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Scale-Invariant Waveguiding in Flatland
Zhixia Xu1, Shuo Bao1, Massimo Moccia2
1State Key Laboratory of Millimeter Waves Southeast University Nanjing China.
Exploration (Beijing, China)
|March 11, 2026
Summary
We introduce scale-invariant surface waveguiding using electromagnetic metasurfaces. This design achieves uniform modal fields and an invariant effective index, regardless of core width, for advanced flat optics and communications.
Area of Science:
- Metamaterials and Nanophotonics
- Electromagnetics and Optics
Background:
- Electromagnetic metasurfaces guide surface waves via surface impedance modulation.
- Conventional metasurface waveguides exhibit nonuniform modal distributions and size-dependent effective indices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce scale-invariant surface waveguiding in metasurfaces.
- To achieve uniform modal field distribution and core-width-invariant effective index.
Main Methods:
- Leveraging spatial symmetry and bound-leaky mode profiles.
- Designing metasurface waveguides with tailored in-plane mode profiles.
- Investigating capacitive, inductive, and capacitive-inductive scenarios.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated metasurface waveguides with uniform core region modal fields.
- Achieved effective index invariant to core width.
- Validated theoretical predictions with microwave prototype experiments.
Conclusions:
- Scale-invariant surface waveguiding is achievable in metasurfaces.
- This approach offers potential for flat optics, sensing, and communications.
- The findings extend dielectric waveguide advancements to planar electromagnetic systems.
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