A Near-Field Modulation Technique Using Antenna Reflector Switching

A. Babakhani, D. Rutledge, and A. Hajimiri

This paper presents a near-field reflector switching technique that can generate independently controlled modulated signals for sufficiently different angles of radiation. This technique can be used either to transmit different data in different directions simultaneously, or to generate the correct signal constellation only in the desired direction and scrambled ones for other angles, creating a secure communication link. This approach is also conducive to power-efficient switching PAs, even for wideband non-constant envelope modulation schemes, enabling fast and power-efficient transmitter architectures.