Radar Cross Section Reduction Research Articles

Wideband radar cross-section reduction by a double-layer-plasma-based metasurface

Reduction of the radar cross-section (RCS) is the key to stealth technology. To improve the RCS reduction effect of the designed checkerboard metasurface and overcome the limitation of thin-layer plasma in RCS reduction technology, a double-layer-plasma-based metasurface—composed of a checkerboard metasurface, a double-layer plasma and an air gap between them—was investigated. Based on the principle of backscattering cancellation, we designed a checkerboard metasurface composed of different artificial magnetic conductor units; the checkerboard metasurface can reflect vertically incident electromagnetic (EM) waves in four different inclined directions to reduce the RCS. Full-wave simulations confirm that the double-layer-plasma-based metasurface can improve the RCS reduction effect of the metasurface and the plasma. This is because in a band lower than the working band of the metasurface, the RCS reduction effect is mainly improved by the plasma layer. In the working band of the metasurface, impedance mismatching between the air gap and first plasma layer and between first and second plasma layers cause the scattered waves to become more dispersed, so the propagation path of the EM waves in the plasma becomes longer, increasing the absorption of the EM waves by the plasma. Thus, the RCS reduction effect is enhanced. The double-layer-plasma-based metasurface can be insensitive to the polarization of the incoming EM waves, and can also maintain a satisfactory RCS reduction band when the incident waves are oblique.

Terahertz VO2-Based Dynamic Coding Metasurface for Dual-Polarized, Dual-Band, and Wide-Angle RCS Reduction

With the rapid development of terahertz radar technology, the electromagnetic device for terahertz radar cross-section (RCS) reduction is worth investigating. However, the existing research concentrates on the RCS reduction metasurface with fixed performance working in the microwave band. This paper proposes a terahertz dynamic coding metasurface integrated with vanadium dioxide (VO2) for dual-polarized, dual-band, and wide-angle RCS reduction. The simulation result indicates that by switching the state of the VO2 between insulator and metal, the metasurface can realize the effective RCS reduction at 0.18 THz to 0.24 THz and 0.21 THz to 0.39 THz under the left-handed and right-handed circularly polarized incident waves. When the polar and azimuth angles of the incident wave vary from 0° to 40° and 0° to 360° respectively, this metasurface can maintain a 10 dB RCS reduction. This work has potential value in the terahertz stealth field.

RCS-reduced patch antenna with wide frequency tuning range based on absorbing metasurface

A frequency-tunable patch antenna with reduced radar cross section (RCS) based on absorbing metamaterial is proposed. By controlling the external voltage of the varactor diodes, the working frequency of the patch can be adjusted. Through an investigation of the composite structure of the patch and absorbing metamaterial, RCS reduction is achieved over the entire wide tunable frequency range of the antenna. Measured results illustrate that the proposed patch antenna can dynamically operate in the range from 2.28 to 3.6 GHz with a gain variation of 7.1–8.7 dBi. Meanwhile, the RCS can be reduced by at least 7 dB and up to 20 dB in a fractional bandwidth of 44.9% of the antenna under a normal incidence. In comparison to conventional RCS-reduced antennas, the proposed one features a broader frequency tuning range and has potential value in wideband radar systems under complex electromagnetic interference environments.

Ultra-wideband radar cross section reduction achieved by an absorptive coding metasurface

Ultra-wideband radar cross section reduction achieved by an absorptive coding metasurface

Multi-function digital THz-metasurfaces based on phase change materials

An effective and digitally tunable reflective multi-function metasurface in the THz band is proposed. The introduced planar structure consists of an array of a well-designed double-split SRR (DSSRR) utilizing phase-change materials (PCMs) in the gap regions, leading to the controllable function of the metasurface due to the tuning of the crystallization level of PCMs. According to Pancharatnam-Berry's principle, this effect creates different electromagnetic responses only by employing two types of unit cells (bit-0 and bit-1) based on the proper addressing of the PCMs in the structure. It is reported that by digitally changing the coding sequence of the metasurface, it is individually capable of performing different functions such as polarization rotation, beam steering, and RCS reduction. The computational results have been verified by appropriate analytical equivalent electric-circuit modeling and the theory of antenna-arrays. The studied planar-structure with its tunable and coding properties might be suggested for advanced applications in THz sensing, communications, and imaging systems.

Frequency selective rasorber based on cross bend resonators for wideband transmission and absorption

Abstract The wideband absorption and transmission of frequency-selective rasorber (FSR) remain a persistent challenge in the application of radar devices. In this article, a novel high performance wideband FSR design based on cross bend resonators (CBR) was proposed. The FSR consists of an upper absorption lossy layer, which offers broad absorption and transmission bands, and a lower bandpass frequency-selective surface (FSS) that enables a highly selective transmission of incident electromagnetic wave. Full wave simulation results showed that this novel design achieves an absorption bandwidth of 83.7% with more than 90% absorptivity in the frequency range of 5.2-12.7 GHz. Furthermore, the passband's fractional bandwidth (FBW) for the insertion loss (IL) less than -3 dB is 33.9%, ranging from 14.9 to 21 GHz, with the minimum IL recorded at 0.69 dB at 17.7 GHz. To further verify the proposed method, a prototype FSR with 10×10 units of 120 mm×120 mm was fabricated and the performance of the FSR was tested. The experiment results were in good agreement with the simulated results, and it showed a significant monostatic radar cross-section (RCS) reduction in the frequency range of 5.3 GHz to 18.3 GHz compared with a metallic plane of the same size.

Noninvasive inset-integrated meta-atom for achieving single-layer metasurface simultaneously with coded microwave reflectivity and digitalized infrared emissivity

Abstract With the rapid improvement of equipment integration technology, multi-spectrum detectors are integrated into compact volumes and widely used for object detection. Confront with this challenge, it is essential to propose a strategy to design a single-layer metasurface with multi-spectrum responses in microwave and infrared ranges. In this work, we proposed a method of designing meta-atoms, which is capable of achieving functional electromagnetic response at microwave and infrared individually. As a demonstration, a metasurface with four different occupation ratios and coding permutation features is designed, fabricated, and tested. In the microwave band, the pixel meta-atom is designed to realize highly efficient cross-polarization conversion between 5.0 and 10.0 GHz, which shows the metasurface can behave as ultra-low Radar Cross Section (RCS) reflectors in the working band; In the infrared band, different occupation ratio of meta-atoms are designed to realize the infrared emissivity from 0.60 to 0.80 in 3–14 μm, which can be used to exhibit digital infrared camouflage pattern. This work promotes the ability to use single-layer design to achieve digital infrared camouflage and microwave RCS reduction simultaneously. The one-layer design is simple in geometry, simplified in process, low cost in economy, and large scale in fabrication, which can promote practical use in compatible microwave stealth and infrared camouflage.

Ultra-thin wideband frequency tunable metamaterial absorber and its application for antenna radar cross section reduction

A metamaterial absorber (MMA) with broadband and efficient absorption performance based on ultra-thin dielectric layer is proposed. In this unique configuration, the absorption frequency of the MMA can be continuously and dynamically tuned across a wide frequency range by manipulating the reverse voltage of the central varactor diode. From both the equivalent circuit and field distribution perspectives, we analyze the mechanisms behind broadband tuning and superior absorption. Simulation and experimental results demonstrate that the absorption peak of MMA can be continuously tuned over a range of 5.16–8.16 GHz, with the absorption rate consistently exceeding 90%, and the thickness is only 0.5 mm. Integrating MMA array with a microstrip patch antenna in a suitable manner can dynamically mitigates the radar cross section (RCS) within the associated frequency range, with virtually negligible impact on the antenna’s radiation performance.

Reconfigurable water-based metamaterial with hybrid mechanism for backward-scattering reduction

A hybrid mechanism water-based metamaterial (HMWM) with polarization conversion, absorption and phase cancellation mechanisms is proposed in this paper. The absorption and polarization conversion mechanisms are integrated by combining the water layer with polarization conversion structure, and the absorption conversion rate reaches more than 90% in the dual band (4.0–4.7 GHz and 8.2–15.7 GHz). Based on the above mechanism, the phase cancellation mechanism makes use of the opposite phase between HMWM and its mirror structure for checkerboard configuration to reduce the wideband radar cross section (RCS) by 3–18 GHz, achieving wide-angle RCS reduction and polarization insensitivity. In addition, the model realizes stealth control by adjusting RCS reduction capability under different water layer conditions. The results of simulation and experiment agree well, which fully demonstrates that the HMWM has scattering suppression capability and has potential application in multifunctional metamaterial.

Ultra-wideband radar cross-section reduction achieved by means of diffusion and absorption

Ultra-wideband radar cross-section reduction achieved by means of diffusion and absorption

Dual-Polarization Conversion and Coding Metasurface for Wideband Radar Cross-Section Reduction

Modern stealth application systems require integrated meta-devices to operate effectively and have gained significant attention recently. This research paper proposes a 1-bit coding metasurface (CM) design. The fundamental component of the proposed CM is integrated to convert linearly polarized incoming electromagnetic waves into their orthogonal counterpart within frequency bands of 12.37–13.03 GHz and 18.96–32.37 GHz, achieving a polarization conversion ratio exceeding 99%. Furthermore, it enables linear-to-circular polarization conversion from 11.80 to 12.29, 13.17 to 18.44, and 33.33 to 40.35 GHz. A second element is produced by rotating a fundamental component by 90°, introducing a phase difference of π (pi) between them. Both elements are arranged in an array using a random aperiodic coding sequence to create a 1-bit CM for reducing the radar cross-section (RCS). The planar structure achieved over 10 dB RCS reduction for polarized waves in the frequency bands of 13.1–13.8 GHz and 20.4–30.9 GHz. A prototype was fabricated and tested, with the experimental results showing a good agreement with the simulated outcomes. The proposed design holds potential applications in radar systems, reflector antennas, stealth technologies, and satellite communication.

Diffusive metasurfaces based on transverse magnetized ferrite for reduction of radar cross section

Diffusive metasurfaces have attracted a great deal of interest in recent years for their promising radar cross section reduction ability. In this work, we proposed a methodology for designing non-tunable and tunable diffusive metasurfaces with transverse magnetized ferrite (TMF). The metasurfaces are two-dimensional arrays configured by metal plates and TMFs backed by metal plates, where the TMFs are functioned as perfect magnetic conductor and magnetic absorbers in lossless and lossy cases, respectively. The designed tunable metasurface allows for control of the operating frequency by adjusting the biased magnetic field, while the non-tunable version provides a wider operation band. This paper demonstrates that the ferrite-based metasurface have exotic stealth performance at microwave frequencies and offers a new approach to design stealth structures.

Sustainable chitosan derived 3D hierarchically porous carbon aerogel toward advanced infrared-radar compatibility

Simultaneously achieving infrared-radar compatibility in one material is an important challenge for multi-spectral compatible stealth technology. Chitosan-derived three-dimensional (3D) hierarchically porous carbon aerogel can effectively solve the problem. Inspired by floors-pillars concept, this work elaborately designed and successfully fabricated 3D skeletons consisted of two-dimensional (2D) sheets and one-dimensional (1D) struts. Benefiting from esterification and directional freeze drying method, the entire network could provide sufficient space for reducing thermal conductivity and motivating dipole polarization sites. Thanks to the facile calcination process, conductive components could be obtained, which guarantee low infrared (IR) emissivity and high conduction loss performance. In this work, the as-prepared carbon aerogel with ultra-low density of 0.005 g cm−3 exhibits superb infrared stealth property. It shows a low thermal conductivity coefficient of only 0.0933 W m−1 K−1. In addition, the heating rate of the upper surface is slow when placed on a heating platform of 60 °C. The relevant IR emissivity value is as low as 0.563 in 3–5 μm band and 0.432 in 8–14 μm band. Under relatively thin thicknesses, the prominent radar stealth performance including the optimum reflection loss value of −75.90 dB, the maximum effective bandwidth of 3.93 GHz, and the simulated radar cross section reduction value of 27.66 dB m2, can be obtained. This study not only introduces innovative design ideas but also offers technical approaches, facilitating further development in the realm of infrared-radar compatible stealth.

Ultra-wideband RCS reduction realized by a coding diffusion metasurface

In this study, a coding diffusion metasurface (CDMS) based on a circular-polarization (CP)-maintaining metasurface is proposed for radar cross-section (RCS) reduction. The CP-maintaining metasurface can achieve ultra-wideband CP-maintaining reflection, and its main reflection phase under CP incidence can be adjusted at will by the Pancharatnam-Berry phase generated by the rotation of its unit cell, so it can be used to design CDMS. Thus, based on the CP-maintaining metasurface, the 2-bit CDMS is proposed. The simulated and measured results demonstrate that the CDMS can achieve highly effective and ultra-wideband RCS reduction under arbitrarily polarized incidences, compared with a pure metallic plate of the same size, its RCS can be reduced by more than 10 dB under normal incidence in the ultra-wide frequency band of 7.1-33.6 GHz with a relative bandwidth of 130.2%; moreover, when the incident angle is increased to 40°, an ultra-wideband RCS reduction can still be achieved.

2-битные метаповерхности Патчаратнама-Берри с генерацией, интерференцией и гашением орбитального углового момента для широкополосного снижения ЭПР

The radar cross-section (RCS) reduction using non-absorbing digital Patcharatnam-Berry (PB) metasurfaces (MSs), consisting of 2-bit modules with generation, interference and cancellation of vortex electromagnetic waves with orbital angular momentum (OAM) is studied. Each module has a helical PB-phase profile and possesses vortex scattering. Module unit cells contain a shielded dielectric substrate and meta-particles in the form of triple-coupled split-ring resonators. The modules are distinguished by 2-bit coding of the initial tilt angle of the meta-particles 0º, 45º, 90º and 135º. The purpose of the work is to numerically analyze the generation of antiphase vortex beams (VBs) by OAM-modules and to assess the influence of interference and cancellation of antiphase vortices on the structure and order of OAM in the resulting field and the RCS reduction of three digital MSs in the form of 2´2 lattice of 2-bit OAM-modules of different sizes with different topological charges. The scattering characteristics are studied using HFSS for normally incident circularly polarized waves using of the finite element method. The simulation showed that the interference of phase vortices of four OAM-modules forms the main axial vortex and N additional interference side near and far vortices (N depends on the size of the MS). Interference vortex beams create phase singularities and zero the resulting far field in N side directions over the entire forward hemisphere. The intense OAM modes of the main vortex beams are of the fourth or eighth order. The OAM modes of adjacent interference VBs, as a rule, differ in sign. The proposed 2-bit MSs provide wider-angle phase cancellation of vortex fields (compared to 1-bit MSs) and, as a consequence, wider-angle diffuse scattering of the resulting field of the MS, which is important for RCS reduction.

Метаповерхности Патчаратнама-Берри с генерацией углового орбитального момента и комбинированным фазовым кодированием для широкополосного широкоугольного снижения ЭПР

The phase mechanism of a broadband wide-angle radar cross-section (RCS) reduction is examined, based on the use of non-absorbing Patcharatnam-Berry (PB) metasurfaces (MSs) with the generation of orbital angular momentum (OAM) and a combination of different phase profiles. MS unit cells contain a thin shielded single-layer substrate and meta-particles in the form of perforated rectangular patches with a coded rotation angle. The purpose of the work is to compare the scattering characteristics and scattered field cancelation efficiency for structural elements (modules) of a MS, consisting of the same number of meta-particles, but having different PB-phase profiles. A profile with an azimuthal gradient, which forms broadband scattering of vortex waves with OAM, profiles with radial and linear gradients and anomalous scattering, parabolic profiles with wide-angle scattering, and various combined phase profiles are analyzed. The purpose of the work is comparing the scattering characteristics. The MS modules scattering characteristics are studied using the HFSS (finite element method) for co-polarization and cross-polarization in the case of irradiation with a normally incident plane circular polarized wave. The simulation showed that the scattering diagrams of the co-polarized MS field in these cases have a funnel-shaped vortex character with an intense OAM minus the first order (the order of the OAM remains the same as for an MS with an azimuthal phase gradient). OAM generation significantly suppresses backscattering by co-polarization. The far-field phase in the vortex region depends not only on the azimuthal, but also on the meridional observation angles. The combination of OAM and parabolic profile increases the diffusion of broadband scattering, realizes a wider-angle scattering of the resulting field with a vortex opening angle of about 100° (at an average frequency of 14 GHz), which is important for RCS reduction.

Magnetic media synergistic carbon fiber@Ni/NiO composites for high-efficiency electromagnetic wave absorption

Electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorbing materials have garnered significant attention for their potential applications in information security and military stealth fields. However, the development of highly efficient EMW absorbing materials possessing characteristics such as being “thin, lightweight, broadband and strong” remains a considerable challenge. Addressing this challenge involves the construction of low-dimensional composite material systems, which proves to be an effective approach. Carbon fiber (CF) is highly regarded for its light weight. In this study, we developed a simple and innovative sol–gel strategy to fabricate CF@Ni/NiO composites. The results demonstrate that the incorporation of Ni/NiO particles into CF materials substantially enhances the ferromagnetic properties of CF@Ni/NiO composites. An optimum reflection loss (RL) of CF@Ni/NiO-3 is −55.58 dB at 15.4 GHz with a corresponding thickness of merely 1.7 mm. An effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) reaches a maximum of 6.0 GHz at a thickness of 1.8 mm. Meanwhile, the radar cross section (RCS) reduction value at 6 GHz reaches 29.92 dB m2. The uniform distribution of Ni/NiO nanoparticles not only establishes a magnetic coupling network but also creates abundant heterogeneous interfaces with CF, thereby enhancing interfacial polarization. The successful fabrication of CF@Ni/NiO composites will facilitate the development and broad application of advanced electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorption materials in the aviation and aerospace sectors.

Experimental and analytical analysis of conformal and polarization insensitive electromagnetic absorber

The study introduces an ultra-wideband polarization-insensitive conformal meta-absorber. The single meta-absorber unit cell comprises quad metallic-sectorial-resonators connected to a small octagonal metallic ring through quad-resistors. This unit cell is fabricated on a conformal 0.07 mm ultra-thin substrate followed by air-spacing and backed with a copper sheet. Notably, this structure achieves ‘near-to-unity’ absorption and a reflection coefficient of less than −20 dB for flat and conformal surfaces throughout the C and X frequency bands (5–13 GHz). Further, the investigation also explores equivalent circuit modeling (ECM) assisted by Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) for getting maximum bandwidth. Lastly, the structure is fabricated and systematically analyzed, and it shows excellent agreement with the simulations. This design can potentially be utilized for Electromagnetic Interference and Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMI-EMC), shielding, Radar cross-section (RCS) reductions, stealth, and biomedical and industrial applications.

Dielectric-magnetic synergistic construction of 2D FeCo/Co8FeS8/C composites for efficient electromagnetic wave capture

Nowadays, the issue of electromagnetic pollution has become increasingly prominent, underscoring the critical importance of developing high-performance microwave absorbers. This study put forwards the synthesis process of two-dimensional (2D) FeCo/Co8FeS8/C carbon nanosheets, wherein CoSO4 and FeCl3 serve as inorganic salt templates, and dopamine functions as the carbon source. FeCo alloy nanoparticles and Co8FeS8 nanoparticles are loaded on the surface of the carbon layer. 2D structure forms the conductive network, which proves advantages in establishing efficient electronic channels and minimizing conduction losses. The carbon component increases the dielectric constant of the composite and improves its impedance matching, and the FeCo alloy provides a certain ML. The synergistic effect between these components significantly contributes to the exceptional microwave absorption performance of the composites. Accordingly, the minimum reflection loss (RLmin) of FeCo/Co8FeS8/C composite reaches −47.4 dB, its effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) reaches 5.3 GHz. In particular, CST confirms that radar cross-section reduction value of FeCo/Co8FeS8/C composite can reach 20.2 dB m2 in the range of −90° < phi< 90°, indicating a high microwave attenuation ability. The study introduces a novel strategy for advancing the development of two-dimensional carbon-based absorption materials.

In-Band RCS Reduction Method for the Vivaldi Array Antennas Based on the Manipulation of the Antenna Mode Scattering Field

In-Band RCS Reduction Method for the Vivaldi Array Antennas Based on the Manipulation of the Antenna Mode Scattering Field