Omnidirectional retroreflectors based on flexural wave metagratings
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Omnidirectional retroreflectors that reflect the obliquely incident wave along its incident direction in the omnidirectional angle range are highly desired for the control and manipulation of flexural waves. With an enhanced signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and suppressed signal losses, high-efficiency omnidirectional retroreflectors can be widely used for flexural wave guiding, detection, imaging, and cloaking. In this article, we propose a different but competent design paradigm to realize omnidirectional retroreflection on the basis of metagratings. By applying the multi-objective optimization algorithm to manipulate as many as nine different diffraction channels, we successfully demonstrate a high-efficiency retroreflector over a broad and continuous range of incident angles spanning from −78.2° to 78.2°. Two interesting applications are suggested for the metagrating-based retroreflectors. In the first one, the metagrating structure is utilized to suppress the diffuse reflection induced by irregular or curved boundaries of a thin plate, restoring the spectral reflection effect and enhancing SNR. In the second one, the metagrating unit cells are used to decorate the flat boundaries of a straight waveguide to stop the wave propagation along the waveguide, resulting in a localization of a wave signal. Considering the relatively simple configuration, the proposed design approach of the omnidirectional retroreflector is expected to find applications in various fields such as nondestructive evaluation and structural health monitoring.
Source: Journal of Applied Physics
DOI: 10.1063/5.0255363
Authors: Yulong Jia, Jun Mei
Institution: South China University of Technology
Language: English
Subfield: Biomedical Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,500
OpenAlex ID: W4409482944