Programmable metasurface for front-back scattering communication

Achieving high-efficient and low-power communication is pivotal yet very challenging in the emerging technologies. Unlike conventional backscatter communication system, we propose and demonstrate an amplitude-reconfigurable metasurface loaded with PIN diodes to build a front-back scattering communication transmitter, which features the exclusive advantages of full-space secondary modulation of the ambient signals with high energy utilization efficiency. Meanwhile, this device can eliminate the interference originated from the ambient source by polarization conversion in the transmission channel. At a modulation rate of 800 kbps and a distance of 80 m, our system can achieve distortion-free transmission of a picture with size of 200 × 200 pixels. In addition, multiple amplitude-shift-keying modulation is also realized by segmenting the metasurface to further increase the communication rate. Due to the advantages of high spectral efficiency and low energy consumption, this system can be widely used in future engineering applications for the internet of things, especially for smart home, agriculture environmental monitoring, wearable sensing and others.