Optik - International Journal for Light and Electron Optics 171 (2018) 776–780

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Optik
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ijleo

Original research article

Cloaking electromagnetic wave with phase shifter

T
⁎
Lunwu Zeng , Chengen Wang
College of Engineering, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China

A R T IC LE I N F O ABS TRA CT

Keywords: When electromagnetic wave is normally reflected from semi-infinite denser medium, the phase of
Phase shifter reflection wave jumps π , when electromagnetic wave is normally reflected from finite thickness
Phase compensation denser (or thinner) medium, the phase of the reflection wave will change. According to the
Cloak electromagnetic wave theory, we designed phase shifter and derived the reflection coefficient
and the phase shift of the reflection wave. By comparing phase, we designed phase compensation
cloak. The simulation results show that the phase shifter can cloak electromagnetic wave.

1. Introduction

With the development of metamaterial, various kinds invisibility cloak have been designed and fabricated. Many achievements of
invisibility cloak have been motivated thanks to the pioneering theoretical works [1–4]. Inspired by those theoretical works, varieties
of electromagnetic wave cloak [5–8], acoustic wave cloak [9–11], mass diffusion cloak [12,13], heat flux cloak [14–18], magnetic
cloak [19,20], electric cloak [21,22] and matter wave cloak [23,24] have been theoretically designed and experimentally demon-
strated. Recently, Ni et al. experimentally demonstrated an ultrathin skin cloak based on the phase of the reflection field is invariant
at the wavelength ∼730 nm that overcomes the limitations of a bulky cloak [25], they created a metasurface tightly wrapped over an
object to render it free from optical detection, the ultrathin layer of the skin cloak restores the wave front scattered from the object by
compensating the phase difference. Soon after, Yang et al. [26] theoretically proposed a single low-profile skin metasurface carpet
cloak to hide objects with arbitrary shape and size under three different waves, i.e., electromagnetic wave, acoustic wave and water
wave, they controlled the local reflection phase of three waves by a metasurface, the metasurface provides an additional phase to
compensate the phase distortion introduced by a bump, and the phase of reflection waves are restored as if the incident waves
impinge onto a flat mirror. Faure et al. also did a similar work, they designed an acoustic carpet cloak by using a metasurface made of
graded Helmholtz resonators [27]. In this work, we designed phase shifter and phase shift compensation cloak, and simulated phase
shift compensation cloak, the simulation results show that the phase shifter can cloak electromagnetic wave.

2. Theoretical model and simulation

Fig. 1a shows two semi-infinite media, ε1 and ε2 are permittivity in region I and region II, respectively, μ1 and μ 2 are permeability
in region I and region II, respectively. Taking the transverse electric (TE) wave as an example, when TE wave is normally propagating
from region I to region II, the electric fields in two regions are
EIZ = A1eik1x x + iωt + A2e−ik1x x + iωt (1)

EIIZ = B2 eik1x x + iωt (2)

⁎
Corresponding author.
E-mail address: 163.sin@163.com (L. Zeng).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijleo.2018.06.116
Received 1 December 2017; Received in revised form 21 April 2018; Accepted 27 June 2018
0030-4026/ © 2018 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.
L. Zeng, C. Wang Optik - International Journal for Light and Electron Optics 171 (2018) 776–780

Fig. 1. Electromagnetic wave normal propagation. (a) Two semi-infinite media I and II. (b) Sandwich media I, II and III.

→ →
According to Maxwell’s equation ∇ × E = −μ∂ H/∂t , we obtain the magnetic fields in two regions
k1x
HIZ = − (A1eik1x x + iωt − A2e−ik1x x + iωt )
μ1 ω (3)

k2x
HIIZ = − B2 eik2x x + iωt
μ2 ω (4)
where EIZ and EIIZ are electric field in region I and region II, respectively, HIZ and HIIZ are magnetic field in region I and region II,
respectively, ω is the angle frequency, k1 and k2 are the wave number in region I and region II, respectively, A1, A2 and B1 are unknown
coefficient. According to the boundary conditions, the tangential electric field and magnetic field are continuous on the boundary of
x= 0 , we obtain the reflection coefficient of TE wave
μ 2 k1x − μ1 k2x
rTE = = |r| eiφTE
μ 2 k1x + μ1 k2x (5)
For normal propagation, and we take μ1 = μ 2 = 1, k1x = k 0 ε1 , k2x = k 0 ε2 , k 0 = ω/c , we obtain
rTE = ( ε1 − ε2 )/( ε1 + ε2 ) = |r| eiφTE , φTE is the phase shift of TE reflection wave. When ε1 < ε2 , rTE < 0 , i.e., electromagnetic
wave is normally propagating from thinner medium to denser medium, the reflection coefficient rTE < 0 leads to eiφTE = −1, so the
phase shift of TE wave φTE = π , or half wave loss, namely, electromagnetic wave is normally reflected from wave denser medium, the
phase of reflected wave jumps π .
Fig. 1b shows sandwich media, ε1, ε2 and ε3 are permittivity in three regions, correspondingly, μ1, μ 2 and μ3 are permeability in
three regions, correspondingly. When TE wave is normally propagating from region I to region III, the electric fields in three regions
are
EIZ = A1eik1x x + iωt + A2e−ik1x x + iωt (6)

EIIZ = B1eik2x x + iωt + B2 e−ik2x x + iωt (7)

EIIIZ = C1 eik3x x + iωt (8)

According to Maxwell’s equation, we obtain the magnetic fields in three regions
k1x
H1y = − (A1eik1x x + iωt − A2e−ik1x x + iωt )
μ1 ω (9)

k2x
H2y = − (B1eik2x x + iωt − B2 e−ik2x x + iωt )
μ2 ω (10)

k3x
H3y = − C1eik2x x + iωt
μ3 ω (11)
According to the boundary conditions, we obtain reflection coefficient of TE wave.
r1 + r2 ei2k2x d
rTE = = |r| eiφTE
1 + r1 r2 ei2k2x d (12)
where r1 = (μ 2 k1x − μ1 k2x )/(μ 2 k1x + μ1 k2x ) , r2 = (μ3 k2x − μ 2 k3x )/(μ3 k2x + μ 2 k3x ) , for normal propagation, and we take μ1 = μ 2 = μ3 = 1,
k1x = k 0 ε1 , k2x = k 0 ε2 , k3x = k 0 ε3 , ε3 → ∞, we obtain
ε2 sin(2k 0 ε2 d )
tan φTE =
ε2 cos2 (k 0 ε2 d) − sin2 (k 0 ε2 d) (13)
In this work, we choose copper slab as region III, the permittivity of copper ε3 → ∞. Due to the skin effect, the larger the frequency

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L. Zeng, C. Wang Optik - International Journal for Light and Electron Optics 171 (2018) 776–780

Fig. 2. The relations among phase shift tanφ , thickness d and relative permittivity ε2 . (a) The phase shift tanφ versus thickness d . (b) The phase shift
tanφ versus relative permittivity ε2 .

is, the smaller the skin depth is. When the frequency of electromagnetic wave is f= 0.1GHz , the skin depth is about7.0 × 10−6m , when
the frequency of electromagnetic wave is f= 10.0GHz , the skin depth is about 7.0 × 10−7m [28]. We take the thickness of the copper
slab is D0 = 1.0 × 10−3m , D0 is much larger than the skin depth, so the copper slab can’t be penetrated by the electromagnetic wave
we choose. The phase shifter consists of dielectric slab and copper slab, the thickness of the phase shifter is D= d + D0 ≈ d .
Fig. 2a shows the relation between the phase shift tanφ and the thickness d of dielectric slab. The parameters are μ1 = μ 2 = μ3 = 1,
ε1 = 1, ε2 = 4.0 , ε3 → ∞, frequency f= 3.0GHz or wavelength λ = 0.1m , tanφ periodically varies with thickness d . Fig. 2b shows the
relation between the phase shift tanφ and the permittivity ε2 of dielectric slab. The parameters are μ1 = μ 2 = μ3 = 1, ε1 = 1, d= 0.05m .
By adopting different thickness d , we can obtain the phase shift of the reflection wave from 0 to nπ (n > 0 ), for example, we take the
thickness of the phase shifter d= 0.0125m , 0.0250m , 0.0375m , 0.0500m , 0.0625m , 0.0750m , 0.0875m , 0.1000m , 0.1125m , we can obtain
the phase shift φ = π , 2π , 3π , 4π , 5π , 6π , 7π , 8π , 9π , correspondingly. Fig. 3 shows the phase shifter, the thickness of copper
D0 = 1.0 × 10−3m , the thickness of dielectric is d= 0.0125m , 0.0250m , 0.0375m , 0.0500m , 0.0625m , the phase shift is φ = π , 2π , 3π , 4π ,
5π , correspondingly.
Fig. 4 shows the surface reflection electric field of the phase compensation cloak. Region I is air, region II is the phase shifter, the

Fig. 3. The phase shifter, the thickness of copper D0 = 1.0 × 10−3m , the thickness of dielectric d= 0.0125m , 0.0250m , 0.0375m , 0.0500m , 0.0625m , the
phase shift ϕ = π , 2π , 3π , 4π , 5π , correspondingly.

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L. Zeng, C. Wang Optik - International Journal for Light and Electron Optics 171 (2018) 776–780

Fig. 4. The reflection electric field distribution of the phase compensation cloak. Region I is air, region II is a phase shifter, region III is cloaked
region, and region IV is arbitrary dielectric.

phase shift is φ = 9π , and the thickness of the phase shifter is D= 0.1135m (dielectric d = 0.1125m , copper D0 = 0.0010m ), region III is
a cloaked region, and region IV is an arbitrary dielectric. When an applied electric field is propagating from top to bottom, the phase
shift of the incident wave from the interface MN to CD is φ = 10π , the phase shift of the reflection wave from the interface CD to MN
is φ = 10π too (MC = 0.5 m, k = 2π / λ = 20π ), φMCM = φMC + φCM + π = 21π (π is the phase shift of half wave loss). The phase shift
of the incident wave from the interface PQ to AB is φ = 6π , the phase shift of the reflection wave from the interface AB to PQ is also
φ = 6π (PA = 0.3 m), φPAP = φPA + φAP + 9π = 21π (9π is phase shift of wave loss). That is to say, at the top interface, the phase shift
is identical. This is because the phase shifter compensates phase. At any level lines, the phase shifter is identical. If one wants to cloak
a large object, one can use a large phase shifter or use numerous phase shifters. With the same method, it is possible to design a
transverse magnetic (TM) wave phase compensation cloak. When electromagnetic wave is oblique incident, the phase compensation
cloak can also be designed.
As a comparison, we design a non-cloak, the copper slab ε3 → ∞ in Fig. 4 is replaced by a dielectric ε3 = 2 , Fig. 5 shows the surface
reflection electric field of the non-cloak, the surface electric field are distorted.

Fig. 5. The reflection electric field distribution of the non-cloak, the copper slab ε3 → ∞ is replaced by a dielectric ε3 = 2 .

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L. Zeng, C. Wang Optik - International Journal for Light and Electron Optics 171 (2018) 776–780

3. Conclusion

According to the electromagnetic wave theory, we derived reflection coefficient and phase shift of semi-infinite media and
sandwich media, and designed various phase shifters which can vary the phase of the reflected wave. Utilizing the principle of equal
phase, we designed phase compensation TE wave cloak. The simulation results show that the phase shifter can cloak electromagnetic
wave, our work is possible to extend to other phase compensation cloaks, such as acoustic wave phase, compensation cloak and
matter wave phase compensation cloak.

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