Power screw-assisted reconfigurable reflective metasurface with spatial modulation

Abstract

Reconfigurable reflective metasurfaces (RRMs) have garnered significant attention due to their capability to control reflection characteristics. While conventional metasurfaces manipulate the phase and amplitude of the reflected beam through the arrangement of sub-wavelength scatterers in a periodic array, achieving dynamic manipulation typically necessitates external stimuli. Alternatively, spatial modulation within a metasurface introduces gaps in the metastrips, enabling a spatial phase shift across the reflected beam and facilitating real-time beam steering and shaping. This paper proposes a novel power screw-assisted reconfigurable reflective metasurface for achieving beam control and spatial modulation. The design integrates a power screw into the metasurface structure, providing controlled displacement and continuous beam scanning capabilities. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed metasurface can scan from ±32° to ±15° at 28 GHz. Unlike current designs requiring complex external control systems for beam scanning, this approach offers a simpler yet powerful method for real-time control of the reflected beam. The novelty of this work lies in the integration of the power screw mechanism, presenting a promising advancement in the field of reconfigurable reflective metasurfaces with potential applications in communication systems, energy harvesting, and adaptive optics. © 2024 Elsevier Ltd