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Ultrawideband metamaterial absorber for oblique incidence using characteristic mode analysis

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Abstract

An ultrawideband, polarization-insensitive, metamaterial absorber for oblique angle of incidence is presented using characteristic mode analysis. The absorber consists of conductive meander square loops and symmetric bent metallic strips, which are embedded with lumped resistors. With the aid of modal currents and modal weighting coefficients, the positions of the lumped resistors are determined. After that, the equivalent circuit (EC) model and admittance formula are proposed and analyzed to further understand the working principle and ultrawide bandwidth. The proposed absorber measures an absorption bandwidth of 4.3–26.5 GHz (144.1% in fractional bandwidth) for 90% absorptivity under normal incidence. At the oblique angle of incidence of 45°, the bandwidth of 90% absorptivity is still 5.1–21.3 GHz (122.72%) for transverse electric (TE) polarization, and 6.8–29.5 GHz (125.07%) for transverse magnetic (TM) polarization. The good agreement among simulation, measurement, and EC calculation demonstrates the validity of the proposed method and indicates that the method can be applied to other microwave and optical frequency bands. The proposed metamaterial absorber can be widely applied in electromagnetic compatibility, electromagnetic interference, radar stealth, and biomedical detection.

© 2022 Chinese Laser Press

1. INTRODUCTION

The development of electromagnetic (EM) metamaterials provides a broad prospect for manipulating the polarization, amplitude, and phase of electromagnetic waves to achieve multifunctionality [1,2]. Metamaterial absorbers (MMA) are widely used in various fields due to their unique characteristics, such as radar stealth [3,4], electromagnetic interference [5], wireless communication [6], imaging systems [7], and biomedical detection [8,9]. Salisbury screen [10], Jaumann absorber [11], and perfect metamaterial absorber [12], as early successful practices, although limited by narrow bandwidth and relatively large thickness, also explored a feasible technical route for metamaterial absorbers design.

The bandwidth, oblique angle of incidence and profile thickness of MMAs are a pair of contradictions that are difficult to reconcile. Therefore, an appropriate compromise should be taken to achieve satisfactory performance. The introduction of circuit analog absorbers is an excellent scheme, which greatly addresses the above limitations [13]. At the same time, equivalent circuit (EC) theory is also a rapid and effective method to guide the design of wideband and low-profile circuit analog absorbers [1418]. In Ref. [15], the proposed absorber was composed of a lossy layer and four rotationally symmetric bent metallic strips embedded with two chip resistors. The metallic strips embedded with the resistors generated three resonant modes, and the current was consumed through the chip resistor in different modes. A quasi-single-layer circuit analog absorber was proposed in Ref. [16], with two square loop arrays embedded with lumped elements printed on the top and bottom of the lossy dielectric. In Ref. [17], the usage intercalated few-layer graphene for the development of an optically tunable absorbing metasurface is proposed. The geometrical parameters of the metasurface are optimized using the EC theory, which achieves an optically controllable absorption in terahertz imaging and photodetection. The introduction of equivalent circuit, input impedance, and current distribution provided great insight into the existence of resonance and broadband. In addition, indium tin oxide [19,20], water [21,22], and graphene [23,24] are also applied to develop metamaterial absorption.

However, most of the research in the literature only focuses on the normal incidence, while the absorption for the oblique angle of incidence urgently needs principal insight and practical application [2527]. In Ref. [26], a dual-section step-impedance frequency selective surface (DSSI-FSS) absorber was developed for oblique incidence applications, and a transmission line model was proposed for DSSI-FSS absorbers at different incidence angles. It exhibited stable absorption properties for both TE and TM polarizations at incident angles from 0° to 45°. In Ref. [27], a novel absorber was proposed, which consists of a conductive square loop array embedded with lumped resistors and a wide-angle impedance matching (WAIM) layer. Equivalent circuit and rigorous formula derivations are introduced to gain insight into the deterioration of absorption performance under oblique incidence and effect of the WAIM layer. At an incident angle of 45°, the overlapped bandwidth for TE and TM polarizations is still 110.5%.

It is worth mentioning that the equivalent circuit is incapable of designing complex structures, and the guidance of oblique angle of incidence requires rich experience. The source-free characteristic mode theory (CMT) defines a set of mutually orthogonal modal currents, which provides profound physical insights for the analysis and modification of fundamental mode and higher-order modes [2830]. It has successfully guided the design of metasurface antennas [3136] and has been applied in the field of microwave absorption [19,3741]. In Ref. [35], the CMT based on the surface integral equation formalism is proposed for the analysis of plasmonic nanostructures, which can be utilized in the design and tuning of nanoantenna configurations for specific application. Reference [36] demonstrates the value of CMA-based design insights for antenna engineering and looks forward to new research directions for CMA and antenna research. In Ref. [37], a multimode and broadband absorber was proposed using characteristic mode analysis (CMA), and the underlying modal behavior of the absorber was analyzed to guide the design. In Ref. [38], with the aid of the characteristic modes and characteristic currents, the value of loading resistance could be determined. The equivalent impedance and surface current distribution of the absorber were analyzed to study its working mechanism. The successful practice of CMA provides a reference for microwave absorption. To the authors’ knowledge, CMA has not yet investigated the metamaterial absorber for oblique angle of incidence.

In this study, a novel ultrawideband, polarization-independent metamaterial absorber for oblique angle of incidence is proposed. The positions of the lumped resistors are determined using the modal field and modal parameters. The EC and admittance formula are analyzed to further understand the working mechanism and ultrawide bandwidth. The proposed absorber achieves a fractional bandwidth of 144.1% for 90% absorptivity under normal incidence. At the oblique angle of incidence of 45°, the bandwidth of 90% absorptivity still reaches four octaves for TE and TM polarizations. The simulation, measurement, and EC calculation demonstrate the effectiveness and reliability of the proposed method; it is also worth pointing out that the method can be extended to other microwave and optical fields.

2. DESIGN AND ANALYSIS OF THE PROPOSED METAMATERIAL ABSORBER

Figure 1 shows the schematic of the metamaterial absorber structure with an element size of P, including two lossy layers and a bottom metal ground. The upper structure adopts a conductive meandering square loop (E1), and lumped resistors R1 (marked in red) and R2 (marked in black) are embedded in the right-angled corners and the middle of the square loop, respectively. The middle structure employs four symmetrically placed bent metallic strips embedded (E2) with lumped resistor R3 (marked in red) at right-angled corners. The thicknesses of two layers of dielectric substrates are hs1 and hs2, respectively, and each layer is filled with air of thickness ha1 and ha2, respectively. As shown in Fig. 2, the dielectric constant of the substrate material is 2.65, and, at frequencies above 25 GHz, the dielectric constant is 2.64, which remains stable overall. The dielectric loss is 0.02; at high frequencies, the loss increases slightly. The expression of refractive index is ns=εrμr. Therefore, the refractive index of the substrate material is 1.628 and 1.625 for frequencies above 25 GHz. When the dielectric loss increases, the transmittance decreases and the reflectance increases.

 figure: Fig. 1.

Fig. 1. Topology and dimensions of the proposed metamaterial absorber. (a) Three-dimensional perspective. (b) Top square meander loop embedded with lumped resistors (E1). (c) Middle bent metallic strips embedded with lumped resistors (E2). P=10mm, l1=8.5mm, w1=1mm, l2=0.85mm, w2=0.1mm, l3=4mm, w3=1mm, w4=0.5mm, hs1=0.72mm, hs2=0.79mm, ha1=3.8mm, and ha2=1.5mm.

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 figure: Fig. 2.

Fig. 2. Properties of substrate.

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A. Characteristic Mode Analysis and Design of the Absorber

From the characteristic mode theory based on the method of moment (MOM), the radiation and scattering properties of dielectric materials can be clearly obtained [2830]. The total current J on the conductive surface of different elements can be expressed as a linearly weighted superposition of a series of mutually orthogonal characteristic modes (CMs):

{Ja,total=nαa,nJa,nJb,total=nαb,nJb,n,
where αn is the modal weighting coefficient (MWC) of the nth modal current, representing the contribution of each Jn to the total radiated power. The modal weighting coefficient is related to the external electric field and modal current, which is defined as
αn=Ei(r),Jn1+jλn,
where the numerator Ei(r),Jn is called the modal excitation coefficient. The modal significance (MS) is only related to eigenvalues, expressed as
MS=|11+jλn|.

The eigenvalue has a large variation range, while the range of MS is [0, 1]. When the value of MS is close to zero, it indicates that the mode is in resonance. If the value of MS is greater than 0.707, it indicates that the mode is an effective mode, which can be effectively excited under appropriate circumstances. For the absorber, the absorption bandwidth is in the range of MS value greater than 0.707.

The characteristic angle (CA) is expressed as

CAn=180°arctanλn.

The modes are presented as capacitive for characteristic angles greater than 180° and, on the contrary, exhibit inductance. CMs are obtained using the MOM-based characteristic mode analysis tool in computer simulation technology, Microwave Studio 2020. The dielectric loss is neglected in CMA but considered in the frequency-domain analysis.

The CMA of element 1 (E1) without lumped resistors and meander lines is carried out. Figure 4(a) shows the modal significances, and it can be seen that four dominant modes are resonated within 5–20 GHz. Figures 3(a) and 3(b) show the modal currents and modal radiation patterns of E1. Ja1 and Ja2 are a pair of orthogonal modes, and the maximum value of the modal radiation patterns is along the normal direction. The modal current of Ja3 is the strongest in the middle of each edge, and the modal current of Ja4 is reversed and rotationally symmetric on each edge. The modal radiation patterns of Ja3 and Ja4 are null in the normal direction. The modal currents of Ja1, Ja2, and Ja4 are strongest in the right-angled corners. As shown in Figs. 6(a) and 6(c), only Ja1 and Ja2 are excited under normally incident wave. According to the reciprocity theorem, it is evident that the radiation and absorption modes are consistent [42]. Therefore, the modal radiation pattern radiated along the normal direction has the strongest ability to absorb the normally incident wave. For TE polarized incident wave, Ja1, Ja2 (not shown, equal in magnitude to Ja1), and Ja3 are excited. It can be seen that, as the incident angle increases, the excitation of Ja1 becomes smaller, and the excitation of Ja3 shifts to high frequency. For TM polarized incidence, Ja1 and Ja2 are still the dominant excitation modes. In addition, Ja4 is also excited.

 figure: Fig. 3.

Fig. 3. Modal currents and modal radiation patterns. (a) and (b) Element 1 without lumped resistors and meander lines. (c) and (d) Element 2 without resistors.

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 figure: Fig. 4.

Fig. 4. Modal significances: (a) Element 1 and (b) Element 2 without resistors. Characteristic angles: (c) Element 1 and (d) Element 2 without resistors.

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As the incidence angle increases, the excitation becomes larger and shifts to high frequencies. In order to improve the absorption capacity of electromagnetic waves under normal incidence and oblique angle of incidence, lumped resistors are loaded at the strongest places of the four modal currents, that is, eight resistors R1 are loaded at the four corners, and four resistors R2 are loaded in the middle of each edge. Taking R1=100Ω and R2=100Ω, the CMA is carried out on the E1 loaded with resistance. The modal currents and modal radiation patterns of the four fundamental modes have not changed, but the MS is significantly broadened, as shown in Fig. 5(a). It can be seen from Figs. 4(c) and 5(c) that four dominant modes of E1, with and without the lumped resistors, change from capacitive to inductive. E1 has a sudden mode change from capacitive to inductive and a narrow absorption bandwidth when there is no lumped resistor. After loading the lumped resistor, the mode gradually transitions from capacitive to inductive and the absorption bandwidth becomes wider.

 figure: Fig. 5.

Fig. 5. Modal significances: (a) Element 1 and (b) Element 2 with resistors. Characteristic angles: (c) Element 1 and (d) Element 2 with resistors.

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Perform the same operation on E2 as E1 and carry out CMA on E2 without resistors to obtain MS. It can be seen that there are also four modes resonating within 13–16 GHz. Jb1 and Jb2 are a pair of orthogonal modes, modal radiation patterns all radiate along the normal direction, and there is no doubt that Jb1 and Jb2 are mainly excited under the normal incidence. The modal current of Jb3 is axisymmetric, while the modal current of Jb4 is rotationally symmetric, and both the modal radiation patterns of Jb3 and Jb4 are zero in the normal direction. For TE polarized incident waves, with the increase of incident angle, the excitation of Jb1 (the excitation of Jb2 is equal to that of Jb1, not shown) becomes smaller, and the excitation of Jb4 becomes larger, but the amplitude remains relatively smaller. For TE polarized incident waves, with the increase of incident angle, the excitation of Jb1 (the excitation of Jb2 is equal to that of Jb1, not shown) becomes smaller, and the excitation of Jb4 becomes larger, but the amplitude remains relatively smaller, as shown in Figs. 6(b) and 6(d). For the TM polarized incident wave, the excitation of Jb3 is larger as the incident angle increases, and the excitation of Jb1 increases first and then decreases. At θ=60°, the excitation of Jb3 is larger than that of Jb1. According to the reciprocity theorem, Jb1 and Jb3 play a major role in absorbing waves under oblique angle of incidence [42]. The strongest current of the four modes is located at the corner of the bent metallic strips. In order to expand the bandwidth of MS and enhance the absorption ability under oblique angle of incidence, lumped resistors are embedded at the strongest modal current. Again, the CMA shows that the modal currents and modal radiation patterns have not changed, and the MS of the four modes has widened, as shown in Fig. 5(b). A strong absorption ability is obtained under normally incident wave and obliquely incident wave. The change process of characteristic angle of E2 is consistent with that of E1.

 figure: Fig. 6.

Fig. 6. MWC of Element 1 and Element 2 without resistors at oblique angle of incidence. Element 1 under (a) TE and (c) TM polarization. Element 2 under (b) TE and (d) TM polarization.

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B. Equivalent Circuit of the Proposed Absorber

Consider the equivalent circuit along the polarization direction of the electric field, as shown in Figs. 1(b) and 1(c). Cu1 is the coupling capacitance between adjacent E1, LA1 is the equivalent inductance on the metallic strip parallel to the polarization direction, Cp1 is the parasitic capacitance on the metallic strip with the meander line, and the meander line with miniaturized structure is utilized to widen the absorption bandwidth. RA1 is the equivalent resistance of R1 and R2 inserted into the metallic strip. Cu2 is the coupling capacitance between adjacent metallic strips in E2, LA2 is the equivalent inductance on the metallic strip parallel to the polarization direction, LA3 is the equivalent inductance perpendicular to the polarization direction, CA1 and CA2 are the coupling capacitance between adjacent parallel metallic strips in E2, and RA2 is the equivalent resistance of R3 inserted in the metallic strips. The series resonant circuits LA2RA2CA1 and LA3CA2 are connected in parallel.

The plane wave is incident on the absorber from free space at θ1, and the propagation direction of the electromagnetic wave in the substrate is θ2. The incident angle θ1 and refraction angle θ2 meet Snell’s theorem: n1sinθ1=n2sinθ2, where n1=ε0μ0 and n2=εrμr. The admittance of free space and the characteristic admittance of the substrate under normal incidence are Y0, εr/μrY0, respectively, and under oblique angle of incidence are

{Y0TE=Y0cos(θ1),Y0TM=Y0cos(θ1)YsTE=εrμrY0cos(θ2),YsTM=εrμrY0cos(θ2).

Figure 7(a) shows the equivalent circuit model, where Yin1 is the input admittance of the proposed absorber. Then, the reflection coefficient is

Γ=Y0TE,TMYin1Y0TE,TM+Yin1,
where Yin1 is related to the thickness of free space and substrate and the RLC circuit,
Yin1=YsY0Yin2YsYin2tan(β2hs1)tan(β1ha1)+j[Y02tan(β1ha1)+Y0Ystan(β2hs1)]Y0YsY02tan(β2hs1)(β1ha1)+j[YsYin2tan(β1ha1)+Y0Yin2tan(β2hs1)]+YRLC1,
YRLC1=1ZCu1+ZRA1+ZCp1ZLA1ZCp1+ZLA1,
Yin2=YsjY0cot(β1ha2)+jYstan(β2hs2)Ys+Y0cot(β1ha2)tan(β2hs2)+YRLC2,
YRLC2=1ZCu2+(ZLA2+ZRA2+ZCA1)(ZLA3+ZCA2)ZLA2+ZRA2+ZCA1+ZLA3+ZCA2,
where β1=2πcos(θ1)/λ and β2=2πεrcos(θ2)/λ. The known full-wave simulation values are imported into the advanced design system (ADS), and the optimized value with the smallest error from the full-wave simulation value is obtained optimally by the quasi-Newton algorithm in the ADS, which is the desired and optimal RLC value. The circuit model is established in the ADS and fitted, and the optimized RLC values are Cu1=0.119pF, LA1=3.75nH, RA1=289.7Ω, Cp1=0.0029pF, Cu2=0.026pF, LA2=1.778nH, RA2=230Ω, CA1=4.772pF, LA3=33.22nH, and CA2=0.001pF. The good agreement between the equivalent circuit model and the full-wave simulation demonstrates the reliability of the EC model, as shown in Fig. 7(b). Y1 and Y2 are the admittance of single-layer E1 and E2 under the optimal matching state of normally incident wave, respectively. The red shaded area is the 10dB reflection coefficient. Figure 7(c) shows that the proposed double-layer absorber has a wider absorption bandwidth than the single-layer absorber. After optimization, the resistance values of R1, R2, and R3 are 97.6 Ω, 97.6 Ω, and 73.2 Ω, respectively. The absorptivity can be calculated by the following formula:
A=1RT,
where R=|S11|2 and T=|S21|2 are the reflectance and transmittance, respectively. The transmittance is close to zero due to the presence of the ground. As shown in Figs. 8(a) and 8(b), the proposed absorber exhibits polarization insensitivity and angular stability. For TE polarization, the absorptivity is almost above 90% at 4–20 GHz, except for some frequency bands. For TM polarization, as the incident angle increases, the bandwidth of 90% absorptivity shifts to high frequency, which can still reach four octaves. As shown in Figs. 8(c) and 8(d), compared with the ground with the same area, the proposed absorber can almost be reduced by 10 dB within 0°–60° for TE and TM polarizations. Therefore, the proposed absorber shows excellent performance in absorbing EM waves and reducing the radar cross section (RCS).
 figure: Fig. 7.

Fig. 7. (a) Equivalent circuit of the proposed absorber. (b) Reflection coefficient of simulation and equivalent circuit model. (c) Admittance Smith chart.

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 figure: Fig. 8.

Fig. 8. Simulated absorption variation with incidence angle, for (a) TE and (b) TM polarizations. RCS reduction between the proposed absorber and ground, for (c) TE and (d) TM polarizations.

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3. FABRICATION AND EXPERIMENTS

In order to verify the ultrawideband and polarization-insensitive characteristics of the proposed absorber, an absorber array containing 12×12 elements (120mm×120mm) is fabricated.

Considering the resistor pads, the space distance between adjacent resistors at the corner is relatively close. Therefore, one of the resistors is placed on the backside of the substrate, connected by metallized vias, as shown in Figs. 9(c) and 9(d). Then, the absorption bandwidth has no effect under normal incidence, and the absorption has little effect under the oblique angle of incidence, except that the absorption bandwidth shifts to low frequency. Figure 10 demonstrates the good agreement between measurements and simulations under TE and TM polarizations. Finally, the absorption bandwidth of the proposed metamaterial absorber for 90% absorptivity is 4.3–26.5 GHz (143.3%) under normal incidence. When the oblique angle of incidence is 45°, the absorption bandwidth under TE polarization and TM polarization is 5.1–21.3 GHz (122.72%) and 6.8–29.5 GHz (125.07%), respectively. Table 1 shows the performance comparison between the proposed and the previously reported absorbers. It can be seen that the proposed absorber has a wider absorption bandwidth under normal incidence and oblique angle of incidence and has the advantages of simple structure and convenient fabrication.

 figure: Fig. 9.

Fig. 9. Fabricated prototypes of absorber array. (a) 3D perspective. (b) Measurement environment. (c) Top layer. (d) Middle layer.

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 figure: Fig. 10.

Fig. 10. Simulated and measured absorption for (a) TE polarization and (b) TM polarization.

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Tables Icon

Table 1. Performance Comparison between the Proposed and Reported Absorbers

4. CONCLUSION

This paper presents a novel ultrawideband and dual-polarized metamaterial absorber for oblique angle of incidence. By analyzing the modal fields and parameters, the lumped resistors are loaded at the maximal modal current of the conductive meander square loops and bent metallic strips. At the same time, the equivalent circuit model and the admittance formula are analyzed to further understand the ultrabroadband absorption mechanism. The absorber array is fabricated and measured, and the good agreement between simulation and measurement demonstrates the reliability and effectiveness of the proposed absorber. The bandwidth of 90% absorptivity is 144.1% under normal incidence, and it still reaches four octaves for TE and TM polarizations under oblique incidence of 0°–45°. The proposed metamaterial absorber can be widely applied in electromagnetics, RCS reduction, and biomedical detection. Besides, the proposed method can be extended to other frequency domains and advanced metamaterial absorber designs.

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China (62171460); Natural Science Basic Research Program of Shaanxi Province (2022JM-319, 2022JQ-685, 20210110, 20200108, 20220104, 2020022).

Disclosures

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Data Availability

Data underlying the results presented in this paper are not publicly available at this time but may be obtained from the authors upon reasonable request.

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Data Availability

Data underlying the results presented in this paper are not publicly available at this time but may be obtained from the authors upon reasonable request.

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Figures (10)

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1. Topology and dimensions of the proposed metamaterial absorber. (a) Three-dimensional perspective. (b) Top square meander loop embedded with lumped resistors (E1). (c) Middle bent metallic strips embedded with lumped resistors (E2). P=10mm, l1=8.5mm, w1=1mm, l2=0.85mm, w2=0.1mm, l3=4mm, w3=1mm, w4=0.5mm, hs1=0.72mm, hs2=0.79mm, ha1=3.8mm, and ha2=1.5mm.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2. Properties of substrate.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 3. Modal currents and modal radiation patterns. (a) and (b) Element 1 without lumped resistors and meander lines. (c) and (d) Element 2 without resistors.
Fig. 4.
Fig. 4. Modal significances: (a) Element 1 and (b) Element 2 without resistors. Characteristic angles: (c) Element 1 and (d) Element 2 without resistors.
Fig. 5.
Fig. 5. Modal significances: (a) Element 1 and (b) Element 2 with resistors. Characteristic angles: (c) Element 1 and (d) Element 2 with resistors.
Fig. 6.
Fig. 6. MWC of Element 1 and Element 2 without resistors at oblique angle of incidence. Element 1 under (a) TE and (c) TM polarization. Element 2 under (b) TE and (d) TM polarization.
Fig. 7.
Fig. 7. (a) Equivalent circuit of the proposed absorber. (b) Reflection coefficient of simulation and equivalent circuit model. (c) Admittance Smith chart.
Fig. 8.
Fig. 8. Simulated absorption variation with incidence angle, for (a) TE and (b) TM polarizations. RCS reduction between the proposed absorber and ground, for (c) TE and (d) TM polarizations.
Fig. 9.
Fig. 9. Fabricated prototypes of absorber array. (a) 3D perspective. (b) Measurement environment. (c) Top layer. (d) Middle layer.
Fig. 10.
Fig. 10. Simulated and measured absorption for (a) TE polarization and (b) TM polarization.

Tables (1)

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Table 1. Performance Comparison between the Proposed and Reported Absorbers

Equations (11)

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{Ja,total=nαa,nJa,nJb,total=nαb,nJb,n,
αn=Ei(r),Jn1+jλn,
MS=|11+jλn|.
CAn=180°arctanλn.
{Y0TE=Y0cos(θ1),Y0TM=Y0cos(θ1)YsTE=εrμrY0cos(θ2),YsTM=εrμrY0cos(θ2).
Γ=Y0TE,TMYin1Y0TE,TM+Yin1,
Yin1=YsY0Yin2YsYin2tan(β2hs1)tan(β1ha1)+j[Y02tan(β1ha1)+Y0Ystan(β2hs1)]Y0YsY02tan(β2hs1)(β1ha1)+j[YsYin2tan(β1ha1)+Y0Yin2tan(β2hs1)]+YRLC1,
YRLC1=1ZCu1+ZRA1+ZCp1ZLA1ZCp1+ZLA1,
Yin2=YsjY0cot(β1ha2)+jYstan(β2hs2)Ys+Y0cot(β1ha2)tan(β2hs2)+YRLC2,
YRLC2=1ZCu2+(ZLA2+ZRA2+ZCA1)(ZLA3+ZCA2)ZLA2+ZRA2+ZCA1+ZLA3+ZCA2,
A=1RT,
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