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Metasurface-based vortex beam generators are very promising and applicable to enhance transmission data capacity in wireless communication system. However, most designs to date are ceased to predict their far-field characteristic, which is actually in demand when applied to wireless communication. Here, we find for the first time a deterministic and robust strategy to fastly estimate the exact far-field patterns and gain limit of a vortex beam based on the theoretical analysis of aperture field with spiral phase profile. For verification, a broadband metasurface-based vortex-beam generator based on geometric phase is designed, numerically calculated and experimentally measured at microwave regime. Excellent agreements are observed among far-field results obtained based on the proposed method, numerical simulations and experimental measurements, firmly demonstrating the validity and correctness of the proposed strategy. Such a deterministic and robust strategy of predicting far-field characteristics of a vortex beam may pave the way for its applications in many engineering scenarios, such as conical beam design, wireless communication, et al.

Manipulating orthogonal circularly polarized (CP) waves independently in both reflection and transmission modes in a single metasurface is pivotal. However, independently controlling CP waves with different polarizations is difficult especially for both reflection and transmission modes. Here, we designed a receiver-transmitter metasurface with helicity-dependent reflection and transmission properties. Our design breaks the fixed phases of the geometry metasurface-carrying Pancharatnam-Berry operators by combining the receive and transmit antennas. To verify the effectiveness of the modulation, we designed three linear deflectors with: (a) reflection phase gradient, (b) transmission phase gradient, and (c) both of gradients to achieve anomalous reflection, anomalous refraction, and simultaneous anomalous reflection and refraction, respectively. As proof of the concept, a bifunctional meta-device with functions of anomalous reflection and focusing transmission for different incident CP waves was simulated and measured. Our findings offer an easy strategy for achieving arbitrary bifunctional CP devices.

A perfect absorber is highly desired in many engineering applications, including cloaking devices and sensor detectors, but most types of absorbers with chirality-dependence have limited bandwidth. In this paper, we propose a novel broadband and chirality-dependent metasurface absorber that consists of an array of planar spiral elements. The spiral orientation can determine the absorption polarization, such as counterclockwise for right circular polarization (RCP) absorption and clockwise for left circular polarization (LCP) absorption. Three steps are adopted to enhance the absorption bandwidth: carefully optimizing the spiral turns, impedance of load resistor, and introducing a matching layer. To demonstrate our concept, we have designed and fabricated a realistic metasurface absorber. The numerical simulations are in good agreement with the experimental results. The simulation and measurement results demonstrate that this device can achieve a broadband (8.3-18 GHz) absorption for RCP incidence, while reflecting the LCP incident waves between 9 GHz to 17.8 GHz without changing its chirality. Our findings explore a novel way to realize broadband absorption and simultaneously provide a new strategy to design chirality-dependent multi-functional meta-devices.

Achieving simultaneous controls of the amplitude and phase for electromagnetic waves is essential when shaping a complete wave-front aimed at forming an arbitrary beam. Here a strategy of manipulating the reflected amplitude and phase is proposed using a bi-layered metasurface element. The metasurface unit cell, consisting of a modified I-shape particle and one all-metal ground, achieves broadband phase- and amplitude control by tuning the gap size and rotating the modified I-shape particle, respectively. As a proof of concept, we design a fan-shaped beam metasurface antenna using the genetic algorithm to obtain the optimal phase and amplitude distributions. A Vivaldi antenna with less blockage effect is chosen to illuminate the metasurface, and then the amplitude and phase are compensated by the elements to achieve the optimized distributions. Finally, the beam-forming metasurface antenna is simulated, fabricated, and measured. The results show that the metasurface can generate a flat top beam under rectangular coordinate within the frequency range of 9–12 GHz. Our findings not only provide a universal way for generating beams with arbitrary shapes using metasurfaces but also offer an economical and simple alternative for a beam-forming array antenna.

In this paper, a novel multifunctional metasurface combining linear-to-circular polarization conversion and electromagnetic waves focusing has been proposed and applied to design a high-gain lens antenna working at Ku band. The multifunctional metasurface consists of 15 × 15 unit cells. Each unit cell is composed of four identical metallic layers and three intermediate dielectric layers. Due to well optimization, the multifunctional metasurface can convert the linearly polarized waves generated by the source to circularly polarized waves and focus the waves. By placing a patch antenna operating at 15 GHz at the focal point of the metasurface and setting the focal distance to diameter ratio (F/D) to 0.34, we obtain a multifunctional lens antenna. Simulated and measured results coincide well, indicating that the metasurface can convert linearly polarized waves to right-handed circularly polarized waves at 15 GHz with excellent performances in terms of the 3 dB axial ratio bandwidth of 5.3%, realized gain of 16.9 dB and aperture efficiency of 41.2%. Because of the advantages of high gain, competitive efficiency and easy fabrication, the proposed lens antenna has a great potential application in wireless and satellite communication.

Multi-functional metasurfaces have exhibited powerful abilities of manipulating electromagnetic (EM) wave in predetermined manners, largely improving their information capacities. However, most works are implemented with EM functions controlled by one of the intrinsic properties of EM wave, such as polarization, frequency, etc. Herein, we propose a coding scheme to design a broadband and high-efficient multi-functional metasurface independently controlled by both frequency and polarization. To achieve this goal, we design anisotropic coding particles to realize independent phase functions and polarization-selectivity in the microwave region. Meta-atoms are finally optimized to exhibit 2-bit phase responses insensitive to incident polarization in the X-band while showing a 1-bit phase shift sensitive to incident polarization in the Ku-band. As a proof of concept, a metasurface is configured as an isotropic lens in the X-band, whereas the metasurface is designed as an anisotropic beam deflector in the Ku-band with or without polarization-conversion functionality dependent on the input polarization. The measured results, which agree well with the simulated ones, show excellent performances in the designed dual bands. Such a multi-functional coding metasurface may provide a flexible and robust approach to manipulate EM wave of multiple frequencies, as well as to integrate diverse functionalities into a single flat device.

Achieving asymmetric transmission effects, especially in an ultra-broadband frequency region, is of particular importance in communication systems. Currently available asymmetric transmission metasurfaces are limited to narrow bands and low efficiencies because of the inherently dispersion effects and large transmission fluctuations. In this paper, we propose a new strategy to realize high efficiency and ultra-broadband asymmetric transmission in an ultra-thin profile by using the topologically coding optimization method. The meta-atom consists of two outer orthogonal gratings and a central lattice particle optimized by genetic algorithm. The optimized central lattice suppresses the transmission fluctuations by tuning the coupling among different metallic layers, resulting in very broad band and high transmissions. Experimental results show that our metasurface achieved perfect reflection over 95% and high cross-polarization transmission over 80% for y- and x-polarized incidence from 5.3 GHz to 16.7 GHz, respectively. Our findings pave a way to high-performance and broadband polarization transformers and polarization-controlled devices working in different frequency domains.

In this letter, an ultra-thin anisotropic metasurface cell with independent control of different polarized waves is introduced firstly. Then different sizes of cells are taken to constituted an anisotropic planar focusing metasurface(PFM) lens with size of 102 × 102mm2. Experimental results are in excellent agreement with the simulated ones, indicating perfectly focusing effect of the PFM lens. Moreover, different focal lengths of 50 mm and 30 mm are demonstrated for x/y-polarized incident waves.

As an ultra-thin developed form of meta-materials, metasurface does attract tremendous attention due to its flexibility in controlling wave front in different spectrums. In this paper, we propose a microwave metasurface with function of transforming spherical waves into plane waves and splitting waves according to polarized status of incident waves. By using a compact ultra-thin anisotropic element, we design a polarization beam splitter under spherical wave's illumination. With different phase gradients for x/y-polarized waves, the anisotropic metasurface has function of gain enhancement of 12.4 dB on average and reflecting x/y- polarized waves in -x/+y direction with the same reflected angel of 33° at the operating frequency of 15GHz. For verification of simulation results, the metasurface sample with size of 102×102mm2 and cells of 17×17 is fabricated and measured. Experimental results are in excellent agreement with the simulated ones, in which the high isolation of 30dB at 15GHz between x- and y-polarized waves is obtained. Due to the great performance in beam steering and thickness reduction, our design provides a promising approach of beam splitting, steering and gain enhancement in microwave region.

In this paper, we propose a polarization beam splitter utilizing an ultra-thin anisotropic metasurface. The proposed anisotropic element is composed of triple-layered rectangular patches spaced with double-layered dielectric isolators. By tailoring the metallic patches, the cell is capable of transmitting x-polarized waves efficiently and reflecting y-polarized beams with almost 100% efficiency at 15 GHz. In addition to this, the reflected phases can be modulated by adjusting the size of the element, which contributes to beam steering in reflection mode. By assigning gradient phases on the metasurface, the constructed sample has the ability to refract x-polarized waves normally and reflect y-polarized beams anomalously. For verification, a sample with a size of 240 240 mm2 is fabricated and measured. Consistent numerical and experimental results have both validated the efficiently anomalous reflection for y-polarized waves and normal refraction for x-polarized beams operating from 14.6–15.4 GHz. Furthermore, the proposed sample has a thickness of 0.1λ at 15 GHz, which provides a promising approach for steering and splitting beams in a compact size.