Efficient and Physically Consistent Modeling of Reconfigurable Electromagnetic Structures

Efficient and Physically Consistent Modeling of Reconfigurable Electromagnetic Structures | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Efficient and Physically Consistent Modeling of Reconfigurable Electromagnetic Structures Alexander Stutz-Tirri, Georg Schwan, Christoph Studer This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-5537779/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Reconfigurable electromagnetic structures (REMSs), such as reconfigurable reflectarrays (RRAs) or reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs), hold significant potential to improve wireless communication and sensing systems. Even though several REMS modeling approaches have been proposed in recent years, the literature lacks models that are both computationally efficient and physically consistent. As a result, algorithms that control the reconfigurable elements of REMSs (e.g., the phase shifts of an RIS) are often built on simplistic models that are inaccurate. To enable physically accurate REMS-parameter tuning, we present a new framework for efficient and physically consistent modeling of general REMSs. Our modeling method combines a circuit-theoretic approach with a new formalism that describes a REMS's interaction with the electromagnetic (EM) waves in its far-field region. Our modeling method enables efficient computation of the entire far-field radiation pattern for arbitrary configurations of the REMS reconfigurable elements once a single full-wave EM simulation of the non-reconfigurable parts of the REMS has been performed. The predictions made by the proposed framework align with the physical laws of classical electrodynamics and model effects caused by inter-antenna coupling, non-reciprocal materials, polarization, ohmic losses, matching losses, influence of metallic housings, noise from low-noise amplifiers, and noise arising in or received by antennas. In order to validate the efficiency and accuracy of our modeling approach, we (i) compare our modeling method to EM simulations and (ii) conduct a case study involving a planar RRA that enables simultaneous multiuser beam- and null-forming using a new, computationally efficient, and physically accurate parameter tuning algorithm. Physical sciences/Engineering/Electrical and electronic engineering Physical sciences/Materials science/Materials for devices/Electronic devices Beamforming circuit theory full-wave electromagnetic (EM) simulation interference mitigation multi-antenna communication reconfigurable electromagnetic structures (REMS) reflectarrays reflective surfaces wireless sensing. Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-5537779","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":386812438,"identity":"b88409d7-0c1c-4de7-80c4-c8a9908b15c1","order_by":0,"name":"Alexander Stutz-Tirri","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAt0lEQVRIiWNgGAWjYDACdgglx8DAA6IPEKGFmYGxgSGBwZiBjVQtiQ1Ea+FvZn/+mPdHXXq/fO/hDww1dwhrkTjMY9jMk8CWO7ONL8GA4dgzIhx2mIcRqIUnd8MxHoMExobDhHXIH2Z/CNQikW4P1HKAKC0GhxlADjNIMGDjMWwgSosh0C8z56QlGM44lmPMkHCMCC1yx9sffHhjUyfP33zG+MOHGiK0oIIEUjWMglEwCkbBKMAOAM50NiGLEvvyAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0008-3474-4688","institution":"ETH Zürich","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Alexander","middleName":"","lastName":"Stutz-Tirri","suffix":""},{"id":386812439,"identity":"81567320-4f67-4603-b2c8-8ebfe0309d1c","order_by":1,"name":"Georg Schwan","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"ETH Zürich","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Georg","middleName":"","lastName":"Schwan","suffix":""},{"id":386812440,"identity":"50b62df3-21a8-490d-93f3-5c5112d8a4bd","order_by":2,"name":"Christoph Studer","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"ETH Zürich","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Christoph","middleName":"","lastName":"Studer","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2024-11-27 20:05:47","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-5537779/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-5537779/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":78798785,"identity":"8b04399f-d9f2-4429-9074-95ceb76c4934","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-03-19 06:05:57","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1949450,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"Article File","description":"","filename":"Manuscriptfile.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-5537779/v1_covered_d4e7ad11-a2ac-48b8-b7c2-e1291660d8af.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"There is \u003cb\u003eNO\u003c/b\u003e Competing Interest.","formattedTitle":"Efficient and Physically Consistent Modeling of Reconfigurable Electromagnetic Structures","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Beamforming, circuit theory, full-wave electromagnetic (EM) simulation, interference mitigation, multi-antenna communication, reconfigurable electromagnetic structures (REMS), reflectarrays, reflective surfaces, wireless sensing.","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-5537779/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-5537779/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"Reconfigurable electromagnetic structures (REMSs), such as reconfigurable reflectarrays (RRAs) or reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs), hold significant potential to improve wireless communication and sensing systems. Even though several REMS modeling approaches have been proposed in recent years, the literature lacks models that are both computationally efficient and physically consistent. As a result, algorithms that control the reconfigurable elements of REMSs (e.g., the phase shifts of an RIS) are often built on simplistic models that are inaccurate. To enable physically accurate REMS-parameter tuning, we present a new framework for efficient and physically consistent modeling of general REMSs. Our modeling method combines a circuit-theoretic approach with a new formalism that describes a REMS's interaction with the electromagnetic (EM) waves in its far-field region. Our modeling method enables efficient computation of the entire far-field radiation pattern for arbitrary configurations of the REMS reconfigurable elements once a single full-wave EM simulation of the non-reconfigurable parts of the REMS has been performed. The predictions made by the proposed framework align with the physical laws of classical electrodynamics and model effects caused by inter-antenna coupling, non-reciprocal materials, polarization, ohmic losses, matching losses, influence of metallic housings, noise from low-noise amplifiers, and noise arising in or received by antennas. 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