Metantenna: When Metasurface Meets Antenna Again

TLDR

Metasurfaces, 2‑D planar arrays of sub‑wavelength scatterers, enable unprecedented control of EM waves and have been closely tied to antenna development, inspiring many antenna configurations. This article reviews the development roadmap of metasurfaces and metasurface‑based antennas, including antenna‑inspired metasurfaces, metasurface‑assisted antennas, and metasurface antennas. The review examines how metasurfaces and metasurface‑based antennas have evolved, detailing the progression from antenna‑inspired metasurfaces to metasurface‑assisted antennas and fully integrated metasurface antennas.

Abstract

Metasurfaces, composed of 2-D planar arrays of sub-wavelength metallic or dielectric scatterers, have provided unprecedented freedoms in manipulating electromagnetic (EM) waves upon interfaces. The development of metasurface has always been closely related to antennas. On the one hand, metasurface was developed from reflect arrays/transmit arrays that are used as reflectors/lens of antennas, and most fundamental theories of metasurfaces are directly borrowed from antenna array theories; on the other hand, the development of antennas was flourished and expedited by progresses in metasurfaces. Many emerging antenna configurations have been constructed based on unique functional metasurfaces. In this article, we will review briefly the development roadmap of both metasurfaces and metasurface-based antennas, including antenna-inspired metasurfaces, metasurface-assisted antennas, and metasurface antennas. In particular, the recent fusion of metasurface and antenna as metantenna will bring significant impacts on methodologies of functional metasurface, antenna design, and radio-frequency device miniaturization.