标题： 动态超表面天线中的互耦：敌人，但也是朋友 显示英文标题

标题： Mutual Coupling in Dynamic Metasurface Antennas: Foe, but also Friend

摘要： 动态超表面天线（DMAs），即由可重构超材料元件（元原子）图案化的表面，能够将波导或腔体中的波耦合到自由空间，是一种具有前景的技术，可用于实现低成本和低功耗的6G无线基站和接入点。 DMAs的元原子之间的互耦会导致辐射方向图对DMA配置的非线性依赖，显著增加了建模和优化的复杂性。 因此，迄今为止，互耦一直被视为一个令人烦恼的细节，在理论研究中经常被忽略，在实验原型中则被有意地减轻。 在这里，我们展示了被忽视的互耦特性，以增强对DMA辐射方向图的控制。 基于一个符合物理规律的DMA模型，我们证明了辐射方向图对DMA配置的敏感性在很大程度上取决于互耦强度。 我们进一步证明了在强互耦下增强的敏感性如何转化为更高的辐射方向图合成精度，这对从动态波束形成到端到端优化的传感和成像等应用都有好处。 我们的见解表明，DMA设计应从根本上重新考虑，以充分利用互耦的优势。 我们还讨论了与基于紧凑的符合物理规律的模型对DMAs进行节约型表征相关的未来研究方向。 显示英文摘要

摘要： Dynamic metasurface antennas (DMAs), surfaces patterned with reconfigurable metamaterial elements (meta-atoms) that couple waves from waveguides or cavities to free space, are a promising technology to realize 6G wireless base stations and access points with low cost and power consumption. Mutual coupling between the DMA's meta-atoms results in a non-linear dependence of the radiation pattern on the DMA configuration, significantly complicating modeling and optimization. Therefore, mutual coupling has to date been considered a vexing nuance that is frequently neglected in theoretical studies and deliberately mitigated in experimental prototypes. Here, we demonstrate the overlooked property of mutual coupling to boost the control over the DMA's radiation pattern. Based on a physics-compliant DMA model, we demonstrate that the radiation pattern's sensitivity to the DMA configuration significantly depends on the mutual coupling strength. We further evidence how the enhanced sensitivity under strong mutual coupling translates into a higher fidelity in radiation pattern synthesis, benefiting applications ranging from dynamic beamforming to end-to-end optimized sensing and imaging. Our insights suggest that DMA design should be fundamentally rethought to embrace the benefits of mutual coupling. We also discuss ensuing future research directions related to the frugal characterization of DMAs based on compact physics-compliant models.