Surface Electromagnetics for Wireless Communications and Sensing

ABSTRACT

Artificial surfaces, metasurfaces, and Electromagnetic Skins are artificial sheet materials with sub-wavelength thickness that enable to control the properties of the transmitted / reflected waves according to the designer's specifications. Thanks to their electromagnetic and geometrical properties, these are among the most important technologies for the development of next generation wireless communications and sensing applications. The course aims at providing the fundamentals of Surface Electromagnetics theory and concepts, along with an overviview of the most effective analysis/synthesis techniques and their most appealing/emerging applications in advanced engineering fields. Applicative examples including CAD exercises will corroborate the theoretical concepts.  

COURSE CONTENT

  • Introduction and fundamentals of electromagnetic wireless systems
  • Recalls to the principles of electromagnetic fields, wireless propagation of plane waves, and EM wave scattering phenomena
  • Surface equivalence theorem and the concept of Surface Electromagnetics
  • Electromagnetic propagation through surface structures and 2D boundary conditions
  • Uniform surfaces, periodic and aperiodic boundary conditions and devices
  • The Generalized Snell's laws for reflection and refraction
  • Electromagnetic wave manipulation using static/dynamic 2D artificial skins in transmission and in reflection
  • Applications for 6G communications and next-generation sensing systems
 

TEACHING ACTIVITIES

  • Theoretical Lessons
  • e-Xam Self Assessment (each teaching class or periodically)
  • MATLAB Hands-On
  • e-Xam Final Assessment
 

FURTHER READINGS

  1. F. Yang, Y. Rahmat-Samii, Surface Electromagnetics with Applications in Antenna, Microwave, and Optical Engineering, Cambridge University Press, 2019.
  2. N. Yu, P. Genevet, M. A. Kats, F. Aieta, J.-P. Tetienne, F. Capasso, and Z. Gaburro, "Light Propagation with Phase Discontinuities: Generalized Laws of Reflection and Refraction," Science, vol. 334, no. 6054, pp. 333-337, 2011.
  3. G. Oliveri, F. Zardi, P. Rocca, M. Salucci and A. Massa, "Building a Smart EM Environment - AI-Enhanced Aperiodic Micro-Scale Design of Passive EM Skins," in IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, vol. 70, no. 10, pp. 8757-8770, Oct. 2022.
  4. G. Oliveri, P. Rocca, M. Salucci and A. Massa, "Holographic Smart EM Skins for Advanced Beam Power Shaping in Next Generation Wireless Environments,“ in IEEE Journal on Multiscale and Multiphysics Computational Techniques, vol. 6, pp. 171-182, 2021.

Course Information

Date:  Spring 2025 (2 weeks, 30 hours/week)
Format:  The course is offered in blended form (onsite and online)

Registration Information

UniTN Students:  Free
EXTERNAL Students:  216 Eu: First course
180 Eu: Every course from the second one

The fees include the course teaching, the slides/material, and the video recordings.

Registration Procedure for UniTN Students

Please contact the Student Support Office of your Department/Centre/School to include the course in your study plan.

Registration Procedure for EXTERNAL Students

Step 1: Register a "guest" type account (@guest.unitn.it)

  • Should you still not have a UniTN account, you have to register and log in with your SPID identity or CIE (electronic ID card). If you cannot use SPID or CIE, please create your own UniTN account.

Step 2: Enroll to a Single UniTN Course

  • Complete the online application through the webpage apply for enrollment in ‘Standard’ single classes a.y. 2024/2025.
    In the application form (Section "Teaching Activities") put the following information:
    • Name of single class/teaching activity: Surface Electromagnetics for Wireless Communications and Sensing
    • Code of single class/teaching activity: 140725
    • Degree course to which the teaching activity is associated: [0331H] Ingegneria Civile
  • Once received the outcome of the application (1-3 days), login into ESSE3 with your "guest" account user-name and password. Then, pay the bulletin you find in Administrative Office – Payments.

NOTES:

  • A vademecum with a step-by-step guide to enroll to a single course at the University of Trento is available here
  • For any question on the registration process, please write to contact@eledia.org