A butterfly metasurface with efficient multi-functional polarization conversion operating in the Ku-Ka band.

Journal: Scientific Reports
Published:
Abstract

A highly efficient and multi-functional butterfly polarization conversion metasurface is proposed for the Ku-Ka frequency range, designed to reduce the radar cross-section. The suggested converter enables dual frequency bands linear-to-cross (LX) and linear-to-circular (LC) polarization transformations. The efficiency of cross-polarization conversion exceeds 90% over the frequency ranges of 14.57-16.30 GHz and 25.70-37.03 GHz, with relative bandwidths of 11% and 36%, respectively. Reflections of left-hand (LHCP) and right-hand circularly polarized (RHCP) waves are realized within the frequency ranges of 17.78-25.31 GHz and 37.38-37.73 GHz, with relative bandwidths of 35% and 0.9%. The oblique incidence significantly affects the metasurface conversion performance, and the proposed model manifests angular robustness up to 60°. Additionally, the butterfly metasurfaces are deployed in a triangular chessboard configuration to achieve radar cross section (RCS) reduction spanning the frequency bands of 14-15.17 GHz, 24.60-35.20 GHz, and 36.30-38 GHz. Drawing from simulation results and test-based validation data, the proposed converter holds promising applications in wireless communication, antenna engineering, and radar stealth.

Authors
Haoyu Zhang, Lijian Zhang, Peng Song, Yunhong Li, Chuang Gao, Penghui Xin, Tian Liu