A 1-bit Programmable Transmissive Metasurface Unit Design for Internet of Things

The rapid development of the Internet of Things (IoT) has resulted in a proliferation of devices, thereby imposing increased demands on the spectral efficiency, energy consumption, and connection reliability of wireless communication networks. However, traditional network architectures encounter significant challenges when faced with issues such as signal fading, occlusion, and interference in complex environments, particularly in balancing the requirements for high-density deployment and low-power communication. Intelligent metasurfaces, as an emerging reconfigurable electromagnetic structures, possess the capability to achieve intelligent control of wireless channels at the physical layer, thereby effectively enhancing signal quality and reducing energy consumption. In this paper, a 1-bit transmissive reconfigurable metasurface unit design is proposed, with the unit size of 0.43λ0 × 0.43λ0. The unit design incorporates two PIN diodes. The switching states can be altered to facilitate a transition between two states (1 and 0) with a phase difference of 180◦ within the designated frequency band. By integrating the units into a 20 × 20 metasurface array and independently controlling each unit, precise beam control can be achieved, enabling applications in communication for IoT devices.