Computational Angle of Arrival Detection Using Dynamic Metasurfaces

Detecting the direction of wireless signals across the entire horizon can greatly benefit various wireless communication and sensing systems. While traditional phased antenna arrays and mechanically rotating sensors can achieve the desired performance, they often come with drawbacks such as high cost, bulkiness, excessive weight, or high power consumption. Additionally, mechanical and stealth requirements necessitate that antenna hardware be embedded within shapes that conform to the surfaces of objects. To address these issues, we propose and numerically demonstrate conformal dynamic metasurface antennas that can wrap around arbitrary objects. These antennas can generate diverse patterns that interrogate the entire field of view, allowing for multiplexing relevant information into a few measurements at a single receiving unit. We will detail its design considerations and outline methods for computationally processing signals collected by this device to extract the angles of arrival of one or multiple signals. The proposed structure represents a new approach to designing microwave sensors for acquiring situational awareness.