Tailor-made metasurfaces for scattering control

Reducing electromagnetic scattering from an object has long been a challenge, inspiring efforts across disciplines such as materials science and electromagnetic theory. The pursuit of electromagnetic cloaking has significantly advanced metamaterials research, yet broadband conformal concealment of geometrically complex bodies remains an open challenge, particularly when the target size is comparable to or only a few times larger than the wavelength. Here, we introduce the concept of tailored metasurfaces: evolutionarily designed, aperiodic structures optimized to suppress scattering from arbitrarily shaped objects by accounting for their geometry, including resonant and large-scale features. Specifically, we demonstrate broadband scattering suppression of more than 20–30 dB over a fractional bandwidth of ~ 20% for a variety of test objects, including randomly distributed wire meshes, spheres, and polyhedra. Beyond the conceptual advancement, the demonstrated performance positions this approach as a valuable technological solution for a range of wireless applications, including scenarios where interference from nearby objects degrades wireless channel performance. The evolutionary optimization framework enables efficient customization of electromagnetic devices, facilitating the development of high-performance structures that address complex technological demands in wireless systems, including interference mitigation, radar cross-section control, and signal integrity enhancement in next-generation networks.