Achieving flexible low-scattering metasurface based on randomly distribution of meta-elements

Area of Science:

• Electromagnetics and Metamaterials
• Microwave Engineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• Metasurfaces offer unique electromagnetic wave manipulation capabilities.
• Achieving broadband low-scattering and flexibility simultaneously presents a significant challenge in stealth technology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and realize a flexible low-scattering metasurface with broadband backward scattering reduction.
• To investigate the impact of randomly distributed meta-elements with variable sizes on scattering properties.

Main Methods:

• Design and fabrication of a flexible metasurface composed of printed metallic element films on a flexible substrate.
• Utilizing '#' shaped meta-elements with varying dimensions to control reflection phase.
• Experimental measurement in the microwave domain to evaluate radar cross section (RCS) reduction.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated a diffuse reflection surface with broadband backward low-scattering property.
• Achieved a 10dB radar cross section (RCS) reduction across the X-band.
• The metasurface exhibited only 1/8 working wavelength thickness when applied to metallic plates or cylinders.

Conclusions:

• The proposed flexible metasurface effectively reduces radar scattering across a broad bandwidth.
• The design is potentially applicable to other frequency bands and valuable for electromagnetic (EM) stealth technology.