The number of devices connected to wireless networks is growing at an unprecedented rate. From smartphones to wearables, smart home devices, and sensors, the demand for wireless connectivity continues to surge
This explosion of connected devices and sensors is highlighting capacity and congestion issues with current wireless infrastructure. As more data is transmitted over networks, interference and slowed speeds increasingly affect critical services and applications.
In light of these wireless congestion challenges, researchers from Nagoya Institute of Technology have developed a groundbreaking metasurface that can distinguish wireless signals based on both frequency and pulse width.
This innovative technology has the potential to revolutionize communication services by accommodating more devices within the same frequency band, thus addressing the growing need for higher wireless traffic capacity.
The Challenge of Rising Wireless Traffic
The surge in mobile phone users, Internet-of-Things devices, and smart sensors has resulted in a significant increase in wireless traffic. Similar to how a congested roadway hampers smooth traffic flow, the growing wireless traffic has led to congestion in the available frequency bands.
Also Read: Android TV vs. Smart TV: Exploring the key differences
While new frequency bands have been introduced, supporting a broad spectrum poses challenges, including limited frequency bands and increased complexity in wireless devices and infrastructure.
Introducing the Metasurface Solution
In a recent study published in Nature Communications, a team of researchers from Nagoya Institute of Technology, led by Associate Professor Hiroki Wakatsuchi, has developed a metasurface that can effectively distinguish wireless signals based on their frequency and pulse width.
Metasurfaces are engineered surfaces that manipulate electromagnetic waves to generate different signals, ensuring their separation and reducing the likelihood of congestion-related issues.
Also Read: How do touch screens work?
These metasurfaces can be integrated into radio-frequency devices like antennas and filters, accommodating more users and devices within the same frequency spectrum.
The newly developed metasurface outperforms traditional materials in distinguishing signals. By utilizing multiple unit cells that respond to specific frequencies, the metasurface can handle signals across multiple frequency bands.
This filter-like metasurface selectively transmits signals based on specific frequency sequences, akin to frequency-hopping techniques used to avoid interference. However, the metasurface can tune incoming signals based on their frequencies, enabling the reception and distinction of various signals from wireless devices.
Expanding Signal Distinguishing Possibilities
The metasurface’s distinguishing capabilities offer a significant advantage, as the number of signals that can be distinguished grows from a linear relationship to a factorial-based one.
For instance, with four or five available frequencies, the number of distinguishable signals increases from four or five to 24 or 120, respectively.
This breakthrough technology allows for more wireless communication signals and devices to be accommodated, even with limited frequency resources.
Addressing the Future of Wireless Networks
Researchers project a substantial increase in the number of devices connected to wireless networks by 2030, with estimates ranging from one million in 5G to ten million in 6G per square kilometer. Such growth will undoubtedly strain existing frequency bands.
However, metasurfaces, with their ability to distinguish wireless signals, offer a novel approach to operating numerous Internet-of-Things sensors and communication devices without severe interference.
This technology will play a crucial role in next-generation communication services, including autonomous driving, smart factories, digital twins, cyber-physical systems, and behavior recognition systems.
Conclusion
The innovative metasurface developed by researchers at Nagoya Institute of Technology provides a promising solution to the challenges posed by increasing wireless traffic.
By distinguishing wireless signals based on frequency and pulse width, this technology enables the accommodation of more devices within existing frequency bands.
As the demand for higher wireless traffic capacity continues to grow, metasurfaces offer a groundbreaking approach to ensuring seamless connections and supporting the future of communication services.
