Metasurface Coatings Enabling Scattering, Frequency, and Radiation Tunability for Next-Generation Antenna Systems

Next-generation of wireless communications and beyond-5G systems will require extreme performance in terms of low latency, data rates, reliability, just to name a few, and the possibility to tailor the communication channel on demand would be a key enabling technology for the so-called smart environment systems. Therefore, conventional antennas with fixed functionalities cannot be considered an efficient solution, and a new paradigm change in antenna design is thus required. In this frame, here, we show some of the most interesting possibilities enabled by functionalized conformal metasurfaces coating wired antennas for enabling unprecedented electromagnetic behaviours. In particular, we report the design of metasurface coats loaded with electronic elements allowing scattering, frequency, and radiation pattern tunability, in view of the designs of intelligent antennas whose properties can be tailored on demand.