Generation of arbitrarily directed split beams with a reflective metasurface.

We present a new, to the best of our knowledge, formalism in the design of metasurface beamsplitters with arbitrarily chosen split beam directions. This technique is based on the well-established array theory; in particular the Fourier transform method of array synthesis, to cast an obliquely incident plane wave to multiple designer-selected scattering directions. To show the efficacy of this approach, a beamsplitting metasurface reflector is designed and verified experimentally and numerically. The metasurface is fabricated by screen-printing patterns of metallic rectangular-shaped resonators of conductive ink onto a ground plane-backed substrate. The beamsplitting characteristics are quantified using a simple free-space transmit/receive horn system operating at 10.525 GHz. It is shown that the presented design technique accurately predicts the scattering properties of the fabricated metasurface and is a useful method for electromagnetic wave manipulation.