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Experimentally realized physical-model-based frugal wave control in metasurface-programmable complex media
Jérôme Sol1, Hugo Prod'homme1, Luc Le Magoarou1
1Univ Rennes, INSA Rennes, CNRS, IETR - UMR 6164, F-35000, Rennes, France.
Nature Communications
|April 2, 2024
Summary
We introduce open-loop wave control for metasurface-programmable environments, significantly outperforming deep-learning models. This physics-based approach enables efficient wireless functionality with minimal calibration, even using only intensity measurements.
Area of Science:
- Physics
- Electrical Engineering
- Materials Science
Background:
- Metasurface-programmable radio environments are crucial for next-generation wireless networks.
- Current methods rely on complex closed-loop feedback schemes for metasurface configuration.
- Identifying optimal configurations in unknown environments remains a challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce open-loop wave control in metasurface-programmable complex media.
- To develop a compact, physics-based forward model for parameter estimation.
- To demonstrate advantages over existing deep-learning-based digital-twin benchmarks.
Main Methods:
- Estimating parameters of a compact physics-based forward model.
- Implementing open-loop wave control strategies.
- Conducting experiments in metasurface-programmable complex media.
Main Results:
- Achieved orders-of-magnitude advantages in accuracy, compactness, and calibration examples compared to deep-learning benchmarks.
- Demonstrated successful parameter estimation without phase information or complete scattering coefficient measurements.
- Enabled coherent wave control (focusing, perfect absorption) and phase-shift-keying backscatter communications using only intensity measurements.
Conclusions:
- The developed pure-physics model offers unique generalization capabilities for frugal wave control.
- This approach significantly alleviates measurement complexity in metasurface applications.
- The method is applicable to dynamic metasurface antennas, microwave signal processors, and reconfigurable nanophotonic, optical, and acoustical systems.
