Fig. 1: Existing wired scheme versus our metasurface-empowered wireless approach for microwave-optical conversion.
From: Wireless microwave-to-optical conversion via programmable metasurface without DC supply
a Schematic of the metasurface converter and its attractive application in full-duplex air-water cross-media wireless communications for establishing a seamless satellite-air-ground-ocean network. b Traditional microwave-to-optical conversion based on microwave photonics techniques, where the microwave signal and optical carrier need to be input simultaneously, and then the microwave data are mapped onto the output optical signal using electro-optic modulation. c Direct free-space microwave-to-optical conversion using metasurface, which is realized by integrating MS junction and photoelectric PN junction components into meta-elements with double-sided microwave resonant structures. With this hybrid design, the input microwave signal can be converted directly into laser signal, without additional optical carrier feeding, wired power suppliers, and separation processes. Moreover, the reverse conversion from laser to microwave can be also realized on one platform, achieving bidirectional operation.
