1-Bit Coding Metasurface for RCS Reduction

The growing emphasis on stealth technologies has led to extensive research into techniques for minimizing the radar cross-section (RCS) of targets. This paper presents an innovative approach for radar cross-section reduction by employing a 1-bit coding metasurface. The metasurface comprises two distinct unit cells, exhibiting a phase difference of 180° ± 37°. This phase disparity induces non-directional, low-scattering behavior, which reduces the RCS. Various configurations of the unit cells are explored to assess their impact on RCS reduction. Simulations reveal that different coding sequences redirect electromagnetic waves into scattering lobes of varying magnitudes, away from the normal incidence direction. An RCS reduction of more than 10 dB relative to a perfect electric conductor (PEC) plate of equivalent dimensions is achieved by the optimized coding metasurface across the 40–44.5 GHz frequency range, presenting an excellent solution for stealth applications.