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Ambient Internet-of-Things (AIoT) form a new class of emerging technology that promises to deliver pervasive wireless connectivity to previously disconnected devices and products, assisting dependent industries (for example, supply chain, clothing, remote surveillance, climate monitoring, and sensors) to obtain granular real-time service visibility. Such ultra-low complexity and power consumption devices, that are either battery-less or have the capability for limited energy storage, can provide data feeds about the condition of any aspect (e.g., an environment or an item) that is being monitored, enabling proactive or reactive control by any application server. Although the security of data involving AIoT devices is critical for key decisions of any dependent operational system, the implementation of resource intensive cryptographic algorithms and other security mechanisms becomes nearly infeasible, or very challenging, due to the device energy and computational limitations. In this article, we present a lightweight security solution that enables confidentiality, integrity, and privacy protection in wireless links including AIoT. We consider, as a case study, an ambient-powered Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface (RIS) that harvests energy from its incident radio waves to realize programmable reflective beamforming, enabling the communication between a Base Station (BS) and end-user terminals. The proposed lightweight security solution is applied to the control channel between the BS and the RIS controller which is responsible for the metasurface's dynamic management and phase configuration optimization., Comment: 7 pages, 6 figures, submitted to an IEEE magazine

Introduced with the advent of statistical wireless channel models for high mobility communications and having a profound role in communication-centric (CC) integrated sensing and communications (ISAC), the doubly-dispersive (DD) channel structure has long been heralded as a useful tool enabling the capture of the most important fading effects undergone by an arbitrary time-domain transmit signal propagating through some medium. However, the incorporation of this model into multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system setups, relying on the recent paradigm-shifting transceiver architecture based on stacked intelligent metasurfaces (SIM), in an environment with reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs) remains an open problem due to the many intricate details that have to be accounted for. In this paper, we fill this gap by introducing a novel DD MIMO channel model that incorporates an arbitrary number of RISs in the ambient, as well as SIMs equipping both the transmitter and receiver. We then discuss how the proposed metasurfaces-parametrized DD (MPDD) channel model can be seamlessly applied to waveforms that are known to perform well in DD environments, namely, orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), orthogonal time frequency space (OTFS), and affine frequency division multiplexing (AFDM), with each having their own inherent advantages and disadvantages. An illustrative application of the programmable functionality of the proposed model is finally presented to showcase its potential for boosting the performance of the aforementioned waveforms. Our numerical results indicate that the design of waveforms suitable to mitigating the effects of DD channels is significantly impacted by the emerging SIM technology., Comment: Submitted to an IEEE journal for possible publication

Satellite Networks (SN) have traditionally been instrumental in providing two key services: communications and sensing. Communications satellites enable global connectivity, while sensing satellites facilitate applications such as Earth observation, navigation, and disaster management. However, the emergence of novel use cases and the exponential growth in service demands make the independent evolution of communication and sensing payloads increasingly impractical. Addressing this challenge requires innovative approaches to optimize satellite resources. Joint Communications and Sensing (JCAS) technology represents a transformative paradigm for SN. By integrating communication and sensing functionalities into unified hardware platforms, JCAS enhances spectral efficiency, reduces operational costs, and minimizes hardware redundancies. This paper explores the potential of JCAS in advancing the next-generation space era, highlighting its role in emerging applications. Furthermore, it identifies critical challenges, such as waveform design, Doppler effect mitigation, and multi-target detection, that remain open for future research. Through these discussions, we aim to stimulate further research into the transformative potential of JCAS in addressing the demands of 6G and beyond SN.

Recent advancements in wave computing using metasurfaces are poised to transform wireless communications by enabling high-speed, energy-efficient, and highly parallelized signal processing. These capabilities are essential to meet the ultra-high data rates of up to 1 terabit per second and minimal latency as low as 1 millisecond required by next-generation wireless networks. Diverging from traditional digital processing, wave computing adopts continuous analog signals to foster innovative functions such as over-the-air computation, integrated sensing and communications, computational electromagnetic imaging, and physical-layer security. This article explores the potential of reconfigurable multi-functional metasurfaces in wave computing, emphasizing their pivotal role in facilitating seamless communications and addressing the escalating computational demands for sixth generation (6G) networks. As artificial intelligence has become one of the most prominent and rapidly advancing fields of research over the last decade, we also introduce a wave-domain-based machine learning approach aimed at achieving power-efficient, fast training and computation. Future research directions are discussed, underscoring how metasurface-based systems can merge computation with communication to innovate components of 6G networks, thus creating smarter, faster, and more adaptable wireless infrastructures.

In the field of multi-access edge computing (MEC), efficient computation offloading is crucial for improving resource utilization and reducing latency in dynamically changing environments. This paper introduces a new approach, termed as Multi-Task Domain Adaptation (MTDA), aiming to enhance the ability of computational offloading models to generalize in the presence of domain shifts, i.e., when new data in the target environment significantly differs from the data in the source domain. The proposed MTDA model incorporates a teacher-student architecture that allows continuous adaptation without necessitating access to the source domain data during inference, thereby maintaining privacy and reducing computational overhead. Utilizing a multi-task learning framework that simultaneously manages offloading decisions and resource allocation, the proposed MTDA approach outperforms benchmark methods regarding mean squared error and accuracy, particularly in environments with increasing numbers of users. It is observed by means of computer simulation that the proposed MTDA model maintains high performance across various scenarios, demonstrating its potential for practical deployment in emerging MEC applications.

In this paper, a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) wireless system incorporating a reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) to efficiently operate at terahertz (THz) frequencies is considered. The transmitter, Alice, employs continuous-variable quantum key distribution (CV-QKD) to communicate secret keys to the receiver, Bob, which utilizes either homodyne or heterodyne detection. The latter node applies the least-squared approach to estimate the effective MIMO channel gain matrix prior to receiving the secret key, and this estimation is made available to Alice via an error-free feedback channel. An eavesdropper, Eve, is assumed to employ a collective Gaussian entanglement attack on the feedback channel to avail the estimated channel state information. We present a novel closed-form expression for the secret key rate (SKR) performance of the proposed RIS-assisted THz CV-QKD system. The effect of various system parameters, such as the number of RIS elements and their phase configurations, the channel estimation error, and the detector noise, on the SKR performance are studied via numerical evaluation of the derived formula. It is demonstrated that the RIS contributes to larger SKR for larger link distances, and that heterodyne detection is preferable over homodyne at lower pilot symbol powers., Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures

This paper investigates the performance of one- and two-sided amplitude shift keying (ASK) modulations in noncoherent single-input single-output (SISO) wireless communication systems assisted by a reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS). Novel noncoherent receiver structures are proposed based on the energy of the received symbol and the choice of the modulation scheme for data transmission. The system's performance is assessed in terms of the symbol error rate (SER) and an optimization framework is proposed to determine the most effective one- and two-sided ASKs to minimize the SER, while adhering to average a transmit power constraint. Two scenarios based on the availability of the statistical characteristics of the wireless channel are explored: a) the transceiver pair has complete knowledge of the channel statistics, and b) both end nodes possess knowledge of the statistics of the channel gain up to its fourth moment, and novel algorithms are developed to obtain optimal ASKs for both of them. Extensive numerical evaluations are presented showcasing that there exists a threshold signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) above which the optimal ASKs outperform the traditional equispaced ASKs. The dependencies of the SER performance and the SNR threshold on various system parameters are assessed, providing design guidelines for RIS-assisted noncoherent wireless communication systems with multi-level ASK modulations., Comment: 12 pages, 8 figures

Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RISs) are expected to play a pivotal role in future indoor ultra high data rate wireless communications as well as highly accurate three-dimensional localization and sensing, mainly due to their capability to provide flexible, cost- and power-efficient coverage extension, even under blockage conditions. However, when considering beyond millimeter wave frequencies where there exists GHz-level available bandwidth, realistic models of indoor RIS-parameterized channels verified by field-trial measurements are unavailable. In this article, we first present and characterize three RIS prototypes with $100\times100$ unit cells of half-wavelength inter-cell spacing, which were optimized to offer a specific non-specular reflection with $1$-, $2$-, and $3$-bit phase quantization at $304$ GHz. The designed static RISs were considered in an indoor channel measurement campaign carried out with a $304$ GHz channel sounder. Channel measurements for two setups, one focusing on the transmitter-RIS-receiver path gain and the other on the angular spread of multipath components, are presented and compared with both state-of-the-art theoretical models as well as full-wave simulation results. The article is concluded with a list of challenges and research directions for RIS design and modeling of RIS-parameterized channels at THz frequencies., Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, submitted to an IEEE magazine

In this article, we propose the integration of the Holographic Multiple Input Multiple Output (HMIMO) as a transformative solution for next generation Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTNs), addressing key challenges, such as high hardware costs, launch expenses, and energy inefficiency. Traditional NTNs are constrained by the financial and operational limitations posed by bulky, costly antenna systems, alongside the complexities of maintaining effective communications in space. HMIMO offers a novel approach utilizing compact and lightweight arrays of densely packed radiating elements with real-time reconfiguration capabilities, thus, capable of optimizing system performance under dynamic conditions such as varying orbital dynamics and Doppler shifts. By replacing conventional antenna systems with HMIMO, the complexity and cost of satellite manufacturing and launch can be substantially reduced, enabling more streamlined and cost-effective satellite designs. This advancement holds significant potential to democratize space communications, making them accessible to a broader range of stakeholders, including smaller nations and commercial enterprises. Moreover, the inherent capabilities of HMIMO in enhancing energy efficiency, scalability, and adaptability position this technology as a key enabler of new use cases and sustainable satellite operations.

A Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface (RIS) can significantly enhance network positioning and mapping, acting as an additional anchor point in the reference system and improving signal strength and measurement diversity through the generation of favorable scattering conditions and virtual line-of-sight paths. In this paper, we present a comprehensive framework aimed at user localization and scatterer position estimation in an indoor environment with multipath effects. Our approach leverages beam sweeping through codebook-based beamforming at an 1-bit RIS to scan the environment, applies signal component extraction mechanisms, and utilizes a super-resolution algorithm for angle-based positioning of both connected users and scatterers. To validate the system's effectiveness, accurate 3D ray tracing models are employed, ensuring the robustness and effectiveness of the proposed approach in practical scenarios., Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, to be presented in an ESA workshop

This paper presents an optimization framework for near-field localization with Dynamic Metasurface Antenna (DMA) receivers. This metasurface technology offers enhanced angular and range resolution realizing efficient hybrid Analog and Digital (A/D) BeamForming (BF) with sub-wavelength-spaced metamaterials of tunable responses. However, the vast majority of the state-of-the-art DMA designs is based on an idealized model for their reception operation, which neglects several practical aspects, such as the inevitable mutual coupling among the densely deployed metamaterials within a given aperture. Capitalizing on a recent circuit-compliant active metasurface model, we present a novel mutual-coupling-aware framework for localization-optimized hybrid A/D BF weights at the reception DMA. To deal with the intrinsic complexity of the deployed model, we introduce first- and second-order approximations for the DMA analog BF matrix that enable efficient optimization, while maintaining accuracy. We derive the Cramer-Rao Bound for the user position estimation which serves as our design objective for the hybrid A/D BF matrices. Closed-form solutions for these matrices for both approximations are presented, whose validity is confirmed via numerical investigations. It is also demonstrated that the proposed DMA design outperforms state-of-the-art multi-antenna reception architectures optimized for the same localization objective.

In this paper, we study the problem of promptly detecting the presence of non-cooperative activity from one or more Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RISs) with unknown characteristics lying in the vicinity of a Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) communication system using Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (OFDM) transmissions. We first present a novel wideband channel model incorporating RISs as well as non-reconfigurable stationary surfaces, which captures both the effect of the RIS actuation time on the channel in the frequency domain as well as the difference between changing phase configurations during or among transmissions. Considering that RISs may operate under the coordination of a third-party system, and thus, may negatively impact the communication of the intended MIMO OFDM system, we present a novel RIS activity detection framework that is unaware of the distribution of the phase configuration of any of the non-cooperative RISs. In particular, capitalizing on the knowledge of the data distribution at the multi-antenna receiver, we design a novel online change point detection statistic that combines a deep support vector data description model with the scan $B$-test. The presented numerical investigations demonstrate the improved detection accuracy as well as decreased computational complexity of the proposed RIS detection approach over existing change point detection schemes., Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, submitted to an IEEE conference

Hybrid Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (HRISs) constitute a new paradigm of truly smart metasurfaces with the additional features of signal reception and processing, which have been primarily considered for channel estimation and self-reconfiguration. In this paper, leveraging the simultaneous tunable reflection and signal absorption functionality of HRIS elements, we present a novel framework for the joint design of transmit beamforming and the HRIS parameters with the goal to maximize downlink communications, while simultaneously illuminating an area of interest for guaranteed localization coverage performance. Our simulation results verify the effectiveness of the proposed scheme and showcase the interplay of the various system parameters on the achievable Integrated Sensing and Communications (ISAC) performance.

Smart wireless environments enabled by multiple distributed Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RISs) have recently attracted significant research interest as a wireless connectivity paradigm for sixth Generation (6G) networks. In this paper, using random matrix theory methods, we calculate the mean of the sum Mutual Information (MI) for the correlated Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) Multiple Access Channel (MAC) in the presence of multiple RISs, in the large-antenna number limit. We thus obtain the capacity region boundaries, after optimizing over the tunable RISs' phase configurations. Furthermore, we obtain a closed-form expression for the variance of the sum-MI metric, which together with the mean provides a tight Gaussian approximation for the outage probability. The derived results become relevant in the presence of fast-fading, when channel estimation is extremely challenging. Our numerical investigations showcased that, when the angle-spread in the neighborhood of each RIS is small, which is expected for higher carrier frequencies, the communication link strongly improves from optimizing the ergodic MI of the multiple RISs.We also found that, increasing the number of transmitting users in such MIMO-MAC-RIS systems results to rapidly diminishing sum-MI gains, hence, providing limits on the number of users that can be efficiently served by a given RIS., Comment: 14 pages, 5 figures, to appear in an IEEE Transactions

In-band Full-Duplex (FD) Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) systems offer a significant opportunity for Integrated Sensing and Communications (ISAC) due to their capability to realize simultaneous signal transmissions and receptions. This feature has been recently exploited to devise spectrum-efficient simultaneous information transmission and monostatic sensing operations, a line of research typically referred to as MIMO FD-ISAC. In this article, capitalizing on a recent FD MIMO architecture with reduced complexity analog cancellation, we present an FD-enabled framework for simultaneous communications and sensing using data signals. In contrast to communications applications, the framework's goal is not to mitigate self interference, since it includes reflections of the downlink data transmissions from targets in the FD node's vicinity, but to optimize the system parameters for the intended dual functionality. The unique characteristics and challenges of a generic MIMO FD-ISAC system are discussed along with a broad overview of state-of-the-art special cases, including numerical investigations. Several directions for future work on FD-enabled ISAC relevant to signal processing communities are also provided., Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures, White Paper to appear at IEEE SPM

In this paper, we analyze the performance of one- and two-sided amplitude shift keying (ASK) modulations in single-input single-output wireless communication aided by a reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS). Two scenarios are considered for the channel conditions: a blocked direct channel between the transmitter and the receiver, and an unblocked one. For the receiver, a noncoherent maximum likelihood detector is proposed, which detects the transmitted data signal based on statistical knowledge of the channel. The system's performance is then evaluated by deriving the symbol error probability (SEP) for both scenarios using the proposed noncoherent receiver structures. We also present a novel optimization framework to obtain the optimal one- and two-sided ASK modulation schemes that minimize the SEP under constraints on the available average transmit power for both the blocked and unblocked direct channel scenarios. Our extensive numerical investigations showcase that the considered RIS-aided communication system achieves superior error performance with both derived SEP-optimal ASK modulation schemes as compared to respective traditional ASK modulation. It is also demonstrated that, between the two proposed modulation schemes, the two-sided one yields the best SEP. The error performance is further analyzed for different system parameters, providing a comprehensive performance investigation of RIS-assisted noncoherent wireless communication systems., Comment: 13 pages, 6 figures

Task offloading is of paramount importance to efficiently orchestrate vehicular wireless networks, necessitating the availability of information regarding the current network status and computational resources. However, due to the mobility of the vehicles and the limited computational resources for performing task offloading in near-real-time, such schemes may require high latency, thus, become even infeasible. To address this issue, in this paper, we present a Trajectory Prediction-based Pre-offloading Decision (TPPD) algorithm for analyzing the historical trajectories of vehicles to predict their future coordinates, thereby allowing for computational resource allocation in advance. We first utilize the Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) network model to predict each vehicle's movement trajectory. Then, based on the task requirements and the predicted trajectories, we devise a dynamic resource allocation algorithm using a Double Deep Q-Network (DDQN) that enables the edge server to minimize task processing delay, while ensuring effective utilization of the available computational resources. Our simulation results verify the effectiveness of the proposed approach, showcasing that, as compared with traditional real-time task offloading strategies, the proposed TPPD algorithm significantly reduces task processing delay while improving resource utilization.

Near-field (NF) communications is receiving renewed attention in the context of passive reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs) due to their potentially extremely large dimensions. Although line-of-sight (LOS) links are expected to be dominant in NF scenarios, it is not a priori obvious whether or not the impact of non-LOS components can be neglected. Furthermore, despite being weaker than the LOS link, non-LOS links may be required to achieve multiplexing gains in multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) scenarios. In this paper, we develop a generalized statistical NF model for RIS-assisted MIMO systems that extends the widely adopted point-scattering model to account for imperfect reflections at large surfaces like walls, ceilings, and the ground. Our simulation results confirm the accuracy of the proposed model and reveal that in various practical scenarios, the impact of non-LOS components is indeed non-negligible, and thus, needs to be carefully taken into consideration.

This paper studies the interference broadcast channel comprising multiple multi-antenna Base Stations (BSs), each controlling a beyond diagonal Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface (RIS) and serving multiple single-antenna users. Wideband transmissions are considered with the objective to jointly design the BS linear precoding vectors and the phase configurations at the RISs in a distributed manner. We take into account the frequency selectivity behavior of each RIS's tunable meta-element, and focusing on the sum rate as the system's performance criterion, we present a distributed optimization approach that enables cooperation between the RIS control units and their respective BSs. According to the proposed scheme, each design variable can be efficiently obtained in an iterative parallel way with guaranteed convergence properties. Our simulation results demonstrate the validity of the presented distributed algorithm and showcase its superiority over a non-cooperative scheme as well as over the special case where the RISs have a conventional diagonal structure., Comment: 5 pages, 1 figure; to be presented in IEEE SPAWC 2024. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:2406.19334

In this paper, we consider the problem of jointly controlling the configuration of a Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface (RIS) with unit elements of discrete responses and a codebook-based transmit precoder in RIS-empowered Multiple-Input Single-Output (MISO) communication systems. The adjustable elements of the RIS and the precoding vector need to be jointly modified in real time to account for rapid changes in the wireless channels, making the application of complicated discrete optimization algorithms impractical. We present a novel Multi-Branch Attention Convolutional Neural Network (MBACNN) architecture for this design objective which is optimized using NeuroEvolution (NE), leveraging its capability to effectively tackle the non-differentiable problem arising from the discrete phase states of the RIS elements. The channel matrices of all involved links are first passed to separate self-attention layers to obtain initial embeddings, which are then concatenated and passed to a convolutional network for spatial feature extraction, before being fed to a per-element multi-layered perceptron for the final RIS phase configuration calculation. Our MBACNN architecture is then extended to multi-RIS-empowered MISO communication systems, and a novel NE-based optimization approach for the online distributed configuration of multiple RISs is presented. The superiority of the proposed single-RIS approach over both learning-based and classical discrete optimization benchmarks is showcased via extensive numerical evaluations over both stochastic and geometrical channel models. It is also demonstrated that the proposed distributed multi-RIS approach outperforms both distributed controllers with feedforward neural networks and fully centralized ones., Comment: 13 pages, figures, under review in a journal

Extreme natural phenomena are occurring more frequently everyday in the world, challenging, among others, the infrastructure of communication networks. For instance, the devastating earthquakes in Turkiye in early 2023 showcased that, although communications became an imminent priority, existing mobile communication systems fell short with the operational requirements of harsh disaster environments. In this article, we present a novel framework for robust, resilient, adaptive, and open source sixth generation (6G) radio access networks (Open6GRAN) that can provide uninterrupted communication services in the face of natural disasters and other disruptions. Advanced 6G technologies, such as reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs), cell-free multiple-input-multiple-output, and joint communications and sensing with increasingly heterogeneous deployment, consisting of terrestrial and non-terrestrial nodes, are robustly integrated. We advocate that a key enabler to develop service and management orchestration with fast recovery capabilities will rely on an artificial-intelligence-based radio access network (RAN) controller. To support the emergency use case spanning a larger area, the integration of aerial and space segments with the terrestrial network promises a rapid and reliable response in the case of any disaster. A proof-of-concept that rapidly reconfigures an RIS for performance enhancement under an emergency scenario is presented and discussed., Comment: Submitted to IEEE VTM

Localizing near-field sources considering practical arrays is a recent challenging topic for next generation wireless communication systems. Practical antenna array apertures with closely spaced elements exhibit direction-dependent mutual coupling (MC), which can significantly degrade the performance localization techniques. A conventional method for near-field localization in the presence of MC is the three-dimensional (3D) multiple signal classification technique, which, however, suffers from extremely high computational complexity. Recently, two-dimensional (2D) search alternatives have been presented, exhibiting increased complexity still for direction-dependent MC scenarios. In this paper, we devise a low complexity one-dimensional (1D) iterative method based on an oblique projection operator (IMOP) that estimates direction-dependent MC and the locations of multiple near-field sources. The proposed method first estimates the initial direction of arrival (DOA) and MC using the approximate wavefront model, and then, estimates the initial range of one near-field source using the exact wavefront model. Afterwards, at each iteration, the oblique projection operator is used to isolate components associated with one source from those of other sources. The DOA and range of this one source are estimated using the exact wavefront model and 1D searches. Finally, the direction-dependent MC is estimated for each pair of the estimated DOA and range. The performance of the proposed near-field localization approach is comprehensively investigated and verified using both a full-wave electromagnetic solver and synthetic simulations. It is showcased that our IMOP scheme performs almost similarly to a state-of-the-art approach but with a 42 times less computational complexity., Comment: 13 pages, 11 figures, submitted to an IEEE Transactions

Stacked intelligent metasurfaces (SIMs) represent a novel signal processing paradigm that enables over-the-air processing of electromagnetic waves at the speed of light. Their multi-layer architecture exhibits customizable computational capabilities compared to conventional single-layer reconfigurable intelligent surfaces and metasurface lenses. In this paper, we deploy SIM to improve the performance of multi-user multiple-input single-output (MISO) wireless systems through a low complexity manner with reduced numbers of transmit radio frequency chains. In particular, an optimization formulation for the joint design of the SIM phase shifts and the transmit power allocation is presented, which is efficiently tackled via a customized deep reinforcement learning (DRL) approach that systematically explores pre-designed states of the SIM-parametrized smart wireless environment. The presented performance evaluation results demonstrate the proposed method's capability to effectively learn from the wireless environment, while consistently outperforming conventional precoding schemes under low transmit power conditions. Furthermore, the implementation of hyperparameter tuning and whitening process significantly enhance the robustness of the proposed DRL framework., Comment: 34 pages, 11 figures, 2 tables. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:2402.09006

In this paper, a Full Duplex (FD) eXtremely Large (XL) Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) node equipped with reconfigurable metasurface antennas at its transmission and reception sides is considered, which is optimized for simultaneous multi-user communications and sensing in the near-field regime at THz frequencies. We first present a novel Position Error Bound (PEB) analysis for the spatial parameters of multiple targets in the vicinity of the FD node, via the received backscattered data signals, and devise an optimization framework for its metasurface-based precoder and combiner. Then, we formulate and solve an optimization problem aiming at the downlink sum-rate maximization, while simultaneously ensuring a minimum PEB requirement for targets' localization. Our simulation results for a sub-THz system setup validate the joint near-field communications and sensing capability of the proposed FD XL MIMO scheme with metasurfaces antennas, showcasing the interplay of its various design parameters.

Metasurface Energy Harvesters (MEHs) have emerged as a prominent enabler of highly efficient Radio Frequency (RF) energy harvesters. This survey delves into the fundamentals of the MEH technology, providing a comprehensive overview of their working principle, unit cell designs and prototypes over various frequency bands, as well as state-of-the art modes of operation. Inspired by the recent academic and industrial interest on Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RISs)for the upcoming sixth-Generation (6G) of wireless networks, we study the interplay between this technology and MEHs aiming for energy sustainable RISs power by metasurface-based RF energy harvesting. We present a novel hybrid unit cell design capable of simultaneous energy harvesting and 1-bit tunable reflection whose dual-functional response is validated via full-wave simulations. Then, we conduct a comparative collection of real-world measurements for ambient RF power levels and power consumption budgets of reflective RISs to unveil the potential for a self-sustainable RIS via ambient RF energy harvesting. The paper is concluded with an elaborative discussion on open design challenges and future research directions for MEHs and energy sustainable hybrid RISs.

While Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RISs) constitute one of the most prominent enablers for the upcoming sixth Generation (6G) of wireless networks, the design of efficient RIS phase profiles remains a notorious challenge when large numbers of phase-quantized unit cells are involved, typically of a single bit, as implemented by a vast majority of existing metasurface prototypes. In this paper, we focus on the RIS phase configuration problem for the exemplary case of the Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) maximization for an RIS-enabled single-input single-output system where the metasurface tunable elements admit a phase difference of $\pi$ radians. We present a novel closed-form configuration which serves as a lower bound guaranteeing at least half the SNR of the ideal continuous (upper bound) SNR gain, and whose mean performance is shown to be asymptotically optimal. The proposed sign alignment configuration can be further used as initialization to standard discrete optimization algorithms. A discussion on the reduced complexity hardware benefits via the presented configuration is also included. Our numerical results demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed RIS sign alignment scheme over iterative approaches as well as the commonplace continuous phase quantization treatment., Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, 1 table, to be presented at IEEE SPAWC 2024

This paper investigates autonomous driving safety improvement via task offloading from cellular vehicles (CVs) to a multi-access edge computing (MEC) server using vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) links. Considering that the latter links can be reused by vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications to improve spectrum utilization, the receiver of the V2I link may suffer from severe interference that can cause outages during the task offloading. To tackle this issue, we propose the deployment of a reconfigurable intelligent computational surface (RICS) whose computationally capable metamaterials are leveraged to jointly enable V2I reflective links as well as to implement interference cancellation at the V2V links. We devise a joint optimization formulation for the task offloading ratio between the CVs and the MEC server, the spectrum sharing strategy between V2V and V2I communications, as well as the RICS reflection and refraction matrices to maximize an autonomous driving safety task. Due to the non-convexity of the problem and the coupling among its free variables, we transform it into a more tractable equivalent form, which is then decomposed into three sub-problems solved via an alternate approximation method. Our simulation results showcase that the proposed RICS-assisted offloading framework significantly improves the safety of the considered autonomous driving network, yielding a nearly 34\% improvement in the safety coefficient of the CVs. In addition, it is demonstrated that the V2V data rate can be improved by around 60\% indicating that the RICS-induced adjustment of the signals can effectively mitigate interference at the V2V link.

The plethora of wirelessly connected devices, whose deployment density is expected to largely increase in the upcoming sixth Generation (6G) of wireless networks, will naturally necessitate substantial advances in multiple access schemes. Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RISs) constitute a candidate 6G technology capable to offer dynamic over-the-air signal propagation programmability, which can be optimized for efficient non-orthogonal access of a multitude of devices. In this paper, we study the downlink of a wideband communication system comprising multiple multi-antenna Base Stations (BSs), each wishing to serve an associated single-antenna user via the assistance of a Beyond Diagonal (BD) and frequency-selective RIS. Under the assumption that each BS performs Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) transmissions and exclusively controls a distinct RIS, we focus on the sum-rate maximization problem and present a distributed joint design of the linear precoders at the BSs as well as the tunable capacitances and the switch selection matrices at the multiple BD RISs. The formulated non-convex design optimization problem is solved via successive concave approximation necessitating minimal cooperation among the BSs. Our extensive simulation results showcase the performance superiority of the proposed cooperative scheme over non-cooperation benchmarks, indicating the performance gains with BD RISs via the presented optimized frequency selective operation for various scenarios., Comment: Submitted to an IEEE Journal

Mutual Coupling (MC) emerges as an inherent feature in Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RISs), particularly, when they are fabricated with sub-wavelength inter-element spacing. Hence, any physically-consistent model of the RIS operation needs to accurately describe MC-induced effects. In addition, the design of the ElectroMagnetic (EM) transmit/receive radiation patterns constitutes another critical factor for efficient RIS operation. The latter two factors lead naturally to the emergence of non-local RIS structures, whose operation can be effectively described via non-diagonal phase shift matrices. In this paper, we focus on jointly optimizing MC and the radiation patterns in multi-user MIMO communication systems assisted by non-local RISs, which are modeled via the scattering parameters. We particularly present a novel problem formulation for the joint optimization of MC, radiation patterns, and the active and passive beamforming in a physically-consistent manner, considering either reflective or transmissive RIS setups. Differently from the current approaches that design the former two parameters on the fly, we present an offline optimization method which is solved for both considered RIS functionalities. Our extensive simulation results, using both parametric and geometric channel models, showcase the validity of the proposed optimization framework over benchmark schemes, indicating that improved performance is achievable without the need for optimizing MC and the radiation patterns of the RIS on the fly, which can be rather cumbersome., Comment: 13 pages, 12 figures, submitted to an IEEE Transactions. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:2404.04539

The interplay between large antenna apertures and high frequencies in future generations of wireless networks will give rise to near-field communications. In this paper, we focus on the hybrid analog and digital beamforming architecture of dynamic metasurface antennas, which constitutes a recent prominent enabler of extremely massive antenna architectures, and devise a near-field beam tracking framework that initiates near-field beam sweeping only when the base station estimates that its provided beamforming gain drops below a threshold from its theoretically optimum value. Novel analytical expressions for the correlation function between any two beam focusing vectors, the beamforming gain with respect to user coordinate mismatch, the direction of the user movement yielding the fastest beamforming gain deterioration, and the minimum user displacement for a certain performance loss are presented. We also design a non-uniform coordinate grid for effectively sampling the user area of interest at each position estimation slot. Our extensive simulation results validate our theoretical analysis and showcase the superiority of the proposed near-field beam tracking over benchmarks., Comment: 13 pages, 9 figures, submitted to an IEEE Transactions

Sub-terahertz (subTHz) antennas will play an important role in the next generations of wireless communication systems. However, when comes to the subTHz frequency spectrum, the antenna fabrication tolerance needs to be accurately considered during the design stage. The classic approach to studying the average performance of an antenna design considering fabrication tolerances is through the use of the Monte-Carlo (MC) method. In this paper, we propose an adaptive polynomial chaos expansion (PCE) method for the uncertainty quantification analysis of subTHz horn antennas with flat-top radiation patterns. The proposed method builds a surrogate model of the antenna's response to electromagnetic (EM) excitation and estimates its statistical moments with accuracy close to the reference MC method, but with a much smaller computational complexity of roughly two orders of magnitude. Moreover, the surrogate model based on PCE can substitute full-wave EM solvers in producing samples for electromagnetic quantities of interest, resulting in significant computational efficiency gains during optimization tasks. To this end, we successfully combined PCE with the particle swarm optimization method to design the free parameters of a horn antenna at $95$ GHz for a flat-top gain., Comment: 10 pages, 12 figures, submitted to an IEEE Transactions Journal

Mutual Coupling (MC) is an unavoidable feature in Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RISs) with sub-wavelength inter-element spacing. Its inherent presence naturally leads to non-local RIS structures, which can be efficiently described via non-diagonal phase shift matrices. In this paper, we focus on optimizing MC in RIS-assisted multi-user MIMO wireless communication systems. We particularly formulate a novel problem to jointly optimize active and passive beamforming as well as MC in a physically consistent manner. To characterize MC, we deploy scattering parameters and propose a novel approach to optimize them through an offline optimization method, rather than optimizing MC on the fly. Our numerical results showcase that the system performance increases with the proposed MC optimization, and this improvement is achievable without the need for optimizing MC on-the-fly, which can be rather cumbersome., Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures, to be presented in IEEE ICC 2024

In this paper, we focus on one centralized and one decentralized problem of active hypothesis testing in the presence of an eavesdropper. For the centralized problem including a single legitimate agent, we present a new framework based on NeuroEvolution (NE), whereas, for the decentralized problem, we develop a novel NE-based method for solving collaborative multi-agent tasks, which interestingly maintains all computational benefits of single-agent NE. The superiority of the proposed EAHT approaches over conventional active hypothesis testing policies, as well as learning-based methods, is validated through numerical investigations in an example use case of anomaly detection over wireless sensor networks., Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, accepted at IEEE ICC 2024 (to be presented)

Empowered by the latest progress on innovative metamaterials/metasurfaces and advanced antenna technologies, holographic multiple-input multiple-output (H-MIMO) emerges as a promising technology to fulfill the extreme goals of the sixth-generation (6G) wireless networks. The antenna arrays utilized in H-MIMO comprise massive (possibly to extreme extent) numbers of antenna elements, densely spaced less than half-a-wavelength and integrated into a compact space, realizing an almost continuous aperture. Thanks to the expected low cost, size, weight, and power consumption, such apertures are expected to be largely fabricated for near-field communications. In addition, the physical features of H-MIMO enable manipulations directly on the electromagnetic (EM) wave domain and spatial multiplexing. To fully leverage this potential, near-field H-MIMO channel modeling, especially from the EM perspective, is of paramount significance. In this article, we overview near-field H-MIMO channel models elaborating on the various modeling categories and respective features, as well as their challenges and evaluation criteria. We also present EM-domain channel models that address the inherit computational and measurement complexities. Finally, the article is concluded with a set of future research directions on the topic., Comment: double column, 9 pages, 3 figures, 2 tables, accepted by IEEE Wireless Communications Magazine

This paper introduces the concept of Distributed Intelligent integrated Sensing and Communications (DISAC), which expands the capabilities of Integrated Sensing and Communications (ISAC) towards distributed architectures. Additionally, the DISAC framework integrates novel waveform design with new semantic and goal-oriented communication paradigms, enabling ISAC technologies to transition from traditional data fusion to the semantic composition of diverse sensed and shared information. This progress facilitates large-scale, energy-efficient support for high-precision spatial-temporal processing, optimizing ISAC resource utilization, and enabling effective multi-modal sensing performance. Addressing key challenges such as efficient data management and connect-compute resource utilization, 6G- DISAC stands to revolutionize applications in diverse sectors including transportation, healthcare, and industrial automation. Our study encapsulates the project vision, methodologies, and potential impact, marking a significant stride towards a more connected and intelligent world., Comment: Submitted for conference publication

The demand for unprecedented performance in the upcoming 6G wireless networks is fomenting the research on THz communications empowered by Reconfigurable Inteligent Surfaces (RISs). A wide range of use cases have been proposed, most of them, assuming high-level RIS models that overlook some of the hardware impairments that this technology faces. The expectation is that the emergent reconfigurable THz technologies will eventually overcome its current limitations. This disassociation from the hardware may mask nonphysical assumptions, perceived as hardware limitations. In this paper, a top-down approach bounded by physical constraints is presented, distilling from system-level specifications, hardware requirements, and upper bounds for the RIS-aided system performance. We consider D-band indoor and outdoor scenarios where a more realistic assessment of the state-of-the-art solution can be made. The goal is to highlight the intricacies of the design procedure based on sound assumptions for the RIS performance. For a given signal range and angular coverage, we quantify the required RIS size, number of switching elements, and maximum achievable bandwidth and capacity., Comment: 6 pages, 6 figures, submitted for a conference presentation

In this paper, a novel amplitude phase shift keying (APSK) modulation scheme for cooperative backscatter communications aided by a reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS-CBC) is presented, according to which the RIS is configured to modulate backscatter information onto unmodulated or PSK-modulated signals impinging on its surface via APSK. We consider both passive and active RISs, with the latter including an amplification unit at each reflecting element. In the passive (resp. active) RIS-CBC-APSK, backscatter information is conveyed through the number of RIS reflecting elements being on the ON state (resp. active mode) and their phase shift values. By using the optimal APSK constellation to ensure that reflected signals from the RIS undergo APSK modulation, a bit-mapping mechanism is presented. Assuming maximum-likelihood detection, we also present closed-form upper bounds for the symbol error rate (SER) performance for both passive and active RIS-CBC-APSK schemes over Rician fading channels. In addition, we devise a low-complexity detector that can achieve flexible trade-offs between performance and complexity. Finally, we extend RIS-CBC-APSK to multiple-input single-output scenarios and present an alternating optimization approach for the joint design of transmit beamforming and RIS reflection. Our extensive simulation results on the SER performance corroborate our conducted performance analysis and showcase the superiority of the proposed RIS-CBC-APSK schemes over the state-of-the-art RIS-CBC benchmarks., Comment: 13 pages, 9 figures, submitted to an IEEE Transactions Journal

This paper introduces the distributed and intelligent integrated sensing and communications (DISAC) concept, a transformative approach for 6G wireless networks that extends the emerging concept of integrated sensing and communications (ISAC). DISAC addresses the limitations of the existing ISAC models and, to overcome them, it introduces two novel foundational functionalities for both sensing and communications: a distributed architecture (enabling large-scale and energy-efficient tracking of connected users and objects, leveraging the fusion of heterogeneous sensors) and a semantic and goal-oriented framework (enabling the transition from classical data fusion to the composition of semantically selected information)., Comment: Accepted to IEEE WCM

Stacked intelligent metasurfaces (SIM) represents an advanced signal processing paradigm that enables over-the-air processing of electromagnetic waves at the speed of light. Its multi-layer structure exhibits customizable increased computational capability compared to conventional single-layer reconfigurable intelligent surfaces and metasurface lenses. In this paper, we deploy SIM to improve the performance of multi-user multiple-input single-output (MISO) wireless systems with low complexity transmit radio frequency (RF) chains. In particular, an optimization formulation for the joint design of the SIM phase shifts and the transmit power allocation is presented, which is efficiently solved via a customized deep reinforcement learning (DRL) approach that continuously observes pre-designed states of the SIM-parametrized smart wireless environment. The presented performance evaluation results showcase the proposed method's capability to effectively learn from the wireless environment while outperforming conventional precoding schemes under low transmit power conditions. Finally, a whitening process is presented to further augment the robustness of the proposed scheme., Comment: accepted by IEEE ICC 2024

In this paper, a proof-of-concept study of a $1$-bit wideband reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) comprising planar tightly coupled dipoles (PTCD) is presented. The developed RIS operates at subTHz frequencies and a $3$-dB gain bandwidth of $27.4\%$ with the center frequency at $102$ GHz is shown to be obtainable via full-wave electromagnetic simulations. The binary phase shift offered by each RIS unit element is enabled by changing the polarization of the reflected wave by $180^\circ$. The proposed PTCD-based RIS has a planar configuration with one dielectric layer bonded to a ground plane, and hence, it can be fabricated by using cost-effective printed circuit board (PCB) technology. We analytically calculate the response of the entire designed RIS and showcase that a good agreement between that result and equivalent full-wave simulations is obtained. To efficiently compute the $1$-bit RIS response for different pointing directions, thus, designing a directive beam codebook, we devise a fast approximate beamforming optimization approach, which is compared with time-consuming full-wave simulations. Finally, to prove our concept, we present several passive prototypes with frozen beams for the proposed $1$-bit wideband RIS., Comment: 5 pages, 11 figures, 18th European Conference on Antennas and Propagation (EuCAP) - to be presented

In the past decade, the number of amateur drones is increasing, and this trend is expected to continue in the future. The security issues brought by abuse and misconduct of drones become more and more severe and may incur a negative impact to the society. In this paper, we leverage existing cellular multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) base station (BS) infrastructure, operating at millimeter wave (mmWave) frequency bands, for drone detection in a device-free manner with the aid of one reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS), deployed in the proximity of the BS. We theoretically examine the feasibility of drone detection with the aid of the generalized likelihood ratio test (GLRT) and validate via simulations that, the optimized deployment of an RIS can bring added benefits compared to RIS-free systems. In addition, the effect of RIS training beams, training overhead, and radar cross section, is investigated in order to offer theoretical design guidance for the proposed cellular RIS-based passive drone detection system., Comment: 6 pages, 6 figures, accepted by IEEE PIMRC 2024

Effective solutions for intelligent data collection in terrestrial cellular networks are crucial, especially in the context of Internet of Things applications. The limited spectrum and coverage area of terrestrial base stations pose challenges in meeting the escalating data rate demands of network users. Unmanned aerial vehicles, known for their high agility, mobility, and flexibility, present an alternative means to offload data traffic from terrestrial BSs, serving as additional access points. This paper introduces a novel approach to efficiently maximize the utilization of multiple UAVs for data traffic offloading from terrestrial BSs. Specifically, the focus is on maximizing user association with UAVs by jointly optimizing UAV trajectories and users association indicators under quality of service constraints. Since, the formulated UAVs control problem is nonconvex and combinatorial, this study leverages the multi agent reinforcement learning framework. In this framework, each UAV acts as an independent agent, aiming to maintain inter UAV cooperative behavior. The proposed approach utilizes the finite state Markov decision process to account for UAVs velocity constraints and the relationship between their trajectories and state space. A low complexity distributed state action reward state action algorithm is presented to determine UAVs optimal sequential decision making policies over training episodes. The extensive simulation results validate the proposed analysis and offer valuable insights into the optimal UAV trajectories. The derived trajectories demonstrate superior average UAV association performance compared to benchmark techniques such as Q learning and particle swarm optimization., Comment: Significant modification required to get novel results

Wireless communications in the THz frequency band is an envisioned revolutionary technology for sixth Generation (6G) networks. However, such frequencies impose certain coverage and device design challenges that need to be efficiently overcome. To this end, the development of cost- and energy-efficient approaches for scaling these networks to realistic scenarios constitute a necessity. Among the recent research trends contributing to these objectives belongs the technology of Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RISs). In fact, several high-level descriptions of THz systems based on RISs have been populating the literature. Nevertheless, hardware implementations of those systems are still very scarce, and not at the scale intended for most envisioned THz scenarios. In this paper, we overview some of the most significant hardware design and signal processing challenges with THz RISs, and present a preliminary analysis of their impact on the overall link budget and system performance, conducted in the framework of the ongoing TERRAMETA project., Comment: 5 pages, 7 figures, EuCAP 2024

In this paper, we focus on improving autonomous driving safety via task offloading from cellular vehicles (CVs), using vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) links, to an multi-access edge computing (MEC) server. Considering that the frequencies used for V2I links can be reused for vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications to improve spectrum utilization, the receiver of each V2I link may suffer from severe interference, causing outages in the task offloading process. To tackle this issue, we propose the deployment of a reconfigurable intelligent computational surface (RICS) to enable, not only V2I reflective links, but also interference cancellation at the V2V links exploiting the computational capability of its metamaterials. We devise a joint optimization formulation for the task offloading ratio between the CVs and the MEC server, the spectrum sharing strategy between V2V and V2I communications, as well as the RICS reflection and refraction matrices, with the objective to maximize a safety-based autonomous driving task. Due to the non-convexity of the problem and the coupling among its free variables, we transform it into a more tractable equivalent form, which is then decomposed into three sub-problems and solved via an alternate approximation method. Our simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed RICS optimization in improving the safety in autonomous driving networks.

In this paper, we present a signaling design for secure integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) systems comprising a dual-functional multi-input multi-output (MIMO) base station (BS) that simultaneously communicates with multiple users while detecting targets present in their vicinity, which are regarded as potential eavesdroppers. In particular, assuming that the distribution of each parameter to be estimated is known \textit{a priori}, we focus on optimizing the targets' sensing performance. To this end, we derive and minimize the Bayesian Cram\'er-Rao bound (BCRB), while ensuring certain communication quality of service (QoS) by exploiting constructive interference (CI). The latter scheme enforces that the received signals at the eavesdropping targets fall into the destructive region of the signal constellation, to deteriorate their decoding probability, thus enhancing the ISAC's system physical-layer security (PLS) capability. To tackle the nonconvexity of the formulated problem, a tailored successive convex approximation method is proposed for its efficient solution. Our extensive numerical results verify the effectiveness of the proposed secure ISAC design showing that the proposed algorithm outperforms block-level precoding techniques., Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, submitted for journal publication

In this paper, we present a simultaneous target tracking and multi-user communications system realized by a full duplex holographic Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) node equipped with Dynamic Metasurface Antennas (DMAs) at both its communication ends. Focusing on the near-field regime, we extend Fresnel's approximation to metasurfaces and devise a subspace tracking scheme with DMA-based hybrid Analog and Digital (A/D) reception as well as hybrid A/D transmission with a DMA for sum-rate maximization. The presented simulation results corroborate the efficiency of the proposed framework for various system parameters., Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, IEEE ICASSP 2024

In this paper, we consider a hybrid Analog and Digital (A/D) receiver architecture with an extremely large Dynamic Metasurface Antenna (DMA) and an $1$-bit resolution Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) at each of its reception radio-frequency chains, and present a localization approach for User Equipment (UE) lying in its near-field regime. The proposed algorithm scans the UE area of interest to identify the DMA-based analog combining configuration resulting to the peak in a received pseudo-spectrum, yielding the UE position estimation in three dimensions. Our simulation results demonstrate the validity of the proposed scheme, especially for increasing DMA sizes, and showcase the interplay among various system parameters., Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, IEEE ICASSP 2024

In this chapter, we investigate the mathematical foundation of the modeling and design of reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS) in both the far- and near-field regimes. More specifically, we first present RIS-assisted wireless channel models for the far- and near-field regimes, discussing relevant phenomena, such as line-of-sight (LOS) and non-LOS links, rich and poor scattering, channel correlation, and array manifold. Subsequently, we introduce two general approaches for the RIS reflective beam design, namely optimization-based and analytical, which offer different degrees of design flexibility and computational complexity. Furthermore, we provide a comprehensive set of simulation results for the performance evaluation of the studied RIS beam designs and the investigation of the impact of the system parameters.

The latest assessments of the emerging technologies for reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs) have indicated the concept's significant potential for localization and sensing, either as individual or simultaneously realized tasks. However, in the vast majority of those studies, the RIS state (i.e., its position and rotation angles) is required to be known a priori. In this paper, we address the problem of the joint three-dimensional (3D) localization of a hybrid RIS (HRIS) and a user. The most cost- and power-efficient hybrid version of an RIS is equipped with a single reception radio-frequency chain and meta-atoms capable of simultaneous reconfigurable reflection and sensing. This dual functionality is controlled by adjustable power splitters embedded at each hybrid meta-atom. Focusing on a downlink scenario where a multi-antenna base station transmits multicarrier signals to a user via an HRIS, we propose a multistage approach to jointly estimate the metasurface's 3D position and 3D rotation matrix (i.e., 6D parameter estimation) as well as the user's 3D position. Our simulation results verify the validity of the proposed estimator via extensive comparisons of the root-mean-square error of the state estimations with the Cram\'{e}r-Rao lower bound (CRB), which is analytically derived. Furthermore, it is showcased that there exists an optimal hybrid reconfigurable intelligent surface (HRIS) power splitting ratio for the desired multi-parameter estimation problem. We also study the robustness of the proposed method in the presence of scattering points in the wireless propagation environment., Comment: 14 pages, 6 figures, IEEE Transactions Journal

Reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs) are rapidly gaining prominence in the realm of fifth generation (5G)-Advanced, and predominantly, sixth generation (6G) mobile networks, offering a revolutionary approach to optimizing wireless communications. This article delves into the intricate world of the RIS technology, exploring its diverse hardware architectures and the resulting versatile operating modes. These include RISs with signal reception and processing units, sensors, amplification units, transmissive capability, multiple stacked components, and dynamic metasurface antennas. Furthermore, we shed light on emerging RIS applications, such as index and reflection modulation, non-coherent modulation, next generation multiple access, integrated sensing and communications (ISAC), energy harvesting, as well as aerial and vehicular networks. These exciting applications are set to transform the way we will wirelessly connect in the upcoming era of 6G. Finally, we review recent experimental RIS setups and present various open problems of the overviewed RIS hardware architectures and their applications. From enhancing network coverage to enabling new communication paradigms, RIS-empowered connectivity is poised to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of wireless networking. This article unveils the underlying principles and potential impacts of RISs, focusing on cutting-edge developments of this physical-layer smart connectivity technology., Comment: 18 pages, 15 figures, 54 references, and an extended archival version of an invited and accepted article from IEEE Vehicular Technology Magazine