Conformal radiation-type programmable metasurface for agile millimeter-wave OAM generation

Programmable metasurfaces have emerged as a prominent research focus in the field of artificial electromagnetic materials. By integrating active components such as PIN diodes and implementing real-time control via FPGA, these structures demonstrate adaptability to diverse application scenarios. However, conventional reflective/transmissive digital metasurface systems universally require additional spatial feed antennas positioned several wavelengths away from the functional surface, inevitably resulting in elevated system profiles that challenge conformal integration requirements for airborne and spaceborne systems.

Professor Fuli Zhang's team pioneered the first millimeter-wave low-profile cross-shaped conformal programmable metasurface. This innovative design adopts a radiation-type programmable surface architecture that replaces external spatial excitation with an embedded feeding network. This approach mitigates the feed leakage radiation inherent to conventional programmable metasurfaces while simultaneously realizing low-profile configuration and conformal integration. Notably, the prototype successfully combines dynamic beam scanning with multimode OAM wave multiplexing at millimeter-wave frequencies. This breakthrough demonstrates significant potential for next-generation millimeter-wave wireless communication and future space-based satellite applications, particularly in addressing critical challenges of system miniaturization and multi-functional integration.