Multiphysics Inverse-Design of Multifunctional Freeform Meta-Radomes

Modern multifunctional antenna systems are critical for next-gen wireless communications, including 5G/6G and beyond. Whether deployed in dense urban environments or in remote areas, these systems must be protected from environmental hazards and electromagnetic interference while also being inconspicuous to the lay person. Radomes, which protect antennas have been investigated as a solution to address the multitude of potential operational threats. Successfully mitigating this protective covering's impact on antenna performance has long been thought to be a suitable implementation of a radome device. However, to meet the escalating demands for systems that surpass current state-of-the-art performance, the radome structure itself is now emerging as a critical focal point for multifunctional enhancement. To meet this need, a multiphysics inverse-design strategy is introduced for realizing bespoke multifunctional meta-radomes. Here it is demonstrated that by exploiting physics-informed adjoint optimization to generate subwavelength meta-structures one can simultaneously target user-defined mechanical and electromagnetic performances in a freeform additively manufacturable structure. The optimized design provides 9.9 dB gain enhancement of the base antenna system while being able to survive over 4400 N (≈1000 lbs) of force. Subsequent testing of the fabricated structure shows excellent agreement with simulation.