For the traditional subwavelength gratings, we can code different units to construct the coded metagratings. In this paper, we propose an innovative principle of adding coded gratings, which can be used to add or subtract two or more traditional coded metagratings sequences and obtain a new coded metagratings sequence. Based on the proposed addition principle, the coded metagratings can adjust the scattering angle flexibly. This method overcomes the limitation that traditional grating can only obtain discrete diffraction angle. Importantly, compared with traditional gratings, the coded metagrating sequences with addition operation have enhanced diffraction efficiency at the same diffraction angle. This phenomenon may be attributed to the enhanced interaction between the coding particles of the new disordered coding sequence metagratings constructed or the impedance matching of interface. Our proposed coded grating addition principle provides a new degree of freedom for the flexible modulation of the terahertz wavefront. At the same time, this method can be extended to optical band or microwave band, which opens a new path for electromagnetic wave modulation and beam scanning.

Vortex beams carrying orbital angular momentum have important applications in optical communication, particle manipulation and quantum information. Vortex beams have multiplexed communication capabilities. Here, at the terahertz band, we propose a spin-multiplexed all-dielectric metasurface that combines vortex phase and encoding sequences. The metasurface can generate asymmetric vortex light with different topological charges under the condition of orthogonal circularly polarized light. Moreover, the flexible manipulation of the deflection angle of the vortex beam can be realized by changing the coding sequence. Meanwhile, the superposition of multifunctional coding sequences can also generate vortex beams with different states. Additionally, the focusing properties of the spin-multiplexed deflected vortex beam were analyzed. This work provides a new method for micro-nano integrated optics to generate deflected vortex light, which can be applied in data communication, micro-manipulation and other fields.

In view of the fact that most invisibility devices focus on linear polarization cloaking and that the characteristics of mid-infrared cloaking are rarely studied, we propose a cross-circularly polarized invisibility carpet cloaking device in the mid-infrared band. Based on the Pancharatnam-Berry phase principle, the unit cells with the cross-circular polarization gradient phase were carefully designed and constructed into a metasurface. In order to achieve tunable cross-circular polarization carpet cloaks, a phase change material is introduced into the design of the unit structure. When the phase change material is in amorphous and crystalline states, the proposed metasurface unit cells can achieve high-efficiency cross-polarization conversion, and reflection intensity can be tuned. According to the phase compensation principle of carpet cloaking, we construct a metasurface cloaking device with a phase gradient using the designed unit structure. From the near- and far-field distributions, the cross-circular polarization cloaking property is confirmed in the broadband wavelength range of 9.3–11.4 µm. The proposed cloaking device can effectively resist detection of cross-circular polarization.

Based on phase change material and Pancharatnam-Berry phase principle, a tunable coded metasurface is designed to realize terahertz wave metalens. When the vanadium dioxide phase change material is reversibly converted from metal state to medium state, the lens can achieve the tunable function of reflection focusing and transmission focusing. The unique feature of our tunable metalens is that when the vanadium dioxide material is in the medium state, the silicon cuboid column plays the main role. We can rotate the silicon column structure to obtain the geometric phase coding unit. When the phase change material is in the metallic state, the vanadium dioxide metal rod structure plays the main role and rotates the element structure to obtain the reflective geometric phase coding element. In order to control the focus position of the transmission-reflection tunable metalens, we further designed non-central focusing and bifocal focusing metalens.