Flat‐Knit, Flexible, Textile Metasurfaces

• DOI: 10.1002/adma.202312087
• Publication Date: 2024-02-29T07:50:29Z
• Authors: Michael J. Carter; Leah Resneck; Younes Ra'di; Nanfang Yu
• Keywords: Textile

Abstract Lightweight, low‐cost metasurfaces and reflectarrays that are easy to stow deploy desirable for many terrestrial space‐based communications sensing applications. This work demonstrates a lightweight, flexible metasurface platform based on flat‐knit textiles operating in the cm‐wave spectral range. By using colorwork knitting approach called float‐jacquard directly integrate an array of resonant metallic antennas into textile, two textile reflectarray devices, lens (metalens), vortex‐beam generator realized. Operating as receiving antenna, metalens focuses collimated normal‐incidence beam diffraction‐limited, off‐broadside focal spot. transmitting converts divergent emission from horn antenna with peak measured directivity, gain, efficiency 21.30, 15.30, −6.00 dB (25.12%), respectively. The generating produces focused vortex topological charge m = 1 over wide frequency range 4.1–5.8 GHz. Strong specular reflection is observed reflectarrays, caused by wavy yarn floats backside textiles. novel scalable production leveraging commercially available yarns well‐established machinery techniques.