A reconfigurable linear polarizer integrated with four critical linear polarizations

This paper presents a metasurface based reconfigurable transmissive linear polarizer (TLP) that demonstrates four critical polarization states: 0°, ± 45°, and 90°, with a polarization angle error of ± 10% or less across different states. The polarizer comprises a partially reflective surface (PRS), a polarization deflection surface (PDS), and a polarization selection surface (PSS). The switching among these four polarization states is achieved by controlling the surface currents on the PDS and PSS using PIN diodes, in conjunction with the functional interplay of each layer. Layer-by-layer design guidelines are provided, elucidating the polarization conversion mechanism. A prototype has been successfully fabricated and tested, with the measurement results exhibiting good agreement with the simulation outcomes. The measurements reveal that, upon illumination by an x-polarized wave, the polarizer can perform four distinct functionalities within an overlapping bandwidth of 2.2–2.6 GHz (16.7%), maintaining a transmission coefficient above − 3 dB across this entire frequency range. This polarizer serves as a valuable reference for polarization control technology in single-polarized antennas, holding promising potential for applications in fields such as wireless communication and electronic countermeasures.