Programmable metasurfaces (PMs), also sometimes referred to as reconfigurable intelligence surfaces, are smart surfaces that reflect wireless signals, but can also dynamically manipulate electromagnetic waves in real-time. These surfaces are highly advantageous for the development of many cutting-edge technologies, including advanced sensing and wireless communication systems.

Researchers at Southeast University, University of Sannio and Université Paris-Saclay-CNRS showed that a specific PM, known as a space-and-time-coding metasurface, could simultaneously support both sensing and wireless communication.

Their paper, published in Nature Communications, introduces two promising schemes for integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) that rely on a space-and-time-coding metasurface they developed.