Realization of an Ultrathin, Ultra-wideband Reflective Metamaterial Linear Polarization Converter

The demonstration of an ultrathin reflective metamaterial polarization converter (RMPC) is presented through both numerical simulations and practical experiments. It is shown that this innovative device effectively rotates linear polarization by a full 90° across an incredibly broad frequency spectrum, ranging from 8.6 to 31.7 GHz with polarization conversion rate exceeding 85%. The attainment of extensive bandwidth is attributed to the generation of four resonances within the operational frequency spectrum. The physics mechanism of RMPC is illustrated by calculating the phased difference and surface current distributions. Furthermore, through the computation of the polarization angle and elliptical angle, it was substantiated that the RMPC is capable of executing efficient linear polarization conversion across a broad frequency range. Notably, this proposed converter surpasses existing designs with its exceptional thinness (only 7.3% of the maximum operating wavelength), while simultaneously offering an unparalleled ultra-wideband performance. Anticipated applications for this innovative rotator include utilization in reflector antennas and radiometer technology.