Metasurfaces for Transmission and Reflection in Next-Generation Communication Systems

Metasurfaces have emerged as a key technology for electromagnetic wave manipulation. While they are typically designed to operate in either transmission or reflection mode, recent advancements have led to the development of metasurfaces capable of functioning in both modes simultaneously. The working principle of these metasurfaces relies on the careful design of their unit cells: by precisely engineering and arranging these elements, it is possible to achieve efficient control over both transmitted and reflected waves with minimal loss. These devices can be realized using a variety of materials, including dielectrics, metals, and tunable materials such as liquid crystals or graphene. Ultimately, dual -mode metasurfaces open new avenues for a broad range of applications, including Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS) for 6G communications, advanced imaging techniques, and Radar Cross Section (RCS) reduction.