Yang, B., Cao, X., Xu, J., Huang, C., Alexandropoulos, G. C., Dai, L., Debbah, M., Poor, H. V., & Yuen, C. (2023). Reconfigurable Intelligent Computational Surfaces: When Wave Propagation Control Meets Computing. IEEE Wireless Communications, 30(3), 120–128. https://doi.org/10.1109/mwc.005.2200487
Abstract:
The envisioned sixth-generation (6G) of wireless networks will involve an intelligent integration of communications and computing to meet the urgent demands of task-oriented applications. To realize the concept of the smart radio environment, reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs) are becoming promising options for offering programmable propagation of impinging electromagnetic signals via external control. However, the purely reflective nature of conventional RISs induces significant challenges in supporting a variety of computation tasks, such as wave-based calculation and signal processing. To fulfill such computing demands, new metamaterials are needed to complement the existing technologies of reconfigurable surfaces, enabling further diversification of electronics and their applications. In this event, we introduce the concept of reconfigurable intelligent computational surface (RICS), which is composed of two reconfigurable multifunctional layers: the reconfigurable beamforming layer, which is responsible for tunable signal reflection, absorption, and refraction, and the intelligence computation layer, which concentrates on meta-materials-based task-oriented computing. By exploiting the recent trends in computational metamaterials, RICSs have the potential to make joint computation and communication a reality. We further demonstrate two typical tasks of RICSs, in particular a spectrum learning task for intelligent communications and a signal processing task for physical layer security. Future research challenges arising from the design and operation of RICSs are finally highlighted.
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Funding Info:
This research / project is supported by the NA - National Natural Science Fund for Excellent Young Scientists Fund Program (Overseas)
Grant Reference no. : NA
This research / project is supported by the NA - The Qin Chuang Yuan Fund Program
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This research / project is supported by the NA - The Double-First Class Construction Project of Northwestern Polytechnical University
Grant Reference no. : 23GH0202250
This research / project is supported by the NA - China National Key R&D Program
Grant Reference no. : 2021YFA1000500
This research / project is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China - NA
Grant Reference no. : 62101492
This research / project is supported by the Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China - NA
Grant Reference no. : LR22F010002
This research / project is supported by the U.S National Science Foundation - NA
Grant Reference no. : CCF-1908308
This research / project is supported by the U.S National Science Foundation - NA
Grant Reference no. : CNS-2128448
This research / project is supported by the Ministry of Education, Singapore - MOE Tier 2
Grant Reference no. : MOE-T2EP50220-0019
This research / project is supported by the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore - MTC Programmatic Grant
Grant Reference no. : M22L1b0110