Indoor Propagation Measurements with Sekisui Transparent Reflectors at 28/39/120/144 GHz

TL;DR

This study evaluates the propagation characteristics of passive transparent reflectors at multiple GHz frequencies in indoor environments, revealing their high penetration loss and effective reflection properties comparable to metal, with implications for wireless communication enhancement.

Contribution

First experimental evaluation of transparent reflectors' propagation characteristics across multiple GHz bands in indoor settings, highlighting their potential for improved wireless links.

Findings

Transparent reflectors have higher penetration loss than common indoor materials.

They perform similarly to metal in reflection characteristics.

Potential for enhanced wireless communication with minimal environmental impact.

Abstract

One of the critical challenges of operating with the terahertz or millimeter-wave wireless networks is the necessity of at least a strong non-line-of-sight (NLoS) reflected path to form a stable link. Recent studies have shown that an economical way of enhancing/improving these NLoS links is by using passive metallic reflectors that provide strong reflections. However, despite its inherent radio advantage, metals can dramatically influence the landscape's appearance - especially the indoor environment. A conceptual view of escaping this is by using transparent reflectors. In this work, for the very first time, we evaluate the wireless propagation characteristics of passive transparent reflectors in an indoor environment at 28 GHz, 39 GHz, 120 GHz, and 144 GHz bands. In particular, we investigate the penetration loss and the reflection characteristics at different frequencies and compare them against the other common indoor materials such as ceiling tile, clear glass, drywall, plywood, and metal. The measurement results suggest that the transparent reflector, apart from an obvious advantage of transparency, has a higher penetration loss than the common indoor materials (excluding metal) and performs similarly to metal in terms of reflection. Our experimental results directly translate to better reflection performance and preserving the radio waves within the environment than common indoor materials, with potential applications in controlled wireless communication.