Multistable elastic pixel (mep)-based reversibly reconfigurable metasurfaces

A reconfigurable multistable metasurface component, comprising:

• (a) a set of first confinement volumes and a set of first elements disposed within the set of first confinement volumes, each first confinement volume containing a single first element, the set of first confinement volumes and the set of first elements being configured such that:
• (1) in the absence of applied energy to the set of first elements, the first elements maintain first mechanically stable states within their respective first confinement volumes or maintain second mechanically stable states within their respective first confinement volumes;
• and
• (2) application of an energy reversibly encourages the set of first elements from their first mechanically stable states or their second mechanically stable states to the other mechanically stable state;
• and
• at least one of
• (b1) a plurality of fixed elements;
• and
• (b2) a set of second confinement volumes and a set of second elements disposed within the set of second confinement volumes, the set of second confinement volumes and the set of second elements being configured such that
• (1) in the absence of applied energy to the set of second elements, the second elements maintain first mechanically stable states within their respective second confinement volumes or maintain second mechanically stable states within their respective second confinement volumes, and
• (2) application of an energy reversibly encourages the set of second elements from the second mechanically stable states or the second mechanically stable states to the other mechanically stable state.

A reconfigurable multistable metasurface component, comprising:

• a first plurality of elements disposed within a first confinement volume so as to form a first multimer that comprises the first plurality of elements in register with one another;
• a second plurality of elements disposed within a second confinement volume so as to form a second multimer that comprises the second plurality of elements in register with one another;
• and
• the first confinement volume and the first element are configured such that:
• (a) in the absence of applied energy to the first plurality of elements, the first plurality of elements maintains the first multimer in a first mechanically stable state within the first confinement volume;
• and
• (b) application of an energy reversibly encourages at least one of the first plurality of elements within the first confinement volume so as to remove that at least one element from the first multimer,
• wherein a state refers to at least one of a positional state and a rotational state.

A reconfigurable multistable metasurface component, comprising:

• a plurality of protrusions extending from a surface,
• each protrusion having a first concavity facing a first direction and having a second concavity facing a second direction, and
• the plurality of protrusions optionally being periodically arranged;
• a plurality of fixed pillar resonators extending from the surface,
• the plurality of fixed pillar resonators optionally being periodically arranged;
• and
• a plurality of moveable elements,
• the plurality of moveable elements configured such that application of an external field reversibly converts the component from one of a first mechanically stable state and a second mechanically stable state to the other of the first mechanically stable state and the second mechanically stable state, wherein
• (a) in the first mechanically stable state, each of the plurality of moveable elements associates with the first concavity of a first protrusion such that a periodic lattice is defined by the resonators and the moveable elements;
• and
• (b) in the second mechanically stable state, each of the plurality of moveable elements associates with the second concavity of a second protrusion so as to define a multimer comprising protrusions and moveable elements in register with one another,
• wherein a state refers to at least one of a positional state and a rotational state.

A reconfigurable multistable metasurface component, comprising:

• a plurality of protrusions extending from a surface,
• each protrusion comprising a first concavity along a first direction, a second concavity opening along a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction, a third concavity opposite the first concavity and opening along the first direction, and a fourth concavity opposite the second concavity and opening along the second direction, and
• the plurality of protrusions being periodically arranged;
• and
• at least one moveable resonator,
• the at least one moveable resonator defining a major axis and a first end and a second end lying along the major axis,
• the at least one moveable resonator being positioned such that application of an external field reversibly converts the component from one of a first mechanically stable state and a second mechanically stable state to the other of the first mechanically stable state and the second mechanically stable state, wherein
• (a) in the first mechanically stable state, the major axis of the moveable resonator lies along the first direction and the first end of the moveable resonator is associated with the third concavity of a first protrusion and the second end of the moveable resonator is associated with the first concavity of a third protrusion, and
• (b) in the second mechanically stable state, the major axis of the moveable resonator lies along the second direction and the first end of the moveable resonator is associated with the fourth concavity of a second protrusion and the second end of the moveable resonator is associated with the second concavity of a fourth protrusion,
• wherein a state refers to at least one of a positional state and a rotational state.