Holographic interference surface: A proof of concept based on the principle of interferometry

Abstract

Revolutionizing communication architectures to achieve a balance between enhanced performance and improved efficiency is becoming increasingly critical for wireless communications as the era of ultra-large-scale arrays approaches. In traditional communication architectures, radio frequency (RF) signals are typically converted to baseband for subsequent processing through operations such as filtering, analog-to-digital conversion and down-conversion, all of which depend on expensive and power-intensive RF chains. The increased hardware complexity and escalated power consumption resulting from this dependency significantly limit the practical deployment of ultra-large-scale arrays. To address these limitations, we propose a holographic communication system based on the principle of interferometry, designated as holographic interference surfaces (HIS). Utilizing the interference effect of electromagnetic waves, HIS estimates the channel state information (CSI) by dealing solely with power information, which enables the replacement of RF chains with power sensors and completes the signal processing in radio frequency. As proof-of-concept demonstrations, we implemented a prototype system based on principles of holographic interference. Experimental results align well with theoretical predictions, confirming the practical viability and effectiveness of the proposed HIS. This work provides a new paradigm for building a more cost-effective wireless communication architecture.