Electronically-Controlled Beam-Steering through Vanadium Dioxide Metasurfaces

TLDR

Engineered metamaterials enable unconventional manipulation of electromagnetic waves, and dynamic control of their propagation direction promises transformative applications in imaging, sensing, and communications. The study presents a novel approach to create reconfigurable metasurfaces that electronically steer electromagnetic waves. The device achieves steering by tilting the wave phase front using a two‑dimensional array of resonant unit‑cells incorporating electronically controlled phase‑change materials, allowing deflection across millimeter‑wave to far‑infrared frequencies. The prototype, operating at 100 GHz, delivers up to 44° beam deflection in both horizontal and vertical directions without mechanical parts, external light, or reflectarrays, demonstrating a highly robust, fully integrated beam‑steering solution.

Abstract

Engineered metamaterials offer unique functionalities for manipulating the spectral and spatial properties of electromagnetic waves in unconventional ways. Here, we report a novel approach for making reconfigurable metasurfaces capable of deflecting electromagnetic waves in an electronically controllable fashion. This is accomplished by tilting the phase front of waves through a two-dimensional array of resonant metasurface unit-cells with electronically-controlled phase-change materials embedded inside. Such metasurfaces can be placed at the output facet of any electromagnetic radiation source to deflect electromagnetic waves at a desired frequency, ranging from millimeter-wave to far-infrared frequencies. Our design does not use any mechanical elements, external light sources, or reflectarrays, creating, for the first time, a highly robust and fully-integrated beam-steering device solution. We demonstrate a proof-of-concept beam-steering metasurface optimized for operation at 100 GHz, offering up to 44° beam deflection in both horizontal and vertical directions. Dynamic control of electromagnetic wave propagation direction through this unique platform could be transformative for various imaging, sensing, and communication applications, among others.