. 4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a spacings or pitch between the conductors within each layer is in the range of about 1 nanometer to 500 microns centre-to-centre, while a spacing between the first and second layers is in the range of about 0.5 nanometers to 200 microns between opposed conductor faces. 5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the respective subsets of conductors are supported in or on respective insulating or semiconducting substrate. 6. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conductors are carbon nanotubes of arbitrary helicity or radius, either single or multi-walled. 7. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a connector species in some or all of said areas between the first and second layers corresponding to the network of projected cross-over junctions. 8. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the separation of adjacent layers is chosen dependent on the presence and nature of the connector species. 9. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a gap between substrates supporting the respective first and second layers is in at least a partial vacuum. 10. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising buckyball structures for controlling a gap between the first and second layers. 11. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a separation film of an organic medium or a soft matter spacer interpositioned between the first and second layers for maintaining a gap between the first and second layers. 12. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the means for varying the disposition of the first and second layers tunes an angle between alignments of the micro or nano conductors in the respective layers by relatively rotating the first and second layers. 13. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the means for receiving the respective electrical potentials receives a tunable potential difference at said areas corresponding to the network of projected cross-over points by varying potentials applied to the individual conductors. 14. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the means for varying the disposition of the first and second layers tunes a spacing between the first and second layers. 15. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the means for varying the disposition of the first and second layers comprises a nano or micro electromechanical system (NEMS or MEMS). 16. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus functions as a diffraction grating with respect to the electromagnetic wave or the beam of particles for splitting the incident electromagnetic wave or beam of particles. 17. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the means for receiving the respective electrical potentials receives oscillating potentials to the micro or nano conductors of the first and second layers, oscillating from positive to negative charge. 18. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein a frequency of the oscillating potentials is chosen based on characteristics of a beam of charged particles to be manipulated or modified and based on geometrical characteristics of the scattering pattern. 19. A method for manipulating or modifying an electromagnetic wave or a beam of particles, the method comprising the steps of:providing a first layer of elongated electrical micro or nano conductors;providing a second layer of elongated electrical micro or nano conductors spaced apart from the first layer and such that in a projection of the second layer into a plane of the first layer the apparatus has a network of projected cross-over junctions between the elongated conductors of the first and second layers;wherein the first and second layers are substantially parallel to a propagation direction of the electromagnetic wave or the beam of particles; andapplying respective electrical potentials to the micro or nano conductors of the first and second layers for inducing electrical mechanisms in areas between the first and second layers corresponding to the network of projected cross-over points such that scattering of the electromagnetic wave or the beam of particles occurs in said areas;varying a relative disposition of the first and second layers of micro or nano conductors; andtuning the applying of the respective electrical potentials and the varying of the relative disposition of the first and second layers for varying a scattering pattern of the apparatus, a form factor of the scattering, or both. 20. An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the micro or nano conductors have a width in the range of about 1 nanometer to 4400 microns. 21. An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the first and second layers of micro or nano conductors each comprise a subset of multiple substantially parallel conductors. 22. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein a spacings spacing or pitch between the conductors within each layer is in the range of about 1 nanometer to 500 microns centre-to-centre, while a spacing between the first and second layers is in the range of about 0.5 nanometer to 200 microns between opposed conductor faces. 23. An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the respective subsets of conductors are supported in or on respective insulating or semiconducting substrate. 24. An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the conductors are carbon nanotubes of arbitrary helicity or radius, either single or multi-walled. 25. An apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising providing a connector species in some or all of said areas between the first and second layers corresponding to the network of projected cross-over junctions. 26. An apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the separation of adjacent layers is chosen dependent on the presence and nature of the connector species. 27. An apparatus according to claim 25, wherein a gap between substrates supporting the respective first and second layers is in at least a partial vacuum. 28. An apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising providing buckyball structures for controlling a gap between the first and second layers. 29. An apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising providing a separation film of an organic medium or a soft matter spacer interpositioned between the first and second layers for maintaining a gap between the first and second layers. 30. An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the varying of the disposition of the first and second layers comprises tuning an angle between alignments of the micro or nano conductors in the respective layers by relatively rotating the first and second layers. 31. An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the applying of the respective electrical potentials comprises tuning a potential difference at said areas corresponding to the network of projected cross-over points by varying potentials applied to the individual conductors. 32. An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the varying of the disposition of the first and second layers comprises tuning a spacing between the first and second layers. 33. An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the varying of the disposition of the first and second layers comprises utilizing a nano or micro electromechanical system (NEMS or MEMS). 34. An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the scattering pattern functions as a diffraction grating with respect to the electromagnetic wave or the beam of particles for splitting the incident electromagnetic wave or beam of particles. 35. An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the applying of the respective electrical potentials comprises applying oscillating potentials to the micro or nano conductors of the first and second layers, oscillating from positive to negative charge. 36. An apparatus according to claim 35, wherein a frequency of the oscillating potentials is chosen based on characteristics of a beam of charged particles to be manipulated or modified and based on geometrical characteristics of the scattering pattern.