Arbitrarily rotating polarization direction and manipulating phases in linear and nonlinear ways using programmable...

Area of Science:

• Electromagnetism
• Materials Science
• Wave Physics

Background:

• Precise control over electromagnetic (EM) wave properties is essential for diverse technological applications.
• Programmable metasurfaces offer a powerful platform for advanced EM wave manipulation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel approach for arbitrary control of polarization direction and phase of reflected EM waves.
• To extend space-time-coding theory to include polarization for enhanced EM wave manipulation.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing a stacked programmable metasurface to control reflected wave properties.
• Incorporating polarization as an additional dimension within space-time-coding theory.
• Demonstrating applications including polarization rotation, phase manipulation, and beam steering.

Main Results:

• Arbitrary control of polarization and phase achieved in both linear and nonlinear regimes.
• Experimental validation shows good agreement with theoretical predictions and simulations.
• The proposed method offers an extra degree of freedom for EM wave manipulation.

Conclusions:

• The developed programmable metasurface approach enables flexible and independent control of EM wave polarization and phase.
• This technique has significant potential for applications in advanced imaging, data storage, and wireless communication systems.