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Cited by 1,306Advanced Antenna and Metasurface TechnologiesMetamaterials and Metasurfaces ApplicationsAdvanced Wireless Communication Technologies

Space-time-coding digital metasurfaces

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Zhang, Lei, Chen, Xiao Qing, Liu, Shuo, Zhang, Qian, Zhao, Jie, Dai, Jun Yan, Bai, Guo Dong, Wan, Xiang +4 more·2018·Nature Communications
DOI 10.1038/s41467-018-06802-0PMC PMC6194064
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Abstract

The recently proposed digital coding metasurfaces make it possible to control electromagnetic (EM) waves in real time, and allow the implementation of many different functionalities in a programmable way. However, current configurations are only space-encoded, and do not exploit the temporal dimension. Here, we propose a general theory of space-time modulated digital coding metasurfaces to obtain simultaneous manipulations of EM waves in both space and frequency domains, i.e., to control the propagation direction and harmonic power distribution simultaneously. As proof-of-principle application examples, we consider harmonic beam steering, beam shaping, and scattering-signature control. For validation, we realize a prototype controlled by a field-programmable gate array, which implements the harmonic beam steering via an optimized space-time coding sequence. Numerical and experimental results, in good agreement, demonstrate good performance of the proposed approach, with potential applications to diverse fields such as wireless communications, cognitive radars, adaptive beamforming, holographic imaging.

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  • Programmable metasurfaces can dynamically engineer the phase, amplitude, frequency, and polarization of electromagnetic waves in real time.

    “The digital coding representation and control of the coding pattern using the field programmable gate array (FGPA) have enabled the programmable metasurfaces to dynamically engineer the phase, amplitude, frequency, and polarization of EM waves in real time [3], [4].”

    From Emerging Technologies in Intelligent Metasurfaces: Shaping the Future of Wireless Communications (2026) · cites this paper as [3]

    The Introduction says FPGA-controlled coding sequences can switch metasurface functions in real time. The Results (Theory) and Discussion describe control of phase, equivalent amplitude, and harmonic-frequency power distribution. The Introduction mentions polarization conversion as a general metasurface capability, but our copy does not show that the programmable, real-time control described here extends to polarization. (LLM, conf=0.84)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

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Research works printed but not linked: 42

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Zhang, L., Chen, X. Q., Liu, S., Zhang, Q., Zhao, J., Dai, J. Y., Bai, G. D., Wan, X., Cheng, Q., Castaldi, G., Galdi, V., & Cui, T. J.
Affiliations
  • State Key Laboratory of Millimeter Waves (CN)
  • University of Sannio (IT)
Corresponding author
  • Galdi, Vincenzo
  • Cui, Tie Jun
ORCID
Venue
Nature Communications
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2018-10-18
Volume
9
Issue
1
Pages
4334-4334
ISSN
2041-1723 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1038/s41467-018-06802-0
PMC
PMC6194064
OpenAlex
W2896507689
Cited by
1,306
References
0
Citations by year
2026: 153 · 2025: 195 · 2024: 188 · 2023: 196 · 2022: 191 · 2021: 156 · 2020: 144 · 2019: 80 · 2018: 3
FWCI
77.91
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Nature Communications (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • National Natural Science Foundation of China (111 Project, 61722106, 2017YFA0700202, 61501112, 61522106, 61501117, 61731010, 111-2-05, 2017YFA0700203, 61701107, 61701108, 61631007, 61631007, 61571117, 61501112, 61501117, 61522106, 61731010, 61735010, 61722106, 61701107, and 61701108, 2017YFA0700201, 61735010, 61571117)
  • Government of Jiangsu Province
  • Higher Education Discipline Innovation Project (111‐2‐05, 2017YFA0700201, 111-2, No. 111-2-05, 2017YFA0700203, 61731010, 61571117, 2017YFA0700202, 61735010, 61631007)
  • National Key Research and Development Program of China (2017YFA0700201, 61735010, 2017YFA0700203, 61631007, 111-2-05, 2017YFA0700202, 61731010, 61571117)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Aerospace Engineering › Advanced Antenna and Metasurface Technologies
  • Physical Sciences › Materials Science › Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials › Metamaterials and Metasurfaces Applications
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Electrical and Electronic Engineering › Advanced Wireless Communication Technologies
Keywords
digital metasurface, space-time coding, beam shaping, adaptive beamforming, cognitive radar, holographic imaging

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