A Reconfigurable Multi-Mode Metasurface for Fast-Switching Between RCS Reduction Mode and Wide-Angle Beamsteering Mode

This article presents a reconfigurable multimode metasurface (RMMS) that enables switchable operation between wide-angle beamsteering and radar cross section (RCS) reduction within a unified platform. The proposed RMMS integrates an individually addressable 2-bit phase-tunable metasurface for beamsteering with a globally controlled absorptive layer to facilitate rapid mode switching for RCS reduction. The phase-tunable unit cell provides four discrete phase states with an approximate resolution of 90° ± 20° over the frequency range of 6.55-6.81 GHz. The performance of the proposed metasurface is comprehensively investigated under both near- and far-field illuminations to reflect practical deployment scenarios. Experimental results obtained from a fabricated 12 × 12 array demonstrate wide-angle beamsteering under both excitation conditions, achieving a scan range of ±60° with approximately 3.8-dB scan loss under the near-field feed, and steering angles from 20° to 60° with about 3.5-dB scan loss under far-field illumination. In addition, effective RCS reduction is achieved in the absorptive mode, exceeding 10 dB over a wide frequency band from 6.16 to 7.79 GHz, together with real-time mode switching. These results validate the proposed RMMS as a practical and scalable solution for multifunctional radar and communication systems. © 1963-2012 IEEE.