ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an abstract model of the Physics behind metasurfaces, leading to a function-centric formulation of their capabilities. The Internet of Materials can constitute an effective means for controlling the wireless propagation within a space, introducing programmable wireless environments (PWEs). The chapter focuses on the network-layer PWE configuration problem, i.e., which functions to deploy at the PWE coatings to serve a set of given user communication objectives within a space. In this work we will assume that the correspondence between functions and active element states is known, and the reader is redirected to studies on EM Compilers for further details. In communication scenarios, considering function input/outputs at the level of the EM field may not be practical. The physics of polarization control can be described qualitatively by assuming equivalent circuits of meta-atoms. In essence, each meta-atom can be viewed as a circuit with a input and output antennas, as well as cross-couplings among meta-atoms.
