Transmission type physical reconfigurable intelligent metasurface based on concave-convex embedded structure

Abstract

The invention provides a transmission type physical reconfigurable intelligent metasurface based on a concave-convex embedded structure. The intelligent metasurface is composed of a plurality of transmission units which can be spliced, and the physical edge of each unit is designed to be of a concave-convex structure which can be mutually embedded. And the adjacent units are directly and physically engaged and locked through the concave-convex edges, so that a complete concave-convex embedded array is formed. According to the design, mechanical self-supporting and fixing of the metasurface array can be realized without an additional dielectric substrate or a metal back plate for supporting. Each unit has a preset transmission electromagnetic response characteristic, transmission phase distribution of the metasurface can be flexibly reconstructed by changing splicing positions of different units in the array, and then dynamic regulation and control of transmission electromagnetic beams are achieved. According to the invention, high cost and high power consumption of a traditional electric control scheme are avoided, the problem that a support backboard shields transmission beams in an existing physical reconstruction scheme is solved, and the antenna has the characteristics of stable structure, flexibility in splicing, low cost and easiness in maintenance.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of novel artificial electromagnetic materials technology, specifically relating to a transmissive, physically reconfigurable smart metasurface based on a concave-convex interlocking structure. Background Technology

[0002] Reconfigurable electromagnetic metasurfaces, a revolutionary breakthrough in electromagnetic wavefront manipulation, have undergone a significant leap from static geometric design to dynamic intelligent control. Early research focused on achieving fixed electromagnetic responses through unit structure optimization. However, recent research teams have pioneered the theory of digitally coded metamaterials, introducing the concept of discrete mathematical coding into metasurface design for the first time. This theory quantifies the electromagnetic phase response of metasurface units into binary or multi-level coded states and uses semiconductor devices such as PIN diodes and varactor diodes to dynamically switch these coded states, successfully constructing intelligent metasurface systems that combine programmable electromagnetic properties with real-time beam control capabilities. This technology, through the design of specific coded sequence distributions, exhibits unique advantages in beamforming, wireless channel control, and other fields.

[0003] However, existing technologies still face core bottlenecks that urgently need to be overcome. Firstly, the high cost and complexity of electronic control: in active reconfigurable solutions, the large-scale integration of semiconductor switching devices leads to an exponential increase in unit structure complexity, resulting in high overall costs for individual functional units and requiring complex DC bias networks, severely restricting their application in low-cost, large-aperture scenarios. Secondly, static metasurfaces cannot be reused: while non-electrically tunable static metasurfaces are inexpensive to manufacture, their electromagnetic properties are fixed after manufacturing, failing to meet the adaptive requirements of modern wireless systems for dynamic environments.

[0004] Furthermore, existing physical reconstruction schemes have limitations: to address the contradiction between high cost and non-adjustability, some physically reconfigurable schemes have recently emerged that utilize magnetic attraction or adhesive bonding to reassemble cells on a metal backing plate. However, such schemes are mainly applicable to reflective metasurfaces because they must rely on a complete "cell attachment plate" (usually a metal or thick dielectric plate) as a physical support carrier. For transmissive metasurfaces, this opaque physical support plate severely blocks the penetration of electromagnetic waves, resulting in extremely high insertion loss. Therefore, how to achieve low-cost physical reconstruction of transmissive metasurfaces without introducing additional support structures that block electromagnetic wave propagation remains an unsolved problem in the current technological field. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to address the technical contradictions in existing smart metasurface technologies, namely, the high cost of electronic control schemes, the fixed functionality of traditional static schemes, and the inapplicability of existing physical reconstruction schemes to transmissive scenarios due to their reliance on backplate support. This invention provides a transmissive, physically reconfigurable smart metasurface based on a concave-convex interlocking structure. Through the edge structure of the units themselves, they interlock, achieving flexible reconstruction of the transmitted beam at low cost without the need for additional attachment plates.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: A transmissive, physically reconfigurable smart metasurface based on a concave-convex interlocking structure includes: multiple independent transmissive units with different or the same transmissive electromagnetic properties; each independent transmissive unit includes: a main structure for electromagnetic control, and a concave-convex interlocking structure disposed at the physical edge of the main structure for array fixation and expansion; adjacent independent transmissive units are directly physically interlocked and connected through their respective concave-convex interlocking structures, and spliced ​​together according to a preset arrangement pattern to form a mechanically self-supporting transmissive array that does not require additional substrate support.

[0007] Furthermore, the main structure includes: a dielectric substrate, and a metal pattern layer disposed on the upper surface, lower surface, or inner layer of the dielectric substrate; the main structure does not include a fully covered metal backplate to allow electromagnetic waves to pass through; the independent transmission unit changes the phase or amplitude response characteristics of the unit to transmitted electromagnetic waves by adjusting the parameters of the dielectric substrate (such as thickness and dielectric constant), the geometric dimensions of the metal pattern, and the number of metal pattern layers in the main structure.

[0008] Furthermore, the planar geometry of the main structure is a polygon capable of seamless planar splicing, including squares, rectangles, equilateral triangles, or regular hexagons; the concave-convex interlocking structure is periodically or symmetrically distributed on opposite sides or all sides of the main structure to support the interchange and expansion of the independent transmission units in the array at any position.

[0009] Furthermore, each independent transmission unit has at least one lug extending outward or at least one groove extending inward on its side; wherein, the lug of an independent transmission unit can be tightly embedded in the groove of an adjacent independent transmission unit, and the separation of adjacent units in the horizontal direction is restricted by the shape fit, thereby achieving physical fixation of the array without the introduction of additional adhesives or magnetic materials.

[0010] Furthermore, the specific interlocking shapes of the concave-convex interlocking structure include trapezoidal, triangular, rectangular, and other shapes with concave-convex interlocking structures. A preset mechanical tolerance is provided at the mating point between the lug and the groove to ensure that the insertion and extraction forces during splicing are moderate, and that there are no obvious physical gaps that would cause electromagnetic leakage after splicing.

[0011] Furthermore, the arrangement pattern is a spatial phase distribution sequence calculated based on the required transmission beam control functions (such as beam focusing, beam deflection, multi-beam splitting, etc.), and the specific arrangement methods include periodic gradient arrangement or random coded arrangement.

[0012] The transmissive, physically reconfigurable smart metasurface based on a concave-convex interlocking structure of the present invention has the following advantages: 1. Solves the problem of transmissive physical reconstruction: This invention abandons the structure in traditional physical reconstruction schemes and innovatively utilizes the concave-convex interlocking structure of the unit edge to achieve self-support. This design completely eliminates the shielding and absorption of electromagnetic waves by the physical support layer, significantly reduces transmission loss, and makes it perfectly suitable for transmissive metasurface scenarios.

[0013] 2. Extremely low manufacturing cost and complexity: This invention eliminates the need for expensive PIN diodes, varactor diodes, and their associated power supply networks, as well as additional magnets or adhesives. It only requires processing the PCB unit itself, significantly reducing production costs and assembly difficulty.

[0014] 3. High flexibility and reusability: By changing the arrangement or rotation angle of the puzzle pieces, users can play like a puzzle game. Figure 1 Similarly, the same metasurface array can be reconstructed into multiple functional devices such as a transmission focusing lens, a beam deflector, or a holographic imaging plate, achieving "one thing for multiple uses" and significantly improving the utilization rate of hardware resources.

[0015] 4. Stable structure and easy expansion: The concave-convex interlocking structure provides good mechanical stability and supports modular infinite splicing expansion, which can easily build large-aperture transmission array antennas. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 (a) is a front view of the first type of assembleable intelligent metasurface unit in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 1 (b) is a front view of the second type of modular intelligent metasurface unit in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 1 (c) is a front view of the third type of modular intelligent metasurface unit in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 1 (d) is a front view of the fourth type of modular intelligent metasurface unit in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 2 This is a side view of a 2-bit transmissive physically reconfigurable smart metasurface unit based on a concave-convex interlocking structure in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 3 This is a reflection amplitude response curve of a 2-bit transmissive physical reconfigurable smart metasurface based on a concave-convex interlocking structure in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 4 This is a phase response curve of a 2-bit transmissive physical reconfigurable smart metasurface based on a concave-convex interlocking structure in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly of the 2-bit transmissive physical reconfigurable smart metasurface code "0123012301230123" array based on the concave-convex interlocking structure in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 6 This is the simulation result of the 2-bit transmissive physical reconfigurable smart metasurface encoding array “0123012301230123” based on the concave-convex interlocking structure in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] In the figure: 1. First type of modular intelligent metasurface unit; 2. Second type of modular intelligent metasurface unit; 3. Third type of modular intelligent metasurface unit; 4. Fourth type of modular intelligent metasurface unit; 100. Dielectric substrate; 101. First square metal pattern; 102. Second square metal pattern; 103. Third square metal pattern; 104. Fourth square metal pattern. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The invention will now be further explained with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0027] This invention provides a transmissive, physically reconfigurable smart metasurface based on a concave-convex interlocking structure. This metasurface eliminates the reliance on unit attachment plates in traditional technologies, achieving interlocking through the unit's own structure. It comprises multiple independent, assembleable transmissive units with different or identical transmission electromagnetic properties. These multiple independent, assembleable smart metasurface units are arranged and connected to each other according to the concave-convex interlocking structure.

[0028] The concave-convex interlocking structure provides physical support for the independently assembled transmission units, enabling multiple units to be spliced ​​together to form a self-supporting overall array without the need for additional electromagnetic reference plates or metal back plates, thereby ensuring the transmission efficiency of electromagnetic waves.

[0029] This invention achieves physical reconfigurability and functional switching of the intelligent metasurface by changing the arrangement and arraying of the independently assembled transmissive intelligent metasurface units.

[0030] Each of the independent, assembleable transmission units has a substrate side with a concave-convex interlocking structure, including lugs on one or more sides of the unit and grooves on the corresponding sides. Adjacent units achieve a tight fit by the lugs fitting into the grooves.

[0031] The following describes a specific implementation using a three-layer metal structure transmission unit with an independently assembleable transmission unit as an example, and employing a jigsaw puzzle selection method: like Figure 1-2 As shown, the independently assembleable smart metasurface unit is a transmissive smart metasurface unit, specifically comprising a three-layer dielectric substrate 100 and a square metal pattern. The square metal pattern is disposed on the surface of the dielectric substrate 100.

[0032] In this embodiment, the independent modular smart metasurface unit changes its electromagnetic properties by adjusting the side length of the dielectric substrate 100 and the side length of the square metal pattern.

[0033] This embodiment provides a 2-bit transmissive physically reconfigurable smart metasurface based on a concave-convex interlocking structure operating at 6.8 GHz. The physically reconfigurable smart metasurface is composed of four types of modular smart metasurface units with different electromagnetic properties. The four types of modular smart metasurface units with different electromagnetic properties are arranged sequentially from left to right, and are arranged cyclically four times in the order of the first type of modular smart metasurface unit 1, the second type of modular smart metasurface unit 2, the third type of modular smart metasurface unit 3, and the fourth type of modular smart metasurface unit 4. The first type of modular intelligent metasurface unit 1 comprises a three-layer dielectric substrate 100 and a first square metal pattern 101 located on the surface of the dielectric substrate; the second type of modular intelligent metasurface unit 2 comprises a three-layer dielectric substrate 100 and a second square metal pattern 102 located on the surface of the dielectric substrate; the third type of modular intelligent metasurface unit 3 comprises a three-layer dielectric substrate 100 and a third square metal pattern 103 located on the surface of the dielectric substrate; and the fourth type of modular intelligent metasurface unit 4 comprises a three-layer dielectric substrate 100 and a fourth square metal pattern 104 located on the surface of the dielectric substrate.

[0034] Each dielectric substrate 100 has a thickness of 2mm and a side length of 22mm. The corresponding lugs and grooves have a length of 4mm and a width of 2mm. The first square metal pattern 101, the second square metal pattern 102, the third square metal pattern 103, and the fourth square metal pattern 104 are all made of copper with a thickness of 0.035mm. The first square metal pattern 101 has a side length of 7.9mm; the second square metal pattern 102 has a side length of 10.9mm; the third square metal pattern 103 has a side length of 11.8mm; and the fourth square metal pattern 104 has a side length of 12.1mm.

[0035] A 2-bit reflective, physically reconfigurable smart metasurface operating at 6.8 GHz, fabricated as follows: 1. Calculate the required phase distribution matrix based on the target function (such as transmitted beam deflection).

[0036] 2. Select the corresponding number of units from the four types of prefabricated, independently assembleable transmission unit libraries.

[0037] 3. Assembly process: No backing plate, magnets, or glue are needed. Simply hold the unit by hand, align the lug on the edge of one unit with the groove of the adjacent unit, and apply horizontal or vertical force to make it snap into place. Utilize the friction and geometric constraints of the interlocking concave-convex structure to complete the splicing of rows and columns.

[0038] 4. Repeat the above steps until a complete transmission array is assembled. Due to the interlocking of the units, the array as a whole forms a planar structure with a certain rigidity, which can be directly placed in front of the feed antenna for operation.

[0039] like Figure 3 As shown, a 2-bit transmissive physically reconfigurable smart metasurface operating at 6.8 GHz contains four types of modular smart metasurface units, with transmission amplitudes of -1.27 dB, -0.56 dB, -0.31 dB, and -0.69 dB respectively at the operating frequency of 6.8 GHz.

[0040] like Figure 4 As shown, a 2-bit transmissive physically reconfigurable smart metasurface operating at 6.8 GHz contains four types of modular smart metasurface units with phases of -105.1°, 163.8°, 74.8°, and -18.16° at the operating frequency of 6.8 GHz.

[0041] like Figure 5 As shown, an array for realizing single-beam deflection of reflected electromagnetic waves is arranged in a cyclical manner four times according to the order of the first type of modular intelligent metasurface unit 1, the second type of modular intelligent metasurface unit 2, the third type of modular intelligent metasurface unit 3, and the fourth type of modular intelligent metasurface unit 4.

[0042] like Figure 6 The figure shows the beam gain of the array at 6.8 GHz as a function of the transmission angle, reflecting the correctness of the transmissive metasurface.

[0043] This invention employs multiple transmissive, physically reconfigurable smart metasurface units with different or identical electromagnetic properties based on a concave-convex interlocking structure. By changing the arrangement of these units through interlocking, the reconstruction and functional switching of the smart metasurface can be achieved. Compared to traditional electronically controlled smart metasurface reconstruction schemes, this invention significantly reduces the reconstruction cost of smart metasurfaces of arbitrary physical forms by utilizing a dynamic array mode of assembleable smart metasurface units. Furthermore, compared to reflective magnetic attraction schemes, this invention eliminates the unit attachment plate and magnetic material that obstruct electromagnetic wave transmission, effectively solving the problem that physically reconfigurable technology is difficult to apply to transmissive metasurfaces. It has broad application prospects and practical value.

[0044] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principle of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A transmissive, physically reconfigurable smart metasurface based on a concave-convex interlocking structure, characterized in that, include: Multiple independent transmission units are spliced ​​together in a preset arrangement pattern to form an array; Each of the independent transmission units includes: a main structure for realizing electromagnetic control, and a concave-convex interlocking structure disposed at the physical edge of the main structure for realizing array fixation and expansion; Adjacent independent transmission units are physically interlocked and connected directly through their respective concave-convex interlocking structures, thereby forming a self-supporting transmission array that does not require additional substrate support.

2. The transmissive, physically reconfigurable smart metasurface based on a concave-convex interlocking structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The main structure includes: a dielectric substrate, and a metal pattern layer disposed on the upper surface, lower surface, or inner layer of the dielectric substrate; the independent transmission unit changes the phase or amplitude response characteristics of the transmitted electromagnetic wave by adjusting the thickness or dielectric constant of the dielectric substrate, the geometric dimensions of the metal pattern, and the number of metal pattern layers in the main structure.

3. The transmissive, physically reconfigurable smart metasurface based on a concave-convex interlocking structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The planar geometry of the main structure is a polygon that can achieve seamless splicing, including squares, rectangles, equilateral triangles, or regular hexagons; the concave-convex interlocking structure is periodically or symmetrically distributed on opposite sides or all sides of the main structure to support the interchange and expansion of the independent transmission units in the array.

4. The transmissive, physically reconfigurable smart metasurface based on a concave-convex interlocking structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The concave-convex interlocking structure consists of outwardly extending lugs and inwardly recessed grooves; wherein, the lug of an independent transmission unit can be tightly embedded in the groove of an adjacent independent transmission unit, and the separation of adjacent independent transmission units in the horizontal direction is restricted by the shape matching, thereby realizing the physical fixation of the array.

5. The transmissive, physically reconfigurable smart metasurface based on a concave-convex interlocking structure according to claim 4, characterized in that, The specific interlocking shape of the concave-convex interlocking structure includes: trapezoidal, triangular or rectangular shapes with concave-convex interlocking structures; the mating part of the lug and the groove is provided with a preset mechanical tolerance.

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