Experimental demonstration of enormous fluid antenna system for future intelligent wireless systems

This paper presents the first experimental demonstration of Enormous Fluid Antenna System (E-FAS), a pioneering architecture that seamlessly integrates guided wave propagation and controlled free-space radiation onto a single, reconfigurable platform. E-FAS is proposed as a transformative architectural paradigm for next-generation wireless systems, specifically designed to overcome the signal fragility and limited coverage issues prevalent in high-frequency communications. The realized E-FAS prototype is constructed upon a porous, dielectric-coated metal ground plane featuring an array of reconfigurable cavities. By dynamically manipulating the operating states of these cavities, the design establishes highly efficient surface wave channels that steer electromagnetic (EM) waves across the tailored reactive surface. This guided approach achieves significantly lower propagation loss than conventional over-the-air links, effectively mitigating long-distance signal degradation. Crucially, the architecture facilitates reconfigurable surface wave launchers–specific distributions of on-state cavities–to radiate high-gain beams into free space at precise locations and directions. A prototype was fabricated, and its performance was rigorously validated through experimental measurement. By unifying signal transmission and radiation within a single programmable interface, this work establishes the E-FAS as a transformative architecture capable of meeting the dynamic connectivity and energy-efficiency demands of future intelligent wireless systems.