Design of Reconfigurable Metasurface for Beam Steering Applications in Next Generation Communication Systems

Metasurface designs can be classified as an emerging class of two-dimensional periodic sub-wavelength structures, those can manipulate the reflected phase of electromagnetic waves in such a manner, that conventional optics cannot. These surfaces are composed of arrays of subwavelength scatterers that interact with incident electromagnetic waves, allowing for complex manipulation of the wavefront. In this paper, a reconfigurable metasurface design is proposed, using varactor diode elements to manipulate the local reflection phase which can be utilized for beam-tilting operations in the desired direction. The unit cell is designed to operate in the Ka-band of frequencies, making it suitable for a wide range of operations in next gen communications. Also, the design highlights a two-dimensional beam tilt ability, which offers higher degrees of freedom for robust and real-time operations.