IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v16y2025i1d10.1038_s41467-025-57137-6.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Integrated sensing and communication based on space-time-coding metasurfaces

Author

Listed:
  • Xiao Qing Chen

    (Southeast University)

  • Lei Zhang

    (Southeast University)

  • Yi Ning Zheng

    (Southeast University)

  • Shuo Liu

    (Southeast University)

  • Zhuo Ran Huang

    (Southeast University)

  • Jing Cheng Liang

    (Southeast University)

  • Marco Renzo

    (Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, CentraleSupélec
    King’s College London, Centre for Telecommunications Research)

  • Vincenzo Galdi

    (University of Sannio)

  • Tie Jun Cui

    (Southeast University)

Abstract

Programmable metasurfaces (PMs), also called reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs), are planar structures capable of dynamically manipulating electromagnetic waves in real-time. Regarded as a key enabling technology for implementing smart wireless propagation environments, PMs/RISs also serve as an ideal supporting platform for integrated sensing and communication (ISAC). Here, we propose two ISAC schemes based on a special type of PMs/RISs: space-time-coding metasurfaces (STCMs). By leveraging space-time-coding strategies, STCMs simultaneously control the propagation at the fundamental (carrier) frequency for reliable wireless communication and generate spatially distributed harmonics for sensing. The proposed schemes seamlessly integrate both communication and sensing on a shared hardware platform, eliminating the need for additional sensors. For experimental validation, we implemented an ISAC system using a 2-bit STCM operating at microwave frequencies. Experimental results align with theoretical predictions, confirming the practical viability and effectiveness of the proposed ISAC schemes for applications in communication, imaging, radar, and sensing systems.

Suggested Citation

  • Xiao Qing Chen & Lei Zhang & Yi Ning Zheng & Shuo Liu & Zhuo Ran Huang & Jing Cheng Liang & Marco Renzo & Vincenzo Galdi & Tie Jun Cui, 2025. "Integrated sensing and communication based on space-time-coding metasurfaces," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-11, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-57137-6
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-57137-6
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-57137-6
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-025-57137-6?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Lianlin Li & Hengxin Ruan & Che Liu & Ying Li & Ya Shuang & Andrea Alù & Cheng-Wei Qiu & Tie Jun Cui, 2019. "Machine-learning reprogrammable metasurface imager," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 10(1), pages 1-8, December.
    2. Lianlin Li & Tie Jun Cui & Wei Ji & Shuo Liu & Jun Ding & Xiang Wan & Yun Bo Li & Menghua Jiang & Cheng-Wei Qiu & Shuang Zhang, 2017. "Electromagnetic reprogrammable coding-metasurface holograms," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 8(1), pages 1-7, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Liheng Bian & Daoyu Li & Shuoguang Wang & Chunyang Teng & Jinxuan Wu & Huteng Liu & Hanwen Xu & Xuyang Chang & Guoqiang Zhao & Shiyong Li & Jun Zhang, 2024. "Towards large-scale single-shot millimeter-wave imaging for low-cost security inspection," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.
    2. Xin Wang & Jia Qi Han & Guan Xuan Li & De Xiao Xia & Ming Yang Chang & Xiang Jin Ma & Hao Xue & Peng Xu & Rui Jie Li & Kun Yi Zhang & Hai Xia Liu & Long Li & Tie Jun Cui, 2023. "High-performance cost efficient simultaneous wireless information and power transfers deploying jointly modulated amplifying programmable metasurface," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    3. Wenzhi Li & Qiyue Yu & Jing Hui Qiu & Jiaran Qi, 2024. "Intelligent wireless power transfer via a 2-bit compact reconfigurable transmissive-metasurface-based router," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, December.
    4. Huan Lu & Jiwei Zhao & Bin Zheng & Chao Qian & Tong Cai & Erping Li & Hongsheng Chen, 2023. "Eye accommodation-inspired neuro-metasurface focusing," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-7, December.
    5. Weihan Li & Qian Ma & Che Liu & Yunfeng Zhang & Xianning Wu & Jiawei Wang & Shizhao Gao & Tianshuo Qiu & Tonghao Liu & Qiang Xiao & Jiaxuan Wei & Ting Ting Gu & Zhize Zhou & Fashuai Li & Qiang Cheng &, 2023. "Intelligent metasurface system for automatic tracking of moving targets and wireless communications based on computer vision," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    6. Hongrui Zhang & Yanjin Chen & Zhuo Wang & Tie Jun Cui & Philipp Hougne & Lianlin Li, 2024. "Semantic regularization of electromagnetic inverse problems," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.
    7. Leal Filho, Walter & Wall, Tony & Rui Mucova, Serafino Afonso & Nagy, Gustavo J. & Balogun, Abdul-Lateef & Luetz, Johannes M. & Ng, Artie W. & Kovaleva, Marina & Safiul Azam, Fardous Mohammad & Alves,, 2022. "Deploying artificial intelligence for climate change adaptation," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 180(C).
    8. Yue Wu & Ji Chen & Yin Wang & Zhongyi Yuan & Chunyu Huang & Jiacheng Sun & Chengyi Feng & Muyang Li & Kai Qiu & Shining Zhu & Zaichen Zhang & Tao Li, 2024. "Tbps wide-field parallel optical wireless communications based on a metasurface beam splitter," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.
    9. Xiu Liu & Yibai Zhong & Zexiao Wang & Tianyi Huang & Sen Lin & Jingyi Zou & Haozhe Wang & Zhien Wang & Zhuo Li & Xiao Luo & Rui Cheng & Jiayu Li & Hyeong Seok Yun & Han Wang & Jing Kong & Xu Zhang & S, 2025. "Electrically programmable pixelated coherent mid-infrared thermal emission," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-13, December.
    10. Guobang Jiang & Yingying Wang & Ziyu Zhang & Weikang Pan & Yizhen Chen & Yang Wang & Xiangzhong Chen & Enming Song & Gaoshan Huang & Qiong He & Shulin Sun & Jizhai Cui & Lei Zhou & Yongfeng Mei, 2025. "Abnormal beam steering with kirigami reconfigurable metasurfaces," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-9, December.
    11. Tianshuo Qiu & Qiang An & Jianqi Wang & Jiafu Wang & Cheng-Wei Qiu & Shiyong Li & Hao Lv & Ming Cai & Jianyi Wang & Lin Cong & Shaobo Qu, 2024. "Vision-driven metasurfaces for perception enhancement," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.
    12. Zijian Shi & Zhensong Wan & Ziyu Zhan & Kaige Liu & Qiang Liu & Xing Fu, 2023. "Super-resolution orbital angular momentum holography," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-13, December.
    13. Zi Wang & Lorry Chang & Feifan Wang & Tiantian Li & Tingyi Gu, 2022. "Integrated photonic metasystem for image classifications at telecommunication wavelength," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-8, December.
    14. Zhiyao Ma & Tian Tian & Yuxuan Liao & Xue Feng & Yongzhuo Li & Kaiyu Cui & Fang Liu & Hao Sun & Wei Zhang & Yidong Huang, 2024. "Electrically switchable 2N-channel wave-front control for certain functionalities with N cascaded polarization-dependent metasurfaces," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-9, December.
    15. Jérôme Sol & David R. Smith & Philipp Hougne, 2022. "Meta-programmable analog differentiator," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.
    16. Yinan Zhang & Shengting Zhu & Jinming Hu & Min Gu, 2024. "Femtosecond laser direct nanolithography of perovskite hydration for temporally programmable holograms," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-9, December.
    17. Ali Momeni & Romain Fleury, 2022. "Electromagnetic wave-based extreme deep learning with nonlinear time-Floquet entanglement," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-11, December.
    18. De Xiao Xia & Jia Qi Han & Ya Jie Mu & Lei Guan & Xin Wang & Xiang Jin Ma & Li Hao Zhu & Tian Guang Lv & Hai Xia Liu & Yan Shi & Long Li & Tie Jun Cui, 2024. "Adaptive wireless-powered network based on CNN near-field positioning by a dual-band metasurface," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.
    19. Di Wang & Yi-Long Li & Xin-Ru Zheng & Ruo-Nan Ji & Xin Xie & Kun Song & Fan-Chuan Lin & Nan-Nan Li & Zhao Jiang & Chao Liu & Yi-Wei Zheng & Shao-Wei Wang & Wei Lu & Bao-Hua Jia & Qiong-Hua Wang, 2024. "Decimeter-depth and polarization addressable color 3D meta-holography," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, December.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-57137-6. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.