Antenna Theory And Design

The recently proposed digital coding metasurfaces make it possible to control electromagnetic (EM) waves in real time, and allow the implementation of many different functionalities in a programmable way. However, current configurations are only space-encoded, and do not exploit the temporal dimension. Here, we propose a general theory of space-time modulated digital coding metasurfaces to obtain simultaneous manipulations of EM waves in both space and frequency domains, i.e., to control the propagation direction and harmonic power distribution simultaneously. As proof-of-principle application examples, we consider harmonic beam steering, beam shaping, and scattering-signature control. For validation, we realize a prototype controlled by a field-programmable gate array, which implements the harmonic beam steering via an optimized space-time coding sequence. Numerical and experimental results, in good agreement, demonstrate good performance of the proposed approach, with potential applications to diverse fields such as wireless communications, cognitive radars, adaptive beamforming, holographic imaging.

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Space-time-coding digital metasurfaces

Carbon-based composites have gained extensive attention as microwave absorbing materials due to the lighter weight compared with other materials. In this work, Co/C nanocomposites with Co nanoparticles uniformly distributed in amorphous carbon sheets are prepared by a freezing dry and carbothermic reduction process. Hierarchical porous microstructures (micropores, mesopores, macropores) are achieved by ice template and huge amounts of gas during carbothermal reduction. Excellent absorption performance is achieved at a very low Co/C content (10% and 15%), which is a great success to design ultralight absorbers. At 10% content level, the effective absorption bandwidth is 5.0 GHz with a thin thickness of 1.8 mm, while the absorption bandwidth is 4.7 GHz with a thin thickness of 1.5 mm at 15% Co/C content level. The excellent absorption performance is attributed to excellent impedance matching resulting from synergy of cobalt and carbon and strong interfacial polarization induced by the hierarchical porous microstructures. This work provides a new pathway of designing ultralight absorbers with the advantage of thin thickness and wide bandwidth. Excellent absorption performance is achieved at only 10% Co/C content level, a success to design ultralight absorbers.

Hierarchically porous Co/C nanocomposites for ultralight high-performance microwave absorption

Metasurfaces are ultrathin metamaterials consisting of planar electromagnetic (EM) microstructures (e.g., meta-atoms) with pre-determined EM responses arranged in specific sequences. Based on careful structural designs on both meta-atoms and global sequences, one can realize homogenous and inhomogeneous metasurfaces that can possess exceptional capabilities to manipulate EM waves, serving as ideal candidates to realize ultracompact and highly efficient EM devices for next-generation integration-optics applications. In this paper, we present an overview on the development of metasurfaces, including both homogeneous and inhomogeneous ones, focusing particularly on their working principles, the fascinating wave-manipulation effects achieved both statically and dynamically, and the representative applications so far realized. Finally, we also present our own perspectives on possible future directions of this fast-developing research field in the conclusion.

Electromagnetic metasurfaces: physics and applications

Intelligence at either the material or metamaterial level is a goal that researchers have been pursuing. From passive to active, metasurfaces have been developed to be programmable to dynamically and arbitrarily manipulate electromagnetic (EM) wavefields. However, the programmable metasurfaces require manual control to switch among different functionalities. Here, we put forth a smart metasurface that has self-adaptively reprogrammable functionalities without human participation. The smart metasurface is capable of sensing ambient environments by integrating an additional sensor(s) and can adaptively adjust its EM operational functionality through an unmanned sensing feedback system. As an illustrative example, we experimentally develop a motion-sensitive smart metasurface integrated with a three-axis gyroscope, which can adjust self-adaptively the EM radiation beams via different rotations of the metasurface. We develop an online feedback algorithm as the control software to make the smart metasurface achieve single-beam and multibeam steering and other dynamic reactions adaptively. The proposed metasurface is extendable to other physical sensors to detect the humidity, temperature, illuminating light, and so on. Our strategy will open up a new avenue for future unmanned devices that are consistent with the ambient environment.

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Smart metasurface with self-adaptively reprogrammable functions

There is an increasing need to remotely monitor people in daily life using radio-frequency probe signals. However, conventional systems can hardly be deployed in real-world settings since they typically require objects to either deliberately cooperate or carry a wireless active device or identification tag. To accomplish complicated successive tasks using a single device in real time, we propose the simultaneous use of a smart metasurface imager and recognizer, empowered by a network of artificial neural networks (ANNs) for adaptively controlling data flow. Here, three ANNs are employed in an integrated hierarchy, transforming measured microwave data into images of the whole human body, classifying specifically designated spots (hand and chest) within the whole image, and recognizing human hand signs instantly at a Wi-Fi frequency of 2.4 GHz. Instantaneous in situ full-scene imaging and adaptive recognition of hand signs and vital signs of multiple non-cooperative people were experimentally demonstrated. We also show that the proposed intelligent metasurface system works well even when it is passively excited by stray Wi-Fi signals that ubiquitously exist in our daily lives. The reported strategy could open up a new avenue for future smart cities, smart homes, human-device interaction interfaces, health monitoring, and safety screening free of visual privacy issues. Combining radio-frequency imaging with artificial intelligence could make it easier for computers to interact with individuals using non-verbal cues, such as sign language. Lianlin Li from Peking University in Beijing, China and Tie Jun Cui from Southeast University in Nanjing, China, and co-workers fabricated a meter-scale flat panel containing ‘meta-atoms’, tiny electronic devices that manipulate the phases of light waves, arranged in a grid-like pattern. By emitting microwave signals or manipulating stray Wi-Fi signals and detecting echoes bounced back, the metasurface can collect high-resolution imaging data on multiple non-cooperative subjects, even those behind solid walls. The teams fed the microwave data to a series of artificial intelligence algorithms that first identify human shapes, modify signal distributions to better focus on specific body parts, and recognize people's hand signs and vital signs . Experiments showed this setup could continuously monitor hand signals and breathing, even using stray Wi-Fi signals that ubiquitously exist in the daily lives.

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Intelligent metasurface imager and recognizer.

Transmission-Reflection-Integrated Multifunctional Coding Metasurface for Full-Space Controls of Electromagnetic Waves

Over the past 5 years, digital coding and programmable metamaterials have been developed rapidly since their first exhibition in 2014. The iconic feature of the digital coding metamaterial is using digital codes like “0” and “1” to represent the distinct electromagnetic (EM) responses. This seemingly trivial progress has successfully reform the design theory from the effective medium to coding patterns, bridging the physical world and digital information world. More interestingly, beyond the simple coding on the parameters or patterns, the digital coding metamaterials are more intend to introduce the concept of direct interactions and operations of digital information within EM fields, to realize information processing, transmission or recognition. To accurately exhibit the informational specialties, we classify the coding metamaterials, digital metamaterials and programmable metamaterials, as well as other information-operating metamaterials, as information metamaterials. In this review article, we firstly introduce the digital coding concept, working mechanism, and related design methods. Then, three important theories including the scattering pattern calculation, convolution operation, and entropy of digital coding metamaterials, are discussed in details. Finally we introduce several system-level works based on the information metamaterials, such as the new-architecture wireless communication systems and reprogrammable imaging systems, to show the powerful manipulation capabilities of information metamaterials. As the next generation of information metamaterials, two proof-of-concept smart metamaterials and their advanced architectures are discussed. In the summary, the development track of information metamaterials and future trends are presented.

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Information Metamaterials: bridging the physical world and digital world

Coding metasurfaces are aimed at representing digital information of the metasurface, usually by programing digital unit cells to control electromagnetic waves. However, some information sequences cannot be recognized by the receiver, because of nonorthogonality of the usual phase codes. Here, new coding method is proposed to encode information with orthogonal parameters in the emitting beam, which reduces information loss in the system. A vector beam modulator is proposed by combining orthogonal polarizations and orbital angular momentum (OAM) modes. A normal incident wave can be modulated by OAM-mode bit and polarization bit, which are regarded as specific information by the receiver. A polarization converter is used to realize the polarization selection (polarization bit) and phase control, independently. The phase patterns on the coding metasurfaces can be programed to realize the designed OAM modes (OAM bits) in the microwave frequency. Three schemes are presented to emit multiple OAM modes in dual polarizations, one of which is manufactured and measured for near and far fields. The simulations and experiments are in outstanding agreement, verifying the excellent performance of the proposed schemes. This work has great potential in communication applications of coding metasurfaces.

Qian Ma

Papers

Smart metasurface with self-adaptively reprogrammable functions

Intelligent metasurface imager and recognizer.

Transmission-Reflection-Integrated Multifunctional Coding Metasurface for Full-Space Controls of Electromagnetic Waves

Information Metamaterials: bridging the physical world and digital world

Beam‐Editing Coding Metasurfaces Based on Polarization Bit and Orbital‐Angular‐Momentum‐Mode Bit