The disclosed structures and methods are directed to antenna systems configured to transmit and receive a wireless signal in and from different directions. A switchable lens antenna has excitation ports radiating radio-frequency (RF) wave into a parallel-plate waveguide structure, and a frequency selective structure (FSS). The antenna presented herein is configured to operate in two modes depending on an initial steering angle of the RF wave propagating in the parallel-plate waveguide structure. When the initial steering angle is about or less than a threshold steering angle, FSS is OFF due to its stubs being electrically disconnected from the parallel-plate waveguide structure. When the initial steering angle is higher than the threshold, FSS is ON with stubs being electrically connected to the parallel-plate waveguide structure. When ON, FSS provides phase variance to the RF wave propagating in the parallel-plate waveguide structure and increases steering angle of the RF wave.

Examples disclosed herein relate to an intelligent metamaterial radar. The radar has an Intelligent Metamaterial (“iMTM”) antenna module to radiate a transmission signal with a dynamically controllable iMTM antenna in a plurality of directions based on a controlled reactance and generate radar data capturing a surrounding environment. The radar also has an iMTM interface module to detect and identify a target in the surrounding environment from the radar data and to control the iMTM antenna module.

A transceiver system may include first and second metasurfaces, such as radio frequency (RF) metasurfaces or optically reflective tunable liquid crystal metasurfaces (LCMs). In one specific example, a transmit LCM may be tuned by a controller to steerably reflect incident optical radiation at a target transmit steering angle. A laser or other optical radiation source may transmit optical radiation to the transmit LCM at a first angle of incidence. The controller may tune the second tunable LCM to steerably receive optical radiation at a target receive steering angle corresponding to the target transmit steering angle. The received optical radiation may be reflected at a second angle of incidence to a detector.

A device for selectively reflecting an incident microwave signal or millimeter-wave signal includes multiple antennae disposed in an array. Each antenna has an input adapted to selectively receive a forward bias signal or a zero bias signal. The device also includes a diode disposed at each input of each antenna. The device also includes a switching device connected to each input, and configured to selectively apply a forward bias or zero bias to each of the diodes. In forward bias, each of the antennae detects the incident microwave signal or millimeter wave signal, and in zero bias, each of the antennae reflects the incident microwave signal or millimeter wave signal.

A method of making a reconfigurable antenna comprises the steps of applying one or more first layers of a prepreg laminate fabric to a form having a desired contour; applying a pattern corresponding to an antenna shape to the first layers of prepreg fabric; applying one or more second layers of the prepreg laminate fabric atop the pattern to form a laminate stack; curing the laminate stack; and removing the pattern to form channels in the antenna shape. The desired contour may be an aircraft skin panel or an airfoil panel. The pattern may be a polymer sheet with an applied cPLA antenna design. The curing step may be performed in a vacuum bag under the application of vacuum and heat. The removing step may be performed by heating the cured laminate stack to remove the pattern.

Apparatus comprising at least one reflective surface configured to reflect electromagnetic waves, wherein a reflective response of at least one portion of said reflective surface with respect to said electromagnetic waves is electronically controllable, wherein said apparatus is configured to at least temporarily control said reflective response of said at least one portion of said reflective surface.

A wall or faade structure for improving quality of reception of a wireless communication device inside a building from a base station located outside of the building. The building has the structure as a part of a building envelope. The structure, which is configured to boost transmission of electromagnetic signals through the building envelope, includes at least one electrically conductive low emissivity surface, a first aperture and a second aperture. The apertures are isolated from each other for providing narrow aperture diffraction and to obtain diversity reception at a first frequency in shadow areas inside the building. A distance between the apertures is between 1 and 10 meters to provide an envelope correlation coefficient of less than 0.1 for said apertures at the first frequency.

A switchable element, a device and a method for analogue and programmable computing operating on electromagnetic waves having a frequency, wherein the switchable element is configured to configured to, in response to an activation signal, switch from having a first dielectric permittivity for electromagnetic waves having a frequency to having a second dielectric permittivity for electromagnetic waves having the frequency, and the device comprises a plurality of the switchable elements that are adapted to be switched individually in accordance with the computing operation.

Systems and methods are described herein for an optical beam-steering device that includes an optical transmitter and/or receiver to transmit and/or receive optical radiation from an optically reflective surface. An array of adjustable dielectric resonator elements is arranged on the surface with inter-element spacings less than an optical operating wavelength. A controller applies a pattern of voltage differentials to the adjustable dielectric resonator elements. The pattern of voltage differentials corresponds to a sub-wavelength reflection phase pattern for reflecting the optical electromagnetic radiation. One embodiment of a dielectric resonator element includes first and second dielectric members extending from the surface. The dielectric resonator elements are spaced from one another to form a gap or channel therebetween. A voltage-controlled adjustable refractive index material is disposed within the gap.

Techniques related to a 5.sup.th generation (5G) or pre-5G communication system to support higher data rates after a 4.sup.th generation (4G) communication system such as long term evolution (LTE) ae provided. A reflector is provided that is configured to change a direction of a beam incident in a first direction to a second direction different from the first direction, so that a receiving entity positioned in a shadow area caused by an object can receive the beam. Therefore, the reflector removes the shadow area at which the beam does not arrive in a 5G wireless communication system.