Terahertz Signal Coverage Enhancement in Hall Scenarios Based on Single-Hop and Dual-Hop Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces

TL;DR

This paper investigates how single-hop and dual-hop reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS) can significantly improve indoor terahertz (THz) signal coverage, addressing the high path loss challenge in THz communications.

Contribution

It introduces an RIS model integrated into ray-tracing simulations for indoor THz coverage analysis, providing new insights into multi-RIS deployment strategies.

Findings

RIS enhances indoor THz coverage significantly.

Dual-hop RIS outperforms single-hop configurations.

Simulation framework aids in optimizing RIS deployment.

Abstract

Terahertz (THz) communication offers ultra-high data rates and has emerged as a promising technology for future wireless networks. However, the inherently high free-space path loss of THz waves significantly limits the coverage range of THz communication systems. Therefore, extending the effective coverage area is a key challenge for the practical deployment of THz networks. Reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS), which can dynamically manipulate electromagnetic wave propagation, provide a solution to enhance THz coverage. To investigate multi-RIS deployment scenarios, this work integrates an antenna array-based RIS model into the ray-tracing simulation platform. Using an indoor hall as a representative case study, the enhancement effects of single-hop and dual-hop RIS configurations on indoor signal coverage are evaluated under various deployment schemes. The developed framework offers valuable insights and design references for optimizing RIS-assisted indoor THz communication and coverage estimation.