How Thin and Efficient Can a Metasurface Reflector Be? Universal Bounds on Reflection for Any Direction and Polarization

TL;DR

This paper derives universal theoretical bounds on the maximum reflection achievable by planar structures, guiding the design of ultra-thin, efficient reflective devices across various applications and materials.

Contribution

It provides analytical upper bounds on reflection for any planar structure, regardless of geometry, material, or polarization, using a unified optimization framework.

Findings

Universal bounds apply to diverse planar structures.

Guidelines for minimal thickness to achieve desired reflectance.

Identification of parameter regions for improved efficiency.

Abstract

Light reflection plays a crucial role in a number of modern technologies. In this paper, analytical expressions for maximal reflected power in any direction and for any polarization are given for generic planar structures made of a single material represented by a complex scalar susceptibility. The problem of optimal light-matter interactions to maximize reflections is formulated as the solution of an optimization problem in terms of the induced currents, subject to energy conservation and passivity, which admits a global upper bound by using Lagrangian duality. The derived upper bounds apply to a broad range of planar structures, including metasurfaces, gratings, homogenized films, photonic crystal slabs, and more generally, any inhomogeneous planar structure irrespective of its geometrical details. These bounds also set the limit on the minimum possible thickness, for a given lossy material, to achieve a desired reflectance. Moreover, our results allow discovering parameter regions where large improvements in the efficiency of a reflective structure are possible compared to existing designs. Examples are given of the implications of these findings for the design of superior and compact reflective components made of real, imperfect (i.e., lossy) materials, such as ultra-thin and efficient gratings, polarization converters, and light-weight mirrors for solar/laser sails.