Terahertz smart dynamic and active functional electromagnetic metasurfaces and their applications

Area of Science:

• Electromagnetism
• Materials Science
• Applied Physics

Background:

• The terahertz (THz) frequency band is crucial for emerging applications like communication, imaging, and sensing.
• Metasurfaces, engineered sub-wavelength structures, offer unique capabilities for manipulating THz waves.
• Conventional materials have limitations in controlling THz waves dynamically.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an overview of the development of active and dynamic functional electromagnetic metasurfaces for THz applications.
• To highlight recent advancements and applications of active metasurfaces in the THz band.
• To discuss the future potential of intelligent metasurfaces integrated with digitalization and coding.

Main Methods:

• Reviewing and citing various types of active metasurfaces and their components (e.g., diode arrays, 2D materials, phase transition films).
• Analyzing the interaction of metasurfaces with THz waves.
• Exploring the integration of active metasurfaces with digital and coding technologies.

Main Results:

• Active metasurfaces overcome limitations of bulk materials for compact THz devices.
• Demonstrated applications include multi-functional antennas, diffractive devices, high-speed data transmission, and high-resolution imaging.
• Active metasurfaces offer enhanced control over THz wave modulation.

Conclusions:

• Active metasurfaces are key enablers for advanced THz technologies.
• Future intelligent metasurfaces will lead to smarter THz systems.
• Potential applications include smart beam scanning, automatic target recognition, and intelligent biological detection.