An Inverse Source Approach to Inexpensive Static Passive EMS Design

Electromagnetic Skins (EMSs) are key enablers in the development of Smart Electromagnetic Environments (SEMEs), offering reconfigurable and energy-efficient solutions for wave manipulation. This work presents a novel methodology to enhance the performance of low-cost, static passive EMSs (SP-EMSs). The proposed approach exploits the decomposition of the surface currents as a combination of pre-image (PI) and null-space (NS) components. The resulting optimization process aims to minimize the mismatch between the ideal surface current, which radiates the desired target field, and the actual current distribution on the EMS. A proof-of-concept experiment is shown to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the method in synthesizing SP-EMSs realized using conductive ink on a standard paper substrate.