2-bit Patcharatnam-Berry metasurfaces with orbital angular momentum generation, interference and cancellation for broadband RCS reduction

Abstract

The radar cross-section (RCS) reduction using non-absorbing digital Patcharatnam-Berry (PB) metasurfaces (MSs), consisting of 2-bit modules with generation, interference and cancellation of vortex electromagnetic waves with orbital angular momentum (OAM) is studied. Each module has a helical PB-phase profile and possesses vortex scattering. Module unit cells contain a shielded dielectric substrate and meta-particles in the form of triple-coupled split-ring resonators. The modules are distinguished by 2-bit coding of the initial tilt angle of the meta-particles 0º, 45º, 90º and 135º. The purpose of the work is to numerically analyze the generation of antiphase vortex beams (VBs) by OAM-modules and to assess the influence of interference and cancellation of antiphase vortices on the structure and order of OAM in the resulting field and the RCS reduction of three digital MSs in the form of 2´2 lattice of 2-bit OAM-modules of different sizes with different topological charges. The scattering characteristics are studied using HFSS for normally incident circularly polarized waves using of the finite element method. The simulation showed that the interference of phase vortices of four OAM-modules forms the main axial vortex and N additional interference side near and far vortices (N depends on the size of the MS). Interference vortex beams create phase singularities and zero the resulting far field in N side directions over the entire forward hemisphere. The intense OAM modes of the main vortex beams are of the fourth or eighth order. The OAM modes of adjacent interference VBs, as a rule, differ in sign. The proposed 2-bit MSs provide wider-angle phase cancellation of vortex fields (compared to 1-bit MSs) and, as a consequence, wider-angle diffuse scattering of the resulting field of the MS, which is important for RCS reduction.