SURFACE WAVE POLARIZATION CONVERTER

摘要

A method and apparatus for converting electromagnetic surface waves from TE mode to TM mode or from TM mode to TE mode. The apparatus includes a dielectric surface having an anisotropic impedance tensor which is preferably obtained by a plurality of electrically conductive unit cells disposed on the dielectric surface and arranged in a two dimensional array of unit cells, a majority of the unit cells in said array being divided into at least two portions, with at least one gap separating the at least two portions from each other into two or more patches or plates, the array of unit cells having a surface wave input end and a surface wave output end, gaps in the unit cells disposed closest to the surface wave input end having a first orientation and gaps in said unit cells disposed closest to the surface wave output end having a second orientation different than said first orientation. The electromagnetic surface waves have a frequency greater than a TE cutoff frequency determined by a second solution of Maxwell's equations for said dielectric surface.

主权项

1. A method of changing the polarization of an electro-magnetic surface wave by directing the electro-magnetic surface wave on to a meta surface comprising a matrix of patches each having at least one single slice of material removed, wherein the matrix has a forward direction side and a reverse direction side located opposite of each other and the the electro-magnetic surface wave is directed to propagate in either said forward direction or in said reverse direction, the slices of the patches on a side of the matrix closest to the forward direction side are oriented in parallel with the forward direction, the orientation of the slices are gradually rotated parallel from the forward direction side of the matrix to perpendicular towards the reverse direction side of the matrix so that the electro-magnetic surface wave gradually changes polarization as it propagates on said meta surface with the orientation of the slices gradually rotating.