Intelligent reconfigurable metasurface for self-adaptively electromagnetic functionality switching

Abstract

Reconfigurable metasurfaces have attracted a deal of attention owing to their multifunctional and dynamic electromagnetic (EM) manipulation properties. However, most of the previous reconfigurable metasurfaces rely on manual control for function switching, which has huge limitations in practical application. Here, an intelligent metasurface with the self-adaptively EM manipulation capability is proposed. It integrates the sensing-and-feedback components to construct a closed-loop system, which can automatically adjust EM functionalities for the different incident power information. The sensing module in this metasurface can first perceive the incident EM power intensity and then provide the feedback signal to the field programmable gate array controlling platform that can send the corresponding instruction to the executing material for switching the EM functionality among transmission, reflection, and tunable absorption. Good self-adaptive reaction capability and practicability of the proposed metasurface have been demonstrated by the experiment. It has the capability of making a real-time response with adaptive EM behavior to the varying incoming wave power without the aid of human beings. Our design provides an avenue toward intelligent and cognitive metasurfaces, which has extensive application prospects in smart skin, intelligent absorber, and the related EM fields.