Toward Intelligent Metasurfaces: The Progress from Globally Tunable Metasurfaces to Software‐Defined Metasurfaces with an Embedded Network of Controllers

• DOI: 10.1002/adom.202000783
• Publication Date: 2020-07-08T09:06:26Z
• Authors: Odysseas Tsilipakos; Anna C. Tasolamprou; Alexandros Pitilakis; Fu Liu; Xuchen Wang; Mohammad Sajjad M...; Dimitrios C. Tzar...; Sergi Abadal; Hamidreza Taghvaee; Christos Liaskos; Ageliki Tsioliaridou; Julius Georgiou; Albert Cabellos‐A...; Eduard Alarcón; Sotiris Ioannidis; Andreas Pitsillides; Ian F. Akyildiz; Nikolaos V. Kanta...; Eleftherios N. Ec...; Costas M. Soukoulis; Maria Kafesaki; Sergei Tretyakov
• Keywords: Scope (computer science)

Abstract Metasurfaces, the ultrathin, 2D version of metamaterials, have recently attracted a surge attention for their capability to manipulate electromagnetic waves. Recent advances in reconfigurable and programmable metasurfaces greatly extended scope reach into practical applications. Such functional sheet materials can enormous impact on imaging, communication, sensing applications, serving as artificial skins that shape fields. Motivated by these opportunities, this progress report provides review recent tunable metasurfaces, highlighting current challenges outlining directions future research. To better trace historical evolution classification globally locally is first provided along with different physical addressing mechanisms utilized. Subsequently, coding particular class which each unit cell acquire discrete response states, surveyed, since it naturally suited programmatic control. Finally, new research direction software‐defined described, attempts push toward unprecedented levels functionality harnessing opportunities offered software interface well inter‐ intranetwork connectivity establish them real‐world