Breaking bandwidth limits in transformation optics with Brewster-enhanced metamaterials

Transformation optics (TO) enables unprecedented electromagnetic wave manipulation through the theory of coordinate transformations, yet its practical implementation has been fundamentally constrained by narrowband operation stemming from extreme material requirements. To break this spectral bottleneck, a dual-mode metamaterial architecture synergizing Brewster-angle broadband transmission with Fabry-Pérot multiband resonance is proposed. This approach leverages cascaded impedance-engineered slot cavities-constructed from conventional dielectrics and standard metallic patterning-to achieve transformation invariance while eliminating exotic material needs. This framework enables two spectral functionalities simultaneously in a single platform: (i) omnidirectional multiband operation through discrete resonances and (ii) broadband unidirectional performance via angular-selective Brewster transmission. Experimental validation demonstrates a full-parameter invisibility cloak maintaining >88.4% transmittance across X-band frequencies (7.5-12.5 GHz) with ±70[Formula: see text] angular tolerance, alongside a retroreflector achieving near-unity efficiency in X/K bands (12-24 GHz) within ±60[Formula: see text] illumination. By resolving the fundamental conflict between bandwidth and geometric complexity in TO designs, this work establishes a scalable paradigm for multifunctional wave-control devices spanning radar stealth to next-generation communications.

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Publication Details

Journal
National Science Review
Published
2026-01-13
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwag023
Primary Topic
Metamaterials and Metasurfaces Applications
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

Breaking bandwidth limits in transformation optics with Brewster-enhanced metamaterials

Dexin Ye, Jingxin Tang, Chun Wang, Yu Luo et al.
National Science Review
Metamaterials and Metasurfaces Applications
article

Breaking bandwidth limits in transformation optics with Brewster-enhanced metamaterials

Dexin Ye, Jingxin Tang, Chun Wang, Yu Luo, Xiaojun Hu, Yi Zhang, Jingjing Zhang, Yuan Gao
article en

Abstract

Transformation optics (TO) enables unprecedented electromagnetic wave manipulation through the theory of coordinate transformations, yet its practical implementation has been fundamentally constrained by narrowband operation stemming from extreme material requirements. To break this spectral bottleneck, a dual-mode metamaterial architecture synergizing Brewster-angle broadband transmission with Fabry-Pérot multiband resonance is proposed. This approach leverages cascaded impedance-engineered slot cavities-constructed from conventional dielectrics and standard metallic patterning-to achieve transformation invariance while eliminating exotic material needs. This framework enables two spectral functionalities simultaneously in a single platform: (i) omnidirectional multiband operation through discrete resonances and (ii) broadband unidirectional performance via angular-selective Brewster transmission. Experimental validation demonstrates a full-parameter invisibility cloak maintaining >88.4% transmittance across X-band frequencies (7.5-12.5 GHz) with ±70[Formula: see text] angular tolerance, alongside a retroreflector achieving near-unity efficiency in X/K bands (12-24 GHz) within ±60[Formula: see text] illumination. By resolving the fundamental conflict between bandwidth and geometric complexity in TO designs, this work establishes a scalable paradigm for multifunctional wave-control devices spanning radar stealth to next-generation communications.

National Science ReviewVol. 13(5)
Shandong University of Technology (CN), Southeast University (BD), State Key Laboratory of Millimeter Waves, Zhejiang University (CN), Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (CN)
National Research Foundation, National Research Foundation Singapore, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Government of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province, National Key Research and Development Program of China, Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province
Openalex Percentile: Top 88%
Metamaterials and Metasurfaces Applications
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