Programmable conformal metasurfaces for the communications of the future

Drones, aircraft, vehicles, satellites, urban infrastructure, and mobile platforms rarely have flat surfaces. For this reason, one of the most important challenges in the development of future electromagnetic technologies is to make intelligent surfaces not only programmable, but also conformal, that is, capable of adapting to curved and realistic geometries. This is the context of a new study carried out with the contribution of the University of Sannio, dedicated to metasurfaces capable of dynamically controlling electromagnetic waves on nonplanar surfaces.
The work, titled “Space-Time Coding Conformal Metasurfaces for Multifrequency Beam Steering and Shaping,” has been published in Advanced Materials, one of the most selective journals in the field of functional materials, metamaterials, and metasurfaces. The study is authored by Filippo Pepe, Lei Zhang, Yi Ning Zheng, Xiao Qing Chen, Ivan Iudice, Giuseppe Castaldi, Marco Di Renzo, Tie Jun Cui, and Vincenzo Galdi, and involves the collaboration of the Fields & Waves Lab of the Department of Engineering of the University of Sannio, CIRA – Italian Aerospace Research Centre, Southeast University (Nanjing, China), CNRS/CentraleSupélec (Rennes, France) and King’s College London.
Metasurfaces are ultrathin artificial structures capable of modifying the propagation of electromagnetic waves. The new frontier is represented by space-time-coding metasurfaces, which introduce joint programming in space and time: they are therefore not limited to controlling the direction of a wave, but can generate different responses across multiple frequency components. This capability paves the way for multifunctional platforms for advanced wireless communications, reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, dynamic spectrum control, and integrated sensing and communication systems.
The published research extends this paradigm to conformal metasurfaces, that is, curved surfaces designed to follow the actual shape of the platforms on which they can be installed. This represents a crucial step beyond planar configurations, which are easier to model and fabricate but less representative of real application scenarios. The work demonstrates that a single conformal aperture can manipulate components at different frequencies, enabling beam steering, shaping, and splitting, as well as electromagnetic responses of potential interest for radar-signature control.
The approach combines electromagnetic modeling, semi-analytical synthesis, and evolutionary optimization with experimental validation carried out using a programmable X-band prototype, mechanically reconfigurable and capable of assuming different cylindrical geometries. The experimental work, conducted at Southeast University, verified the platform’s ability to generate different electromagnetic responses at different harmonic components, demonstrating the feasibility of multifrequency control on curved surfaces.
The work is part of the industrial PhD program of Filippo Pepe, carried out between the University of Sannio and CIRA, and represents a tangible example of integration among academic research, aerospace expertise, advanced experimentation, and international scientific collaboration. During his PhD, Pepe also spent research periods in the group led by Professor Marco Di Renzo, strengthening the connection with the telecommunications field and with the application prospects of intelligent surfaces for next-generation wireless networks.
“This result confirms the role of the University of Sannio in research on programmable and space-time-coding metasurfaces,” observes Vincenzo Galdi, who led the research on the University of Sannio side. “The work stems from an interdisciplinary and international collaboration, involving both academic and industrial partners, that integrates electromagnetics, telecommunications, experimentation, and aerospace applications, linking advanced electromagnetic-wave control to the prospects of next-generation wireless communications and reconfigurable intelligent platforms.”
“From CIRA’s perspective, this activity is particularly relevant because it addresses technologies that could potentially be integrated into aerospace platforms and complex systems, where surfaces are almost never flat,” notes Ivan Iudice, researcher at the Italian Aerospace Research Centre. “The industrial PhD program has been an effective tool for building a concrete bridge between university research, technological validation, and aerospace applications.”
These results open up perspectives for next-generation wireless communications, integrated sensing and communication systems, dynamic spectrum control, and applications on mobile or aerospace platforms. With this publication, the University of Sannio consolidates an internationally recognized research line in the field of digital and programmable metasurfaces, confirming the value of collaboration among universities, research centers, and international partners for the development of enabling technologies for future electromagnetic networks and systems.