Jason Soric

Experimental verification of three-dimensional plasmonic cloaking in free-space

We report the experimental verification of metamaterial cloaking for a 3D object in free space. We apply the plasmonic cloaking technique, based on scattering cancellation, to suppress microwave scattering from a finite-length dielectric cylinder. We verify that scattering suppression is obtained all around the object in the near- and far-field and for different incidence angles, validating our measurements with analytical results and full-wave simulations. Our near- field and far-field measurements confirm that realistic and robust plasmonic metamaterial cloaks may be realized for elongated 3D objects with moderate transverse cross-section at microwave frequencies.

Demonstration of an ultralow profile cloak for scattering suppression of a finite-length rod in free space

We present the first experimental realization and verification of a three-dimensional stand-alone mantle cloak designed to suppress the total scattering of a finite-length dielectric rod of moderate cross-section. Mantle cloaking has been proposed to realize ultralow-profile conformal covers that may achieve substantial camouflage, transparency and high-performance non-invasive near-field sensing. Here, we realize and verify a mantle cloak for radio-waves. We report an extensive campaign of far- and near-field free-space measurements demonstrating that conformal cloaks can indeed produce strong scattering suppression in all directions and over a relatively broad bandwidth of operation.

Nanostructured graphene metasurface for tunable terahertz cloaking

We propose and analyze a graphene-based cloaking metasurface aimed at achieving widely tunable scattering cancelation in the terahertz (THz) spectrum. This ‘one-atom-thick’ mantle cloak is realized by means of a patterned metasurface comprised of a periodic array of graphene patches, whose surface impedance can be modeled with a simple yet accurate analytical expression. By adjusting the geometry and Fermi energy of graphene nanopatches, the metasurface reactance may be tuned from inductive to capacitive, as a function of the relative kinetic inductance and the geometric patch capacitance, enabling the possibility of effectively cloaking both dielectric and conducting objects at THz frequencies with the same metasurface. We envision applications for low-observable nanostructures and efficient THz sensing, routing and detection.

Invisibility and Cloaking Based on Scattering Cancellation

Advances in material synthesis and in metamaterial technology offer new venues to tailor the electromagnetic properties of devices, which may go beyond conventional limits in a variety of fields and applications. Invisibility and cloaking are perhaps one of the most thought-provoking possibilities offered by these new classes of advanced materials. Here, recently proposed solutions for invisibility and cloaking using metamaterials, metasurfaces, graphene and/or plasmonic materials in different spectral ranges are reviewed and highlighted. The focus is primarily on scattering-cancellation approaches, describing material challenges, venues and opportunities for the plasmonic and the mantle cloaking techniques, applied to various frequency windows and devices. Analogies, potentials and relevant opportunities of these concepts are discussed, their potential realization and the underlying technology required to verify these phenomena are reviewed with an emphasis on the material aspects involved. Finally, these solutions are compared with other popular cloaking techniques.

Controlling scattering and absorption with metamaterial covers

We discuss the use of metasurfaces and plasmonic metamaterials to minimize the scattering from receiving antennas and sensors, with the goal of maximizing their absorption efficiency. We first analytically study and highlight the potential of these approaches to realize optimized sensors with the desired level of efficiency, being able to minimize the electrical presence of a receiving antenna for a chosen level of overall absorption. Realistic cloak designs, investigated using full-wave simulations, verify the behavior analytically predicted by Mie theory. These optimized cloaks offer a practical way to flexibly tailor the scattering of receiving antennas, with great benefits in the design and optimization of near-field sensors, remote communication systems, spoof targets and improved antenna blockage resiliency. Optimized covers may also provide other interesting features for the same receiving antenna by just tuning its resistive load, such as optimal wireless power harvesting or high-to-low tunable absorption efficiency.

Anisotropic Mantle Cloaks for TM and TE Scattering Reduction

We present the design and realization of anisotropic mantle cloaks operating, at the same frequency, for both TM and TE incident polarizations. Starting from the analytical model of metasurfaces available in the literature, we first explore the potentials and limitations of the most common metasurface geometries for their application as mantle cloaks. Then, we introduce new types of patterned surfaces aimed at improving their polarization response. We demonstrate that, only by using four metasurface topologies, it is possible to obtain all required combinations of positive and negative reactance values in order to design effective mantle cloaks for planar, cylindrical, and three-dimensional (3-D) objects. We also show that the accuracy of the analytical formulas commonly used to design such metasurfaces is not necessarily sufficient for cloaking purposes. Therefore, we introduce and validate a numerical procedure to refine the analytical design and optimize the cloak performance. The effectiveness of the designed covers is checked with full-wave simulations. Finally, some antenna applications of dual-polarized mantle cloaks are proposed and several experimental measurements conducted on fabricated prototypes are also provided.

Breaking temporal symmetries for emission and absorption

Significance Antennas, from radiofrequencies to optics, are forced to transmit and receive with the same efficiency to/from the same direction. The same constraint applies to thermophotovoltaic systems, which are forced to emit as well as they can absorb, limiting their efficiency. In this paper, we show that it is possible to efficiently overcome these bounds using temporally modulated traveling-wave circuits. Beyond the basic physics interest of our theoretical and experimental findings, we also prove that the proposed temporally modulated antenna can be efficiently used to transmit without being forced to listen to echoes and reflections, with important implications for radio-wave communications. Similar concepts may be extended to infrared frequencies, with relevant implications for energy harvesting. Time-reversal symmetries impose stringent constraints on emission and absorption. Antennas, from radiofrequencies to optics, are bound to transmit and receive signals equally well from the same direction, making a directive antenna prone to receive echoes and reflections. Similarly, in thermodynamics Kirchhoff’s law dictates that the absorptivity and emissivity are bound to be equal in reciprocal systems at equilibrium, e(ω,θ)=a(ω,θ), with important consequences for thermal management and energy applications. This bound requires that a good absorber emits a portion of the absorbed energy back to the source, limiting its overall efficiency. Recent works have shown that weak time modulation or mechanical motion in suitably designed structures may largely break reciprocity and time-reversal symmetry. Here we show theoretically and experimentally that a spatiotemporally modulated device can be designed to have drastically different emission and absorption properties. The proposed concept may provide significant advances for compact and efficient radiofrequency communication systems, as well as for energy harvesting and thermal management when translated to infrared frequencies.

Physical bounds on absorption and scattering for cloaked sensors

We derive and discuss general physical bounds on the electromagnetic scattering and absorption of passive structures. Our theory, based on passivity and power conservation, quantifies the minimum and maximum allowed scattering for an object that absorbs a given level of power. We show that there is a fundamental tradeoff between absorption and overall scattering suppression for each scattering harmonic, providing a tool to quantify the performance of furtive sensors, regardless of the applied principle for scattering suppression. We illustrate these fundamental limitations with examples of light scattering from absorbing plasmonic nanoparticles and loaded dipole antennas, envisioning applications to the design of cloaked sensors and absorbers with maximized absorption efficiency.

Omnidirectional Metamaterial Antennas Based on

We present an analytical model and practical design tools to realize cylindrically-symmetric compact antennas based on the anomalous transmission properties of ε -near-zero (ENZ) ultranarrow radial channels. The flexibility and exotic propagation properties in ENZ metamaterial channels are exploited here to tune and match cylindrically-symmetric antennas, without the need of complex external matching networks, in order to realize exciting antenna designs in terms of size, complexity and efficiency. We first model a homogenized Drude dispersive ENZ metamaterial channel to feed a radial parallel-plate waveguide; next we suggest a practical realization of this channel by using radial fins; eventually, we apply the obtained design formulas to realize single- and multi-band cylindrical antennas with a wide tunability range. The designed antennas may operate in the ultra-high frequency (UHF) band and may be realistically tuned over a large bandwidth. We envision applications in frequency-hopping, multi-band, compact, omnidirectional antennas.

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Using two suitably tailored concentric cloaking metasurfaces, we demonstrate several interesting features of these covers, including significant broadband and/or dual-band scattering reduction. We also show that nearly perfect cloaking for moderately sized targets is enabled by complementary bilayer pairings. We apply these concepts to realistic bilayer cloaks covering a finite-length conductive rod for multiband and wideband operation, offering a >5-dB (70%) scattering suppression over bandwidths that exceed any passive mantle cloak demonstrated so far by over nine times. Finally, we apply the same covers to more complex geometries, showing that moderate scattering suppression is maintained, despite the change in geometry and increased size.