Strong, omnidirectional radar backscatter from subwavelength, 3D printed metacubes

Abstract

Metallic metacubes formed of six metal plate faces connected via a metal jack are shown to backscatter microwave radiation extremely powerfully. Experimental radar scattering cross-section (RCS) data from three-dimensional (3D) printed samples agrees very well with numerical model predictions, showing a monostatic RCS of 15 times the geometric cross-section. The principal resonance of the metacubes demonstrates near-complete independence of the incident angle or polarisation of the radiation, making the metacube an omnidirectional scatterer. The metacubes are fabricated via additive manufacturing from metal-coated polymer, and are extremely lightweight, making them excellent candidates for improving the radar return signals from small objects such as drones and cubesats.