Design and Analysis of Phase Conjugation-Based Self-Alignment Beamforming for RIS-Assisted Terahertz SWIPT

TL;DR

This paper introduces a self-alignment beamforming system for THz SWIPT using RIS and phase conjugation, enabling autonomous beam alignment and high data rates for battery-free IoT devices in 6G networks.

Contribution

It proposes a novel RIS-based self-alignment architecture with phase conjugate circuits, eliminating the need for beam scanning in THz SWIPT systems.

Findings

Achieves 127.84 Gbit/s data rate over 2.2 meters.

Attains 13.62 mW received power with sidelobe suppression.

Demonstrates effective autonomous beam alignment.

Abstract

Terahertz (THz) simultaneous wireless information and power transfer (SWIPT) is a promising technology for enabling ultra-high-rate and low-latency communications in massive battery-free Internet of Things (IoT) deployments for 6G networks. However, conventional THz systems rely on narrow directional beams that necessitate precise alignment, typically achieved through high-overhead beam scanning procedures, which fundamentally at odds with the energy constraints of battery-free IoT devices. In this paper, we propose a novel self-alignment architecture for THz SWIPT leveraging a reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) to eliminate complex beam scanning. By integrating phase conjugate circuits at both the base station and user equipment, the RIS facilitates a resonance-based bidirectional retro-reflection mechanism, enabling the system to autonomously converge to an aligned state without manual intervention. We develop an analytical channel transfer model and a power cycle model to characterize the resonance-assisted beam alignment process and power transfer efficiency. Simulation results demonstrate that the RIS-enabled system achieves effective spatial power concentration with significant sidelobe suppression, leading to a communication capacity of 127.84 Gbit/s and a received power of 13.62 mW over a 2.2-meter link.