2-bit Intelligent Reflection Surface Enhances Urban Wireless Communications: An Experimental Study

Intelligent Reflective Surfaces (IRS) have emerged as a promising technology for future wireless communication, Due to system complexity constraints, most IRS implementations have adopted 1-bit reconfigurable schemes, lacking test results in outdoor real communication environments. This paper introduces a novel 2-bit phase reconfigurable IRS design method, where each Radio Frequency (RF) unit is independently controlled, allowing arbitrary switching between 4 different phase states to adapt to the varying complexities of communication environments. Furthermore, the comparative transmission experiments in an outdoor far-field environment have been implemented. The experimental results demonstrate that deploying the IRS can significantly enhance the signal reception power for blind zone users in urban settings. Compared to a metal plate, our IRS prototype exhibits exceptional beam control flexibility, showcasing a promising avenue for urban wireless enhancement.