Flexible reconfigurable intelligent surface with mechanically tunable beam scanning
A device for selectively reflecting signals is disclosed. The device may include a flexible reconfigurable intelligent substrate. Different portions or segments of the reconfigurable intelligent substrate can be exposed in an illumination window. Each of the segments has a different phase response. Positioning a particular segment in the illumination window achieves a particular reflection direction. The reflection direction can be tuned manually using a tuning mechanism configured to reposition the reconfigurable intelligent substrate relative to the illumination window.
1 . A device comprising:
a reconfigurable intelligent surface that includes a flexible substrate and a two-dimensional array of unit cells distributed on the flexible substrate;
a first movement mechanism operatively connected with a first end of the flexible substrate; and
a second movement mechanism operatively connected with a second end of the flexible substrate, wherein the first and second movement mechanisms cooperate to reposition the reconfigurable intelligent surface,
wherein the reconfigurable intelligent surface, the first movement mechanism, and the second movement mechanism are arranged to selectively expose a segment of the reconfigurable intelligent surface in an illumination window,
wherein the illumination window defines an aperture that is smaller than the reconfigurable intelligent surface such that only a subset of the unit cells is exposed to an incident signal, and
wherein repositioning the reconfigurable intelligent surface changes which subset of the unit cells is included in the aperture to change a reflection direction of the incident signal.
2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the reconfigurable intelligent layer further comprises a metallic layer formed on a surface of the flexible substrate, wherein the metallic layer comprises a plurality of unit cells.
3 . The device of claim 2 , wherein the unit cells are configured to each provide a phase response.
4 . The device of claim 3 , wherein a phase response of the segment generates constructive interference to reflect a signal in a specific direction.
5 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising a frame that forms the illumination window.
6 . The device of claim 5 , wherein the first and second movement mechanisms are configured to place the segment in the illumination window.
7 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising an electromagnetic cover positioned over the illumination window.
8 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the first movement mechanism comprises a first roller and the second movement mechanism comprises a second roller.
9 . The device of claim 8 , wherein the first end is wrapped around the first roller and the second end is wrapped around the second roller.
10 . The device of claim 9 , wherein the first roller and the second roller cooperate to scroll the reconfigurable intelligent surface in at least one direction.
11 . The device of claim 10 , wherein changing the segment exposed in the illumination window to a different segment changes a phase response of the device to a new phase response that corresponds to a different reflection direction.
12 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising a controller configured to actuate the first movement mechanism to scroll in a first direction and actuate the second movement mechanism to scroll in a second direction.
13 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising a metallic layer printed on a surface of the flexible substrate, wherein the metallic layer comprises a pattern for each of the unit cells, the pattern is configured to be resonant with a frequency.
14 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the metallic layer comprises copper.
15 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible substrate comprises plastic, liquid crystal polymer, polyimide, or flexible glass.
16 . A device comprising:
a reconfigurable intelligent surface that includes a layer configured to reflect an electromagnetic signal and a flexible substrate, the layer comprising a two-dimensional array of unit cells distributed on the flexible substrate;
a tuning mechanism operatively connected with a first end of the reconfigurable intelligent surface and a second end of the reconfigurable intelligent surface, wherein the tuning mechanism is configured to reposition the reconfigurable intelligent surface with respect to an illumination window,
wherein a phase response of a segment of the reconfigurable intelligent surface exposed in the illumination window determines a reflection direction of an incident signal,
wherein the illumination window defines an aperture smaller than the reconfigurable intelligent surface such that only a subset of the unit cells is exposed to the incident signal, and
wherein beam scanning is achieved by repositioning the reconfigurable intelligent surface to expose different subsets of the two-dimensional array within the aperture.
17 . The device of claim 16 , wherein the tuning mechanism is configured to move the reconfigurable intelligent surface to provide beam scanning, wherein different segments of the reconfigurable intelligent surface have different phase responses.
18 . The device of claim 16 , wherein the tuning mechanism is configured with at least one movement mechanism configured to scroll the reconfigurable intelligent surface with respect to a first axis.
19 . The device of claim 16 , wherein the reconfigurable intelligent substrate includes a plurality of unit cells each having a phase response, wherein the phase responses are configured to generate constructive interference to reflect the electromagnetic signal.
20 . A system configured to direct an electromagnetic signal to an area comprising a plurality of devices according to claim 16 , wherein the devices are configured to reflect the electromagnetic signal is succession to the area.