Feasibility of a Plasma-Based Intelligent Reflective Surface

Gaseous Plasma Antennas are devices in which an ionized gas (i.e., plasma) is exploited to transmit and receive Electro-Magnetic waves. Their main advantage over metallic systems the possibility reconfigure antenna performance (e.g., radiation pattern) by electronically varying plasma parameters density). Recently, Intelligent Reflecting Surfaces (IRSs) have been proposed control environment between transmitting receiving antennas manipulating signals reflected. In this work, feasibility of a plasma-based IRS investigated. A theoretical model has developed assess use as reflecting medium. Numerical simulations performed preliminary design IRSs. Two designs IRSs, relying on properties consistent with technology at state-of-the-art, proposed. The former enables beam steering operations depending continuous phase reflected wave. latter exploits 1-Bit coding strategy produce specific diffraction patterns. respect counterpart wave, maintaining magnitude reflection coefficient close unit. drawback necessity using thick elements (in order wavelength air) wave 360 deg. This constraint can be relaxed if digital adopted.