Interlayer coupled dual-layer metagratings for broadband and high-efficiency anomalous reflection

Abstract

Recent progress in metagratings highlights the promise of high-performance wavefront engineering devices, notably for their exterior capability to steer beams with near-unitary efficiency. However, the narrow operating bandwidth of conventional metagratings remains a significant limitation. Here, we propose and experimentally demonstrate a dual-layer metagrating, incorporating enhanced interlayer couplings to realize high-efficiency and broadband anomalous reflection within the microwave frequency band. The metagrating facilitated by both intralayer and interlayer couplings is designed through the combination of eigenmode expansion (EME) algorithm and particle swarm optimization (PSO) to significantly streamline the computational process. Our metagrating demonstrates the capacity to reroute a normally incident wave to +1 order diffraction direction across a broad spectrum, achieving an average efficiency approximately 90% within the 14.7 to 18 GHz range. This study may pave the way for future applications in sophisticated beam manipulations, including spatial dispersive devices, by harnessing the intricate dynamics of multi-layer metagratings with complex interlayer and intralayer interactions.