Reconfigurable Metasurfaces for Index Modulation in 5G Wireless Communications

Recent research on index modulation (IM) techniques shows great promise in improving the energy and spectral efficiencies of high data-rate 5G wireless communications. In this work, we introduce a reconfigurable software-defined metasurface to implement IM techniques in 5G transceivers. In particular, we define implementation of spatial and subcarrier index modulations using a reconfigurable metasurface antenna, including beam steering and phase modulation capabilities. We present a metasurface aperture that can modulate and multiplex communications signals over the spectral, spatial, and temporal domains using space-time coding of unit elements.