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Linear polarization to left/right-handed circular polarization conversion using ultrathin planar chiral metamaterials

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Abstract

We propose ultrathin planar chiral metamaterials (CMs) based on square split rings (SSRs), which can change linearly polarized (LP) electromagnetic (EM) wave to circularly polarized (CP) EM wave at will. The EM resonant properties of the proposed CMs including magnitude, phase, retrieved electromagnetic parameters, and chirality are demonstrated. According to the polarization property of the proposed CMs, a CP patch antenna using the proposed CMs is constructed. Placing the proposed CMs in the presence of a conventional LP patch antenna, the antenna polarization mode can be changed from LP mode to CP mode. The antenna performances are investigated numerically and experimentally. A simple method for realizing CP antenna is provided using the present CMs. It can be expected that the proposed CP antenna can be used in electronic reconnaissance and jamming, mobile communication, and global position system.

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Acknowledgements

This work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant nos. 11204241 and 61601375), the National Aerospace Science Foundation of China (Grant no. 2016ZF53061), and the Natural Science Basic Research Plan in Shaanxi Province of China (Grant no. 2017JM1009), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Grant no. 3102017jghk02004), the China Scholarship Council, the Top International University Visiting Program for Outsanding Young Scholars of Northwestern Polytechnical University, and the Northwestern Polytechnical University scientific research allowance (Grant no. G2015KY0302).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Smart Materials Laboratory, Department of Applied Physics, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an, 710129, People’s Republic of China

    Yahong Liu, Yang Luo, Congcong Liu, Kun Song & Xiaopeng Zhao

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  1. Yahong Liu
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  2. Yang Luo
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  3. Congcong Liu
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  4. Kun Song
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  5. Xiaopeng Zhao
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Correspondence to Yahong Liu.

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Liu, Y., Luo, Y., Liu, C. et al. Linear polarization to left/right-handed circular polarization conversion using ultrathin planar chiral metamaterials. Appl. Phys. A 123, 571 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-017-1167-z

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