Reconfigurable Terahertz Moiré Frequency Selective Surface Based on Additive Manufacturing Technology

Abstract

We designed and fabricated a terahertz (THz) frequency selective surface (FSS) based on two distinct additive manufacturing technologies, namely, printable electronics (PE) and three-dimensional (3D) printing. Silver nanoparticle ink was printed on a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate utilizing a large-scale roll-to-roll industrial PE technique with a flexographic printed unit, while the 3D-printed THz FSS was fabricated based on a powder bed fusion-selective laser melting system. The filtering characteristics of both types of FSS were verified through calculation, simulation, and experiments. Furthermore, the rotational tuning approach was applied to two identical FSS to form reconfigurable FSS which could be defined as Moiré FSS. Based on the numerical results obtained, our proposed technique which used a PE-based Moiré FSS achieves a 58% modulation depth at 0.25 THz, while experimental verification found a modulation depth of 41% at 0.22 THz, confirming that its adoption is simple and cost-effective. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of a Moiré reconfigurable printed FSS operating in the THz region.

Reconfigurable screen-printed terahertz frequency selective surface based on metallic checkerboard pattern

“…where T Sample (ω) and T Ref (ω) are the transmission coefficient of the sample and reference (substrate), respectively [28]. Schematic of the i-MCB FSS with the operational principle is depicted in figure 2(a), where purple and gray colors denote the metallic and PET part, respectively.…”

“…In the recent years, printable electronics (PE) pop up as an alternative solution for the fabrication of THz devices [27][28][29][30]. The advantages of PE include mass production capability with low cost per unit, good reproducibility, and more eco-friendly production [31].…”

“…Consequently, PE is highly suitable for the fabrication of THz FSS. Examples of printed THz devices include a band-pass filter [28], vortex phase plate [29], and polarizer [30]. More recently, a printed reconfigurable flexible FSS has been demonstrated based on the Moiré interference technique [28].…”

“…Examples of printed THz devices include a band-pass filter [28], vortex phase plate [29], and polarizer [30]. More recently, a printed reconfigurable flexible FSS has been demonstrated based on the Moiré interference technique [28]. To date, printed THz devices have been created exclusively through ink-jet printing, flexography, or hot stamping techniques.…”