1 Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing 210003, China; 2 Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, College of Optoelectronic Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
Abstract A broadband polarization-independent terahertz multifunctional coding metasurface based on topological optimization using liquid crystal (LC) is proposed. The metasurface can achieve reconfigurability for beam steering and vortex beam generation within a frequency range of 0.68 THz-0.72 THz. Firstly, the metasurface unit is topologically optimized using the non-dominant sequencing genetic algorithms (NSGA-II) multi-objective optimization algorithm. By applying the LC's electrically tunable refractive index properties, the metasurface unit enables polarization-independent 2-bit coding within a frequency range of 0.68 THz-0.72 THz. Then, based on the designed metasurface unit, the array arrangement of the metasurface is reverse-designed to achieve beam steering and vortex beam generation. The results show that, for beam steering, not only can polarization-independent steering of both single- and multi-beam be achieved within the 35 elevation angle range, but also independent control of the target angle of each beam in the multi-beam steering. For vortex beam generation, the metasurfaces can achieve the generation of single- and multi-vortex beams with topological charges , within the 35 elevation angle range, and the generation angles of each vortex beam in the multi-vortex beam can be independently controlled. This provides flexibility and diversity in the generation of vortex beams. Therefore, the proposed terahertz LC metasurface can realize flexible control of reconfigurable functions and has certain application prospects in terahertz communication, phased array radar, and vortex radar.
Fund: Project supported by the Open Fund of Wuhan National Research Center for Optoelectronics (Grant No. 2022WNLOKF012) and the National College Students Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program (Grant No. 2023102930147).
Corresponding Authors:
Pei-Li Li
E-mail: lipl@njupt.edu.cn
Cite this article:
Yu Chen(陈羽), Wu-Hao Cao(曹吴昊), Jia-Qi Li(李嘉琦), Ming-Zhe Zhang(张明哲), Xin-Yi Du(杜欣怡), Ding-Shan Gao(郜定山), and Pei-Li Li(李培丽) Broadband polarization-independent terahertz multifunctional liquid crystal coding metasurface based on topological optimization 2025 Chin. Phys. B 34 044205
[1] Cui T J, Qi M Q, Wan X, et al. 2014 Light: Science & Applications 3 218 [2] Lai P T, Li Z L, Wang W, et al. 2022 Chin. Phys. B 31 098102 [3] Yu J Y, Zheng Q R, Zhang B, et al. 2022 Chin. Phys. B 31 090704 [4] Hong J, Ni M Y, Zhang Z P, Hu Z D, Wang J C, Shen X P, Wang X, Li M M and Khakhomov Sergei 2024 Nanophotonics 14 13 [5] Zhang B L, Hu Z D, Wu J J, et al. 2023 Opt. Lett. 48 2409 [6] Bai T R, Li Q, Wang Y Q, et al. 2021 Opt. Express 29 25270 [7] Jing X F, Ke Y H, Tian Y, et al. 2020 IEEE Access 8 164795 [8] Hu X L, Yang Q L, Ba L L, et al. 2023 Opt. Lett. 48 908 [9] Ba L L, Yang Q L, Yang J C, et al. 2024 Opt. Lett. 49 5075 [10] Liu C X, Yang F, Fu X J, et al. 2021 Adv. Opt. Mater. 9 2100932 [11] Si L M, Tang P C and Lv X 2022 ZTE Technology 28 13 [12] Zhang H, Huang J, Tian M, et al. 2023 Opt. Commun. 527 128958 [13] Zhang Y J, Luan J Q, Li C L, et al. 2024 Acta Opt. Sin. 44 1124002 [14] Luan J Q, Zhang Y J, Chen Y, et al. 2024 Acta Phys. Sin. 73 144204 (in Chinese) [15] Lv E P, Wang W G, Liu S Y, Pan T Y, Zhu C X and Wang H M 2023 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics (CLEO) pp. 1-2 [16] Wang W G, Lv E P, Hou Y Z, et al. 2022 Asia Communications and Photonics Conference (ACP) 50 [17] Cheng G, Si L M, Tang P C, et al. 2022 Opt. Express 30 41340 [18] Zhao S D, Zhang L N, Han P, et al. 2024 Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany) 20 2308349 [19] Han D, Ma Z Y, Wang J L, et al. 2022 Chin. J. Lasers 49 1714001 [20] Sui S, Ma H, Wang J F, et al. 2019 J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 52 035103 [21] Deng G, Hu H, Mo H, et al. 2022 Opt. Express 30 22550 [22] Gao S, Yang J, Wang P, et al. 2018 Appl. Sci. 8 2528 [23] Zhang G Z, Li K W, Xu L, et al. 2024 IEEE Antennas and Wireless Propagation Letters 23 2066 [24] Li G Q, Shi H Y, Liu K, et al. 2021 Acta Phys. Sin. 70 188701 (in Chinese)
Altmetric calculates a score based on the online attention an article receives. Each coloured thread in the circle represents a different type of online attention. The number in the centre is the Altmetric score. Social media and mainstream news media are the main sources that calculate the score. Reference managers such as Mendeley are also tracked but do not contribute to the score. Older articles often score higher because they have had more time to get noticed. To account for this, Altmetric has included the context data for other articles of a similar age.
