Call for Papers

Future wireless systems (i.e., post-5G and 6G) are rapidly evolving toward a software-based functionality paradigm, where every part of the device hardware can adapt to the changes in the environment, e.g., beamforming-enabled antennas, cognitive spectrum usage, environment sensing, adaptive modulation and encoding, but only a few of the device aspects can now be tuned to optimize the communication efficiency. However, in this optimization process, the wireless environment, the medium or channel, remains an uncontrollable factor and often an impediment to be reckoned with. Apart from being uncontrollable, the environment has a generally negative effect on the communication efficiency. The signal attenuation limits the connectivity radius of nodes, while multi-path propagation results in fading phenomena, a well-studied effect which introduces drastic fluctuations in the received signal power. The signal deterioration is perhaps the major consideration in forthcoming mm-Wave and terahertz (THz) communications.

Recently, the breakthrough in the fabrication of programmable meta-material based Intelligent Surfaces has made possible the intelligent control of the transmission environment of wireless communication systems via software with the advances in low cost, high energy efficiency, etc. The future wireless that can be envisioned by using this technology consists of coating every environmental object with man-made intelligent surfaces of electromagnetic material (software-defined reconfigurable metasurfaces) that are electronically controlled with integrated electronics and wireless communications. In contrast with any other technology currently being used in wireless networks, the distinctive characteristic of the intelligent surface consists of making the environment fully controllable by the telecommunication operators, by allowing them to shape and control the electromagnetic response of the objects distributed throughout the network.

This Special Issue (SI) is aimed at introducing the latest research advances, major challenges, and recent advancements in modeling, analysis, design, and implementation of intelligent surface empowered wireless networks. Topics of interest include but are not limited to the following:

• Communication-theoretic foundation of intelligent surface-empowered wireless networks
• Fundamental performance limits of intelligent surface-empowered wireless networks
• Algorithms and protocol design for intelligent surface-empowered wireless networks
• Physics-compliant and electromagnetic-compliant modeling of intelligent surfaces
• Experimental results, measurements, and testbed implementations of intelligent surfaces
• Software-defined design and implementation of intelligent surface-empowered wireless networks
• AI-inspired control and orchestration of intelligent surface-empowered wireless networks
• Nano-networking protocols for intra-intelligent surface communication
• Definition of use cases, application scenarios, and techno-economic analysis
• Integration of intelligent surfaces with state-of-the-art wireless technologies (e.g., small cells
• M-MIMO, THz/millimeter-wave communications, visible light communications, Internet of Things)

Submission Guidelines

Manuscripts should conform to the standard format as indicated in the Information for Authors section of the Paper Submission Guidelines.

All manuscripts to be considered for publication must be submitted by the deadline through Manuscript Central. Select the “December 2021/Intelligent Surfaces for 5G and Beyond” topic from the drop-down menu of Topic/Series titles.

Important Dates

Manuscript Submission Deadline: 30 March 2021
Initial Decision Date: 1 June 2021
Revised Manuscript Due: 1 July 2021
Final Decision Date: 1 August 2021
Final Manuscript Due: 15 October 2021
Publication Date: December 2021

Guest Editors

Chau Yuen
Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore

Chongwen Huang
Zhejiang University, China

Ian F. Akyildiz
Truva Inc., USA

Marco Di Renzo
CNRS & Paris-Saclay University, France

Mérouane Debbah
Huawei, France