Dynamic Multifunctional Metasurfaces Based on Passive Cascade Structure

Abstract

Dynamic electromagnetic (EM) wavefront manipulation is pivotal and holds broad application prospects for advancing wireless communications. Current mainstream platforms, typically based on programmable metasurfaces, suffer from structural complexity and high cost, which impede their large-scale deployment. Alternatively, mechanically reconfigurable metasurfaces are usually confined to switching between different modes of a fixed function, thus limiting their application scope. To overcome these limitations, a dynamic multifunctional metasurface based on a passive cascade structure is proposed. The proposed structure, consisting of two passive metasurfaces, achieves reconfigurable functionality through simple mechanical displacement, enabling switching among distinct functions such as beam steering, EM focusing, vortex beam generation, etc. The proposed method is more cost-effective than programmable metasurfaces and offers greater functional flexibility than existing mechanical reconfigurable metasurfaces. It presents a low-cost and multifunctional platform for EM wave manipulation, opening up new opportunities for future wireless systems and sixth-generation (6G) communications.

Keywords

holography / multifunctional metasurface / reconfigurable metasurface / wavefront manipulation

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2026 The Author(s). Electron published by Harbin Institute of Technology and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.