Manipulation of polarization-dependent electromagnetic wavefront via anisotropic metasurfaces

Abstract

Metasurfaces have garnered significant attention in recent years for their ability to manipulate electromagnetic (EM) wave propagation, owing to their high design flexibility, low profiles, and ease of fabrication. This study proposes the use of polarization-dependent anisotropic metasurfaces to manipulate the phase of orthogonal linearly polarized EM waves, enabling polarization multiplexing with distinct functionalities based on incident polarizations. Additionally, the proposed metasurfaces enable the generation of single pencil beams, multiple pencil beams, circularly and elliptically shaped radiation beams, offering versatile polarization manipulation capabilities. The radiation theory of planar array antennas was employed to predict the far-field patterns of the metasurfaces, demonstrating satisfactory agreement with simulated results and affirming the feasibility of the proposed method. The ability of focusing the incoming EM wave into a focal point or multi focal points and generating vortex beam carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) under the incidence of orthogonal linearly polarized waves are also demonstrated by the proposed anisotropic metasurfaces. This proposed metasurfaces pave the way for the development of multifunctional metadevices capable of advanced EM regulation through polarization and phase modulations in free space, with potential applications in wireless communication, imaging, and radar systems.