abstract: Solar energy has become one of the most popular renewable energy in human’s life because of its abundance and environment friendliness. To achieve high solar energy conversion efficiency, it usually requires surfaces to absorb selectivity within one spectral range of interest and reflect strongly over the rest of the spectrum. An economic method is always desired to fabricate spectrally selective surfaces with improved energy conversion efficiency. Colloidal lithography is a recently emerged way of nanofabrication, which has advantages of low-cost and easy operation. In this thesis, aluminum metasurface structures are proposed based on colloidal lithography method. High Frequency Structure Simulator is used to numerically study optical properties and design the aluminum metasurfaces with selective absorption. Simulation results show that proposed aluminum metasurface structure on aluminum oxide thin film and aluminum substrate has a major reflectance dip, whose wavelength is tunable within the near-infrared and visible spectrum with metasurface size. As the metasurface is opaque due to aluminum film, it indicates strong wavelength-selective optical absorption, which is due to the magnetic resonance between the top metasurface and bottom Al film within the aluminum oxide layer. The proposed sample is fabricated based on colloidal lithography method. Monolayer polystyrene particles of 500 nm are successfully prepared and transferred onto silicon substrate. Scanning electron microscope is used to check the surface topography. Aluminum thin film with 20-nm or 50-nm thickness is then deposited on the sample. After monolayer particles are removed, optical properties of samples are measured by micro-scale optical reflectance and transmittance microscope. Measured and simulated reflectance of these samples do not have frequency selective properties and is not sensitive to defects. The next step is to fabricate the Al metasurface on Al_2 O_3 and Al films to experimentally demonstrate the selective absorption predicted from the numerical simulation. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Mechanical Engineering 2019

Metasurfaces are nanostructured interfaces capable of manipulating the phase, amplitude, or polarization of free-space light. ‘Local’ metasurfaces typically control the wavefront shape of spectrally broadband light to generate devices such as flat lenses, holograms, and beam steerers. In contrast, ‘nonlocal’ metasurfaces, such as photonic crystals, support spatially-extended optical modes that govern the transmission or reflection spectrum. Therefore, local metasurfaces typically offer spatial control over incident light but not spectral control, while nonlocal metasurfaces impose spectral but not spatial control. This thesis explores nonlocal dielectric metasurfaces with simultaneous spatial and spectral control such that they shape the wavefront only for spectrally narrowband resonant modes but act like an unpatterned substrate for non-resonant light. These devices are formulated from a rational design scheme based on symmetry arguments. Chapter 1 reviews the theoretical basis for these devices. Chapters 2 and 3 discuss experimental demonstrations of nonlocal wavefront-shaping metasurfaces in the near-infrared and visible wavelength regions, respectively. Our initial experimental demonstrations in the near-infrared in silicon metasurfaces were the first verification of their theoretical proposal. In the visible, experimental results of metasurfaces made of silicon-rich silicon nitride suggest potential applications in transparent displays, augmented reality headsets, and quantum optics. Significantly, our nonlocal metasurfaces form a versatile platform for multifunctional and multicolor meta-optics that shape the wavefront distinctively at several different resonant wavelengths, which we have experimentally demonstrated in both the near-infrared and the visible. Chapters 4 and 5 discuss conceptualization and experimentally demonstration of thermally-tunable nonlocal wavefront-shaping metasurfaces. Reconfigurable photonic devices such as zoom lenses and dynamic holograms have posed a substantial challenge and captured the interest of the optics community. We leverage the enhanced light-matter interaction in our nonlocal wavefront-shaping metasurfaces to realize tunable wavefront-shaping using conventional dielectric materials and standard nanofabrication procedures. The operating principle of these devices is that tuning the refractive index of the device with the thermo-optic effect can align or detune the resonant wavelength of a mode from the wavelength of a narrowband incident light source, and the wavefront is shaped only when the optical resonance is spectrally aligned with the incident light. Experimentally, we have demonstrated nonlocal metasurfaces based on structured germanium thin films whose functionality can be thermally switched between that of two different lenses. The thesis is concluded with a section on future prospects.

Frequency selective surfaces (FSS) were originally developed for electromagnetic filtering applications at microwave frequencies. Electron-beam lithography has enabled the extension of FSS to infrared frequencies; however, these techniques create sample sizes that are seldom appropriate for real world applications due to the size and rigidity of the substrate. A new method of fabricating large area conformal infrared FSS is introduced, which involves releasing miniature FSS arrays from a substrate for implementation in a coating. A selective etching process is proposed and executed to create FSS particles from crossed-dipole and square-loop FSS arrays. When the fill-factor of the particles in the measurement area is accounted for, the spectral properties of the FSS flakes are similar to the full array from which they were created. As a step toward scalability of the process, a square-patch design is presented and formed into FSS flakes with geometry within the capability of ultraviolet optical lithography. Square-loop infrared FSS designs are investigated both in quasi-infinite arrays and in truncated sub-arrays. First, scattering-scanning near-field optical microscopy (s-SNOM) is introduced as a characterization method for square-loop arrays, and the near-field amplitude and phase results are discussed in terms of the resonant behavior observed in far-field measurements. Since the creation of FSS particles toward a large area coating inherently truncates the arrays, array truncation effects are investigated for square-loop arrays both in the near- and far-field. As an extension of the truncation study, small geometric changes in the design of square-loop arrays are introduced as a method to tune the resonant far-field wavelength back to that of the quasi-infinite arrays.

Nonlinear optics represents a significant area of research and technology concerned with the modification of material optical properties using light. The interaction between light and such materials gives rise to a multitude of nonlinear optical effects, including second har-monic generation, third harmonic generation, high harmonic generation, and sum frequency generation. This thesis focuses on a specific and relevant nonlinear phenomenon within this field, namely the nonlinear Kerr effect, which involves the modification of a material’s re-fractive index through the exposure to an intense beam of light. The nonlinear Kerr effect holds promise for various applications, such as self-phase modulation in laser technology and the utilization of optical solitons in telecommunications. However, the limited availability of materials with sufficiently strong Kerr effects often restricts the practical application of this effect across different industries. Concurrently, optical time-varying systems play crucial roles in modern technologies, in-cluding optical modulators, LiDAR systems, and adaptive cameras. These systems involve the dynamic modification of optical properties. To achieve ultra-fast modulation of light properties, it is beneficial to explore materials with ultra-fast modulation speeds of the op-tical refractive index for integration into time-varying systems. While electro-optical effects represent the most common methods for achieving high-speed modulation of the effective refractive index, the utilization of all-optical methods, such as the nonlinear Kerr effect, presents an alternative approach. Nevertheless, the absence of simultaneous high speed and large nonlinear Kerr response in the majority of well-established materials restricts the utilization of the Kerr effect in time-varying systems.This thesis focuses on the study of a group of materials known as epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) materials, where the real part of the permittivity vanishes at a specific wavelength referred to as the ENZ wavelength. Specifically, indium-tin-oxide (ITO), a transparent conducting oxide, is investigated, with its ENZ wavelength falling within the infrared region of the elec-tromagnetic spectrum. ITO has been shown to possess a record-breaking large nonlinear Kerr effect with sub-picosecond response times, making it an excellent candidate for all-optical time-varying systems. The primary objective of this research is to investigate the applications of this large, fast nonlinear response and, where possible, enhance its effective-ness. One notable application of rapid and substantial modifications in the refractive index of a material is adiabatic wavelength conversion of light. In one project, a thin layer of ITO is subjected to a pump-probe setup, where an intense pump beam of light triggers the nonlinear response of ITO, causing the refractive index to rapidly change while a probe beam passes through the modulated system. Consequently, the wavelength of the probe beam undergoes conversion. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that the nonlinear response of ITO can be sig-nificantly enhanced in the presence of a plasmonic metasurface. Metasurfaces consist of two-dimensional arrays of sub-wavelength scattering objects capable of manipulating the vectorial properties of light. In another project, we design a gradient metasurface composed of gold placed over ITO, enabling the diffraction of incident light into various diffraction orders depending on the ratio between the wavelength of light and the periodicity of the metasurface. This unique property is utilized to dynamically steer the diffraction orders of the probe beam, achieving wavelength conversion by exciting the nonlinear response of the ITO substrate with a second pump beam. Additionally, we investigate the interaction of resonance modes in an amorphous silicon metasurface, known as Mie modes, with an inherently dark mode in a thin layer of ITO known as the ENZ mode. Through experimental and analytical approaches, we demonstrate that two fundamental Mie modes, electric dipole resonance and magnetic dipole resonance, can strongly couple with the ENZ mode. This strong coupling creates a highly complex system with a large and rapid nonlinear response, enabling the manipulation of light on sub-picosecond timescales. In our final main project, we delve into investigating the nonlinear response of ITO nanoparticles. To accomplish this, we put forth a numerical recursive approach that allows us to incorporate the significant nonlinear Kerr effect of ITO into inherently linear simulation environments. Subsequently, we employ this proposed method to extract the scattering pattern of sub-wavelength antennas fabricated from ITO in both linear and nonlinear optical regimes. Our objective is to explore the potential applications of ITO nanoantennas in various fields. Moreover, this thesis encompasses other projects related to ENZ materials. We investi-gate the nonlinear response of an artificially created ENZ medium by stacking subsequent layers of materials with negative and positive permittivities within the visible range of the electromagnetic spectrum. Additionally, we explore the nonlinear response of nanoparticles made of ITO. Lastly, we present our investigations into the strong coupling of the ENZ mode in a thin layer of ITO with surface plasmon polaritons in a layer of gold in contact with ITO.

The focus of this dissertation is analyzing and manipulating acoustic wave propagation in metamaterials, which can be used to assist the design of acoustic devices. Metamaterials are artificial materials, which are arranged in certain patterns at a scale smaller than the wavelength and can exhibit properties beyond those naturally occurring materials. With metamaterials, novel phenomena, such as focusing, super absorption, cloaking and localization of ultrasound, are theoretically proposed and experimentally verified. In recent years, a planar version of metamaterials, often called meta-surfaces, has attracted a great deal of attention. Meta-surfaces can control and manipulate the amplitude, phase, and directions of waves. In this dissertation, we conducted a systematic study by deriving the effective medium theories (EMTs), and developing the theoretical and numerical models for our proposed designed metamaterial. Very recently, acoustic meta-surfaces have been used in the design of acoustic lenses, which can achieve various functionalities such as focusing and collimation. In the designs of acoustic lenses, impedance is an important issue because it is usually difficult to make the impedance of the lens equal to that of the environment, and mismatched impedance is detrimental to the performance of the acoustic lens. We developed an EMT based on a coupled-mode theory and transfer matrix method to characterize the propagation behavior and, based on these models, we report two designs of acoustic lenses in water and air, respectively. They are rigid thin plates decorated with periodically distributed sub-wavelength slits. The building block of the acoustic lens in water is constructed from coiling-up spaces, and that of the acoustic lens in air is made of layered structures. We demonstrate that the impedances of the lenses are indeed matched to those of the background media. With these impedance-matched acoustic lenses, we demonstrate acoustic focusing and collimation, and redirection of transmitted acoustic energy by finite-element simulations. In the framework of the hidden source of the volume principle, an EMT for a coupled resonator structure is derived, which shows that coupled resonators are characterized by a negative value of the effective bulk modulus near the resonance frequency and induce flat bands that give rise to the confinement of the incoming wave inside the resonators. The leakage of sound waves in a resonance-based rainbow trapping device prevents the sound wave from being trapped at a specific location. Based on our EMT, we report a sound trapping device design based on coupled Helmholtz resonators, loaded to an air waveguide, to effectively tackle the wave leakage issue. We show that a coupled resonators structure can generate dips in the transmission spectrum by an analytical model derived from Newton’s second law and a numerical analysis based on the finite-element method. We compute the transmission spectra and band diagram from the effective medium theory, which are consistent with the simulation results. Trapping and the high absorption of sound wave energy are demonstrated with our designed device.

Dans ce rapport, une méthode pour l'implémentation de distributions de champ arbitraires utilisant des metasurfaces tensorielles est présentée. Les metasurfaces modulées sinusoïdalement sont utilisées afin de générer des ondes de fuite avec un contrôle de l'amplitude et de la phase. La distribution de phase du champ d'ouverture désirée est obtenue en utilisant une nouvelle formulation locale du principe de l'holographie. D'autre part, la distribution d'amplitude est contrôlée en faisant varier les indices de modulations ainsi que l'impédance moyenne en fonction de la position. Un contrôle indépendant de l'amplitude et de la phase est obtenu en modulant séparément les composantes du tenseur d'impédance. La formulation théorique est présentée en détails en prenant en compte la méthode d'implémentation ainsi que les contraintes d'adaptation. La méthode proposée est appliquée afin de générer plusieurs types de diagrammes de rayonnement aussi bien en champ lointain qu'en champ proche. La procédure de design a été validée numériquement avec des simulations pour une fréquence de travail de 20GHz. Les résultats obtenus sont en concordances avec les résultats théoriques attendus. Différentes metasurfaces ont ensuite été fabriquées et mesurées pour des fréquences de travail de 10GHz, 12.25GHz et 20GHz. Les résultats de mesures et de simulations démontrent qu'une large variété de distribution d'ouverture avec un contrôle d'amplitude et de phase peut être réalisée avec la méthode proposée. / In this thesis, a method for the implementation of arbitrary aperture field distributions using tensorial metasurfaces is introduced. Sinusoidally modulated metasurfaces are used in order to generate leaky waves with control on both phase and amplitude. The desired aperture phase distribution is obtained using a new local holography formulation. On the other hand, the amplitude distribution is controlled by varying modulation indices and average impedance depending on the position. A separate control of the aperture field components is achieved by modulating the impedance tensor elements independently. The theoretical formulation of the method is presented in details by taking into account the implementation method and antenna adaptation issues. The method is applied to design a wide range of radiation patterns examples both for far-field and near-field applications. The design procedure was first validated with simulations results for a working frequency of 20GHz giving a good agreement with the theoretical results. Several metasurfaces were then manufactured and measured for working frequencies of 10 GHz, 12.25 GHz and 20GHz. The consistency of the measurements and the simulation results proves that a good control of the aperture field phase and amplitude distributions is achieved using the proposed method.

La méta-optique non linéaire tout diélectrique suscite un vif intérêt, grâce à la faisabilité de nanostructures à contraste élevé et indice de réfraction disponible avec la lithographie à semi-conducteurs. Alors que des effets nonlinéaires au troisième ordre ont été rapportés dans les nanoantennes silicium sur isolant, la plate-forme AlGaAs-sur-isolant a récemment permis la démonstration de la génération de la seconde harmonique, dû à la noncentrosymétrie de ce matériel. Cette thèse illustre notre activité récente sur les nanoantennes non linéaires AlGaAs-sur-AlOx, où AlOx est obtenu par attaque chimique sélective par voie humide d'une couche épitaxiale d'AlGaAs riche en aluminium d'une épaisseur de quelques micromètres. Un tel substrat à faible indice de réfraction permet de découpler efficacement les modes nanoantenna de la tranche de GaAs (100) sous-jacent. La thèse présente d'abord les méthodes numériques, expérimentales et technologiques utilisées. Une analyse des résultats obtenus dans la génération de signaux non linéaires dans des nanoantennes simples et dans des structures complexes est ensuite présentée. Tous nos résultats expérimentaux ouvrent la voie à la génération et à la manipulation de signaux non linéaires à l'échelle nanométrique et pointent vers des applications telles que l'holographie non linéaire, la goniométrie sans fond et la vision nocturne. / All-dielectric nonlinear meta-optics is attracting a great deal of interest thanks to the feasibility of high refractive-index contrast nanostructures available with semiconductor lithography. While third order nonlinear effects have been reported in silicon-on-insulator nanoantennas, the AlGaAs-on-insulator platform has recently enabled the demonstration of second harmonic generation, owing to the non-centrosymmetry of this material. This PhD thesis illustrates our recent activity on AlGaAs-on-AlOx nonlinear nanoantennas, where AlOx is obtained from selective wet etching of micrometer-thick aluminium-rich AlGaAs epitaxial layer. Such a low refractive index substrate allows to effectively decouple the nanoantenna modes from the underlying GaAs (100) wafer. The thesis first introduces the numerical, experimental and technological methods employed. Afterwards, a review of the results obtained in nonlinear signal generation in single nanoantennas and in complex structures is given. All our experimental results pave the way towards nonlinear signal generation and manipulation at the nanoscale, and point towards applications such as nonlinear holography, background-free goniometry and night vision.

abstract: Impedance-modulated metasurfaces are compact artificially-engineered surfaces whose surface-impedance profile is modulated with a periodic function. These metasurfaces function as leaky-wave antennas (LWAs) that are capable of achieving high gains and narrow beamwidths with thin and light-weight structures. The surface-impedance modulation function for the desired radiation characteristics can be obtained using the holographic principle, whose application in antennas has been investigated extensively. On account of their radiation and physical characteristics, modulated metasurfaces can be employed in automotive radar, 5G, and imaging applications. Automotive radar applications might require the antennas to be flush-mounted on the vehicular bodies that can be curved. Hence, it is necessary to analyze and design conformal metasurface antennas. The surface-impedance modulation function is derived for cylindrically-curved metasurfaces, where the impedance modulation is along the cylinder axis. These metasurface antennas are referred to as axially-modulated cylindrical metasurface LWAs (AMCLWAs). The effect of curvature is modeled, the radiation characteristics are predicted analytically, and they are validated by simulations and measurements. Communication-based applications, like 5G and 6G, require the generation of multiple beams with polarization diversity, which can be achieved using a class of impedance-modulated metasurfaces referred to as polarization-diverse holographic metasurfaces (PDHMs). PDHMs can form, one at a time, a pencil beam in the desired direction with horizontal polarization, vertical polarization, left-hand circular polarization (LHCP), or right-hand circular polarization (RHCP). These metasurface antennas are analyzed, designed, measured, and improved to include the ability to frequency scan. In automotive radar and other imaging applications, the performance of metasurface antennas can be impacted by the formation of standing waves due to multiple reflections between the antenna and the target. The monostatic RCS of the metasurface antenna is reduced by modulating its surface impedance with a square wave, to avert multiple reflections. These square-wave-modulated metasurfaces are referred to as checkerboard metasurface LWAs, whose radiation and scattering characteristics, for normal incidence parallel polarization, are analyzed and measured. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Electrical Engineering 2020

Cette thèse est consacrée au développement de modèles semi-analytiques précis pour le calcul numérique de dispositifs nanophotoniques résonants. Il s'agit en particulier de membranes à cristaux photoniques, qui supportent des résonances avec des très grands facteurs de qualité, et d’ensembles composés de plusieurs nano-antennes plasmoniques, qui présentent des résonances avec des faibles facteurs de qualité. La thèse est divisée en deux parties.La première partie présente un modèle semi-analytique pour le calcul des modes supportés par des membranes à cristaux photoniques. Les modes à fuite (leaky modes) supportés par ces membranes structurées sont modélisés comme une résonance Fabry-Perot transverse composée de quelques ondes de Bloch propagatives qui vont et viennent verticalement à l'intérieur de la structure. Ce modèle est appliqué à l'étude des états liés dans le continuum (bound states in the continuum, ou BIC). Nous montrons que le modèle Fabry-Perot multimode est parfaitement adapté pour prédire l'existence des BICs ainsi que leur position dans l'espace des paramètres. Grâce à la semi-analyticité du modèle, nous étudions la dynamique des BICs avec l'épaisseur de la membrane pour des structures symétriques et asymétriques. Dans ce dernier cas, nous étudions des objets présentant soit une symétrie horizontale brisée, soit une symétrie verticale brisée (ajout d'un substrat). Le modèle Fabry-Perot nous permet d’obtenir des informations importantes sur la nature et le comportement des BICs. Nous démontrons que lorsque la symétrie miroir horizontale est brisée, les BICs dus à la symétrie du système, qui existent dans les structures symétriques au point Gamma du diagramme de dispersion, restent des BICs malgré l’absence de symétrie mais changent de nature. Ils deviennent des BICs dus à des interférences destructives entre les ondes de Bloch. La deuxième partie est consacrée au développement d'une théorie modale originale pour modéliser la diffusion de la lumière par des structures complexes composées d'un ensemble de plusieurs nano-antennes. L'objectif est de pouvoir modéliser la diffusion de la lumière par des métasurfaces à partir de la seule connaissance des modes de leurs constituants individuels. Pour ce faire, nous combinons un formalisme modal basé sur l’utilisation des modes quasi-normaux (QNM) avec la théorie multipolaire de la diffusion multiple basée sur le calcul de la matrice de transition (matrice T) d'un diffuseur unique. La matrice T fournit la relation entre le champ incident et le champ diffusé dans la base des harmoniques sphériques vectorielles. Elle contient toutes les propriétés de diffusion intrinsèques à l'objet. Le calcul de cette matrice représente une charge numérique lourde car elle nécessite de nombreux calculs rigoureux du champ diffusé. L'utilisation d'une décomposition modale avec des QNMs nous permet d’une part de rendre une partie du calcul analytique et d’autre part d'apporter une meilleure compréhension physique. Nous dérivons une décomposition modale de la matrice T et testons sa précision sur le cas de référence d'une nanosphère métallique.Enfin, la décomposition modale de la matrice T est appliquée à des cas pratiques d'intérêt en nanophotonique. A partir de la seule connaissance de quelques modes d'un nanocylindre plasmonique unique, nous calculons analytiquement la diffusion multiple de la lumière par un dimère et par une antenne Yagi-Uda composés de ces nanocylindres. Nous appliquons également l’approche modale à un réseau périodique bidimensionnel de nanocylindres . La comparaison avec les résultats d'une méthode numérique rigoureuse démontre un bon accord avec le calcul modal. Par rapport à des calculs entièrement rigoureux, la décomposition modale de la matrice T permet une réduction significative du temps de calcul. Comme les calculs sont analytiques une fois que les modes ont été calculés, l'approche modale est extrêmement utile pour les problèmes d'optimisation. / The presented thesis is dedicated to the development of semi-analytical accurate models for the numerical calculation of resonant nanophotonic devices. In particular, it concerns photonic crystal slabs, which can support resonances with high quality factors, and ensembles composed of several plasmonic nanoantennas, which exhibit resonances with low quality factors. The structure of the thesis is two-fold. In the first part, a semi-analytical model for the calculation of the modes supported by photonic crystal slabs (their dispersion and quality factors) is presented. Leaky modes supported by photonic crystal slabs are modeled as a transverse Fabry-Perot resonance composed of a few propagative Bloch waves bouncing back and forth vertically inside the slab. This model is applied to the study of bound states in the continuum (BICs). We show that the multimode Fabry-Perot model is perfectly suitable to predict the existence of BICs as well as their precise positions in the parameter space. We show that, regardless of the slab thickness, BICs cannot exist below a cut-off frequency, which is related to the existence of the second-order Bloch wave in the photonic crystal. Thanks to the semi-analyticity of the model, we investigate the dynamics of BICs with the slab thickness in symmetric and asymmetric photonic crystal slab. In the latter case, we investigate structures with either a broken horizontal symmetry or a broken vertical symmetry (addition of a substrate). As a result, we obtain some important insights into the nature and behavior of BICs. We evidence that, as the horizontal mirror symmetry is broken, the symmetry-protected BICs that exist in symmetric structures at the Gamma-point of the dispersion diagram are still BICs despite the absence of symmetry but change their nature. They become resonance-trapped BICs, but only for specific values of the slab thickness.The second part of the thesis is dedicated to the development of an original modal theory to model light scattering by complex structures composed of a small ensemble of plasmonic nanoantennas. The objective is to be able to model light scattering by metasurfaces from the sole knowledge of the eigenmodes of their individual constituents. For that purpose, we combine a quasi-normal mode (QNM) formalism with the multipole multiple-scattering theory based on the calculation of the so-called transition matrix (T-matrix) of a single scatterer. The T-matrix provides the relation between the incident and scattered fields in the vectorial spherical harmonics basis. It captures all the intrinsic scattering properties of the object that are due to its shape and refractive index distribution. Computation of the T-matrix is a heavy numerical burden since it requires numerous rigorous calculations of the scattered field— one for each harmonic in the basis. Using a modal expansion of the scattered field with QNMs allows us to bring both analyticity and physical understanding into the calculation. We derive a modal expansion of the T-matrix and test its accuracy on the reference case of a metallic nanosphere.Finally, we apply the modal expansion of the T-matrix to practical cases of interest in nanophotonics. From the sole knowledge of a few modes of a single plasmonic nanorod, we calculate analytically multiple light scattering by a dimer and a Yagi-Uda antenna composed of these nanorods. We apply also the modal approach to a periodic two-dimensional array of nanorods. Comparison with the results of a rigorous Maxwell’s equations solver demonstrates a good agreement with the QNM-based calculation. Compared to fully rigorous calculations, the QNM expansion of the T-matrix allows for a significant reduction of the computation time. Since the calculations are analytical once the modes have been calculated, the QNM approach is extremely useful for optimization problems.

abstract: Within the past two decades, metasurfaces, with their unique ability to tailor the wavefront, have attracted scientific attention. Along with many other research areas, RADAR cross-section (RCS)-reduction techniques have also benefited from metasurface technology. In this dissertation, a novel technique to synthesize the RCS-reduction metasurfaces is presented. This technique unifies the two most widely studied and two well-established modern RCS-reduction methods: checkerboard RCS-reduction andgradient-index RCS-reduction. It also overcomes the limitations associated with these RCS-reduction methods. It synthesizes the RCS-reduction metasurfaces, which can be juxtaposed with almost any existing metasurface, to reduce its RCS. The proposed technique is fundamentally based on scattering cancellation. Finally, an example of the RCS-reduction metasurface has been synthesized and introduced to reduce the RCS of an existing high-gain metasurface ground plane. After that, various ways of obtaining ultrabroadband RCS-reduction using the same technique are proposed, which overcome the fundamental limitation of the conventional checkerboard metasurfaces, where the reflection phase difference of (180+-37) degrees is required to achieve 10-dB RCS reduction. First, the guideline on how to select Artificial Magnetic Conductors (AMCs) is explained with an example of a blended checkerboard architecture where a 10-dB RCS reduction is observed over 83% of the bandwidth. Further, by modifying the architecture of the blended checkerboard metasurface, the 10-dB RCS reduction bandwidth increased to 91% fractional bandwidth. All the proposed architectures are validated using measured data for fabricated prototypes. Critical steps for designing the ultrabroadband RCS reduction checkerboard surface are summarized. Finally, a broadband technique to reduce the RCS of complex targets is presented. By using the proposed technique, the problem of reducing the RCS contribution from such multiple-bounces simplifies to identifying and implementing a set of orthogonal functions. Robust guidelines for avoiding grating lobes are provided using array theory. The 90 degree dihedral corner is used to verify the proposed technique. Measurements are reported for a fabricated prototype, where a 70% RCS-reduction bandwidth is observed. To generalize the method, a 45 degree dihedral corner, with a quadruple-bounce mechanism, is considered. Generalized guidelines are summarized and applied to reduce the RCS of complex targets using the proposed method. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Electrical Engineering 2020