A Programmable-Metasurface-Based TDMA Fast Beam Switching Communication System at 28 GHz

A programmable metasurface (PM) is a promising active antenna array approach for beamforming purposes. In comparison with a phased array, our interested PM achieves beamforming by electronically control the states of Pin diodes instead of phase shifters, which highly reduces the system price and power consumption. In this letter, a novel wireless communication system with an ultrafast beam steering ability using a PM at 28 GHz in a time-division multiple access (TDMA) scenario is constructed. Realization of the entire system dealing with technical specifications is introduced in detail. System performances with different beam switching times, modulation schemes, and frame structures are analyzed. As a conclusion, we prove that a PM system is a possible candidate for fast beam switching with low cost and complexity.