Reflective one-to-multi-polarization conversion via separate control of phase and magnitude.

Abstract

Polarization manipulation is a key issue in electromagnetic (EM) research. Research on 90° polarization rotators and circularly-polarized wave generators has been widely conducted. In this study, a polarization conversion metasurface that can shift one linearly-polarized EM wave into multi-polarization outgoing waves at certain frequencies is demonstrated, including co-, cross-, left-hand, and right-hand circular-polarization components. The surface was made of periodically arranged chiral meta-atoms. The polarization manipulation method is based on the independent control of phase and magnitude, in which the phase control is based on the Berry-phase theory of linearly-polarized EM waves, while the magnitude control is based on the cavity mode theory of the microstrip structure. Both eigenmode analysis (EMA) and characteristic mode analysis (CMA) were utilized for magnitude control, which was further verified by the surface current distribution. Finally, the metasurface was fabricated and measured, showing good agreement between the measured and simulated results. This research proposed what we believe to be a novel polarization method, which can be potentially applied in polarization manipulation, EM radiation, filters, wireless sensors, etc., over a frequency range from optics to microwave bands.