Polarization induced reconfigurable multiple OAM vortex waves through a composite meta-surface beam former

Area of Science:

• Electromagnetics and Optics
• Metamaterials Engineering

Background:

• Orbital Angular Momentum (OAM) vortex waves offer potential for increased communication capacity.
• Generating multiple, reconfigurable OAM states efficiently remains a challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate a composite meta-surface beam former capable of generating reconfigurable multiple OAM vortex waves.
• To explore the use of polarization conversion meta-mirrors and multi-functional anisotropic meta-lenses for OAM wave generation.

Main Methods:

• Integration of a polarization conversion meta-mirror with a multi-functional anisotropic meta-lens.
• Utilizing reflected electromagnetic fields from the meta-mirror and transmission through the meta-lens.
• Investigating the effect of meta-mirror rotation and active circuit integration for varied polarized illuminations.

Main Results:

• Successful generation of well-converged OAM vortex waves with tailored beam numbers, radiation directions, and topological charges.
• Demonstration of reconfigurable multiple OAM vortex wave generation by exploiting the anisotropic properties of the meta-lens.
• Achieved distinct OAM vortex wave patterns through controlled illumination polarization and meta-mirror configurations.

Conclusions:

• The developed composite meta-surface beam former enables reconfigurable generation of multiple OAM vortex waves.
• This approach provides a pathway to significantly expand communication capacity.
• The design offers a versatile platform for advanced OAM wave manipulation.