Deformable Transparent Metasurface With Multipolarization Absorptive Characteristics for RCS Reduction

A deformable transparent absorptive metasurface (DTAM) is proposed for realizing wideband multipolarization radar cross section (RCS) reduction, which is composed of a layer of zigzag indium-tin-oxide (ITO) resistance film and a variable cruciform honeycomb network dielectric of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The physical mechanism of the metasurface is analyzed using an impedance matching theory, and the absorptive property and RCS reduction characteristics are investigated by simulation and experiment. The DTAM is fabricated and measured. The results show that the DTAM exhibits high optical transparency and good mechanical flexibility and allows for planar stretching and conformal bending. It can achieve RCS reduction of more than 10 dB in both planar and cylindrical conformal states and demonstrate excellent scattering suppression characteristics over a broadband from 11.15 to 32.45 GHz, with a relative bandwidth of about 97.1%. Moreover, it can maintain high-efficiency absorption for electromagnetic wave incident from large oblique angles. The proposed metasurface provides a promising candidate scheme for the flexible skin of deformable object.