A Novel Communication Paradigm for High Capacity and Security via Programmable Indoor Wireless Environments in Next Generation Wireless Systems

Abstract Wireless communication environments comprise passive objects that cause performance degradation and eavesdropping concerns due to anomalous scattering. This paper proposes a new paradigm, where scattering becomes software-defined and, subsequently, optimizable across wide frequency ranges. Through the proposed programmable wireless environments, the path loss, multi-path fading and interference effects can be controlled and mitigated. Moreover, the eavesdropping can be prevented via novel physical layer security capabilities. The core technology of this new paradigm is the concept of metasurfaces, which are planar intelligent structures whose effects on impinging electromagnetic waves are fully defined by their micro-structure. Their control over impinging waves has been demonstrated to span from 1 GHz to 10 THz. This paper contributes the software-programmable wireless environment, consisting of several HyperSurface tiles (programmable metasurfaces) controlled by a central server. HyperSurfaces are a novel class of metasurfaces whose structure and, hence, electromagnetic behavior can be altered and controlled via a software interface. Multiple networked tiles coat indoor objects, allowing fine-grained, customizable reflection, absorption or polarization overall. A central server calculates and deploys the optimal electromagnetic interaction per tile, to the benefit of communicating devices. Realistic simulations using full 3D ray-tracing demonstrate the groundbreaking performance and security potential of the proposed approach in 2.4 GHz and 60 GHz frequencies.