Backscatter Communication Through Disordered Media Enabled by a Programmable Leaky Cavity

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates a programmable leaky cavity with reconfigurable metasurfaces that enables robust focusing and communication through disordered media by leveraging backscattering, significantly improving control and signal strength.

Contribution

Introducing a reconfigurable metasurface-enabled leaky cavity that enhances control over wave transmission and enables reliable backscatter communication through complex, disordered environments.

Findings

Achieved an order of magnitude increase in focused intensity.

Demonstrated robust communication using low-power signals.

Implemented backscatter communication with passive targets within disordered media.

Abstract

Retrieving information through disordered scattering systems remains a major challenge in wireless communication and sensing due to the severe distortion and attenuation caused by multiple scattering. Here, we demonstrate robust focusing through random media using a leaky cavity made programmable by reconfigurable metasurfaces. We show that the leaky cavity leverages backscattering from the disordered medium to enhance the degree of control over the transmitted field. We achieve an enhancement in focused intensity by an order of magnitude compared to a horn antenna. We further demonstrate robust communication through the medium using low-power amplitude-modulated signals, and finally implement a backscatter communication scheme in which the same cavity illuminates and decodes data from a passive reflectivity-modulating target embedded within the disorder. Our results open new possibilities for reliable communication and sensing in complex environments.