A novel absorb/transmit FSS for secure indoor wireless networks with reduced multipath fading

A novel absorb/transmit frequency selective surface (FSS) is presented for 5-GHz wireless local area network (WLAN) applications. The novelty of the design is that it is capable of absorbing, as opposed to reflecting, WLAN signals while passing mobile signals. The FSS consists of two layers, one with conventional conducting cross dipoles and the other with resistive cross dipoles. The absorption of the WLAN signal is important to reduce additional multipaths and resultant fading otherwise caused by the FSS. The structure has good transmission characteristics for 900/1800/1900-MHz mobile bands and performs well for both horizontal and vertical polarizations. The distance between the two layers is less than a quarter free-space wavelengths. Theoretical and experimental results are presented.