Analysis of electromagnetic scattering from array of time-modulated graphene ribbons.

An accurate and fast method is presented for the analysis of scattering of electromagnetic waves from an array of time-modulated graphene ribbons. We derive a time-domain integral equation for induced surface currents under subwavelength approximation. Using the method of harmonic balance, this equation is solved for a sinusoidal modulation. The solution of the integral equation is then used to obtain the transmission and reflection coefficients of time-modulated graphene ribbon array. The accuracy of the method was verified through comparison with results of full-wave simulations. In contrast with previously reported analysis techniques, our method is extremely fast and can analyze structures with a much higher modulation frequency. The proposed method also provides interesting physical insights useful for designing novel applications and opens up new vistas in the fast design of time-modulated graphene-based devices.

Parallel wave-based analog computing using metagratings.

Wave-based signal processing has witnessed a significant expansion of interest in a variety of science and engineering disciplines, as it provides new opportunities for achieving high-speed and low-power operations. Although flat optics desires integrable components to perform multiple missions, yet, the current wave-based computational metasurfaces can engineer only the spatial content of the input signal where the processed signal obeys the traditional version of Snell's law. In this paper, we propose a multi-functional metagrating to modulate both spatial and angular properties of the input signal whereby both symmetric and asymmetric optical transfer functions are realized using high-order space harmonics. The performance of the designed compound metallic grating is validated through several investigations where closed-form expressions are suggested to extract the phase and amplitude information of the diffractive modes. Several illustrative examples are demonstrated to show that the proposed metagrating allows for simultaneous parallel analog computing tasks such as first- and second-order spatial differentiation through a single multichannel structured surface. It is anticipated that the designed platform brings a new twist to the field of optical signal processing and opens up large perspectives for simple integrated image processing systems.

Analysis and design of two-dimensional compound metallic metagratings using an analytical method.

The recently proposed concept of metagrating enables wavefront manipulation of electromagnetic (EM) waves with unitary efficiency and relatively simple fabrication requirements. Herein, two-dimensional (2D) metagratings composed of a 2D periodic array of rectangular holes in a metallic medium are proposed for diffraction pattern control. We first present an analytical method for diffraction analysis of 2D compound metallic metagrating (a periodic metallic structure with more than one rectangular hole in each period). Closed-form and analytical expressions are presented for the reflection coefficients of diffracted orders for the first time. Next, we verify the proposed method's results against full-wave simulations and demonstrate their excellent agreement. As a proof of principle, two applications are presented using the proposed analytical method. The first application is a perfect out-of-plane reflector that transfers a normal transverse-magnetic (TM) polarized plane wave to an oblique transverse-electric (TE) polarized plane wave in the y - z plane. The second one is a five-channel beam splitter with an arbitrary power distribution between channels. Using the proposed analytical method, we designed these metagratings without requiring even a single optimization in a full-wave solver. The performance of the designed metagratings is better than previously reported structures in terms of power efficiency and relative distribution error. Our analytical results reveal that 2D metagratings can be used for manipulating EM waves in the plane and out of the plane of incidence with very high efficiency, thereby leading to extensive applications in a wide range of frequencies from microwave to terahertz (THz) regimes.

Analytical method for diffraction analysis and design of perfect-electric-conductor backed graphene ribbon metagratings.

Graphene-based gratings and metagratings have attracted great interest in the last few years because they could realize various multi-functional beam manipulation, such as beam splitting, focusing, and anomalous reflection in the terahertz (THz) regime. However, most of graphene-based metagratings are designed through numerical simulations, which are very time-consuming. In this paper, an accurate analytical method is proposed for diffraction analysis of a perfect electric conductor (PEC)-backed array of graphene ribbons. In contrast to previous analytical treatments, the proposed method can predict the electromagnetic performance of graphene ribbons not only in the subwavelength regime, but also for wavelengths shorter than the array constant. Results are obtained by first deriving the surface current density induced on graphene ribbons by an obliquely incident transverse-magnetic (TM) polarized plane wave. Closed-form expressions for reflection coefficients of diffracted orders are then obtained using the surface current distribution. We validate the proposed method through comparison with full-wave simulation results. Finally, a tunable beam splitter and a tunable retroreflector in the THz regime are designed using the method proposed. The designed structures have good power efficiency (80% for beam splitter and 90% for retroreflector). Moreover, their operating frequency and angle may be controlled by changing the bias voltage of graphene ribbons. The proposed method paves the path for analytical design of tunable metagratings with widespread potential for THz and optical beam-manipulation applications.

Perfect anomalous reflection using a compound metallic metagrating.

Metagrating is a new concept for wavefront manipulation that, unlike phase gradient metasurfaces, does not suffer from low efficiency and also has a less complicated fabrication process. In this paper, a compound metallic grating (a periodic metallic structure with more than one slit in each period) is proposed for anomalous reflection. We propose an analytical method for analyzing the electromagnetic response of this grating. Closed-form and analytical expressions are presented for the reflection coefficients of zeroth diffracted order and also higher diffracted orders. The proposed method is verified against full-wave simulations and the results are in excellent agreement. Thanks to the geometrical asymmetry of compound metallic grating, it can be used for designing anomalous reflection at the normal incidence. Given analytical expressions for reflection coefficients, we design a perfect anomalous reflector for a TM polarized plane wave via transferring all the incident power to ( - 1) diffraction order . The structure designed in this study has an unprecedented near-to-unitary efficiency of 99.9%. Finally, a multi-element compound metallic grating is proposed for reflecting the normal incidence to angles of below 30°, which is a challenging accomplishment. This excellent performance of compound metallic grating shows its high potential for microwave and terahertz wavefront manipulation applications.

Analytical and rigorous method for analysis of an array of magnetically-biased graphene ribbons.

A sheet of graphene under magnetic bias attains anisotropic surface conductivity, opening the door for realizing compact devices such as Faraday rotators, isolators and circulators. In this paper, an accurate and analytical method is proposed for a periodic array of graphene ribbons under magnetic bias. The method is based on integral equations governing the induced surface currents on the coplanar array of graphene ribbons. For subwavelength size ribbons subjected to an incident plane wave, the current distribution is derived leading to analytical expressions for the reflection/transmission coefficients. The results obtained are in excellent agreement with full-wave simulations and predict resonant spectral effects that cannot be accounted for by existing semi-analytical methods. Finally, we extract an analytical, closed form solution for the Faraday rotation of magnetically-biased graphene ribbons. In contrast to previous studies, this paper presents a fast, precise and reliable technique for analyzing magnetically-biased array of graphene ribbons, which are one of the most popular graphene-based structures.

Multilayer graphene-based metasurfaces: robust design method for extremely broadband, wide-angle, and polarization-insensitive terahertz absorbers.

In this study, by using an equivalent circuit method, a polarization-insensitive terahertz (THz) absorber based on multilayer graphene-based metasurfaces (MGBMs) is systematically designed, providing an extremely broad absorption bandwidth (BW). The proposed absorber is a compact, three-layer structure, comprising square-, cross-, and circular-shaped graphene metasurfaces embedded between three separator dielectrics. The equivalent-conductivity method serves as a parameter retrieval technique to characterize the graphene metasurfaces as the components of the proposed circuit model. Good agreement is observed between the full-wave simulations and the equivalent-circuit predictions. The optimum MGBM absorber exhibits >90% absorbance in an extremely broad frequency band of 0.55-3.12 THz (BW=140%). The results indicate a significant BW enhancement compared with both the previous metal- and graphene-based THz absorbers, highlighting the capability of the designed MGBM absorber. To clarify the physical mechanism of absorption, the surface current and the electric-field distributions, as well as the power loss density of each graphene metasurface, are monitored and discussed. The MGBM functionality is evaluated under a wide range of incident wave angles to prove that the proposed absorber is omnidirectional and polarization-insensitive. These superior performances guarantee the applicability of the MGBM structure as an ultra-broadband absorber for various THz applications.