Manipulating the Loss in Electromagnetic Cloaks for Perfect Wave Absorption

TL;DR

This paper explores how manipulating inherent losses in electromagnetic cloaks can enable perfect wave absorption, leading to practical, super-absorptive devices with broad applications in microwave and optical fields.

Contribution

It introduces a method to achieve perfect wave absorption by utilizing losses in metamaterials within electromagnetic cloaks, including a practical layered design.

Findings

Achieves near-perfect wave absorption using metamaterial losses.

Demonstrates super-absorptivity over a moderate wideband range.

Device is subwavelength in thickness, outperforming conventional absorbers.

Abstract

We examine several ways to manipulate the loss in electromagnetic cloaks, based on transformation electromagnetics. It is found that, by utilizing inherent electric and magnetic losses of metamaterials, perfect wave absorption can be achieved based on several popular designs of electromagnetic cloaks. A practical implementation of the absorber, consisting of ten discrete layers of metamaterials, is proposed. The new devices demonstrate super-absorptivity over a moderate wideband range, suitable for both microwave and optical applications. It is corroborated that the device is functional with a subwavelength thickness and, hence, advantageous compared to the conventional absorbers.