Metasurface tape for efficient millimeter-wave power transfer via surface-wave propagation

Millimeter-wave technologies are essential for future high-speed wireless communications. However, a fundamental challenge remains in the form of severe free-space path loss, where the power density decreases inversely with the square of the distance r (i.e., ∝r−2) as a spherical dependence. To overcome this limitation, we propose a flexible metasurface (MS) tape that is designed to guide electromagnetic energy as surface waves. Unlike conventional free-space propagation, this engineered MS confines the field to a subwavelength interface, thereby altering the power decay law to a circular dependence (i.e., ∝r−1). We numerically and experimentally, for the first time, demonstrate this concept using a periodic grounded patch array fabricated on a flexible substrate and operated at approximately 100 GHz. The measurement results show that the MS tape significantly increases the transmitted power, yielding an average rate of improvement of approximately 40 per meter in received power relative to the free-space baseline in our measurement geometry (e.g., a 29-dB increase at 2 m). This increase is realized over a broad bandwidth from 95 to 105 GHz (i.e., approximately 10%), accommodating wideband modulation schemes required for high-data-rate applications. The flexible, lightweight nature of the tape allows it to be easily installed on diverse surfaces. Our demonstration indicates that the MS tape is a promising platform for extending the effective range of millimeter-wave systems, thus offering a robust solution to the path-loss bottleneck in next-generation wireless networks.