Broadband multi-beam lens-assisted mmID enabling multi-gigabit backscatter data rates for next-generation wireless networks

Abstract The growth of next-generation Internet-of-Things (IoT) and digital-twin systems has created wireless environments where identification must sustain fiber-level data rates with low latency while operating at minimal energy cost and maintaining robust angular coverage. Conventional backscatter at microwave frequencies remains limited to megabit rates, and most millimeter-wave demonstrations operate with limited coverage. This work presents a lens-assisted millimeter-wave identification (mmID) system that unites multi-gigabit connectivity with wide solid-angle coverage. The design integrates a cross-polarized broadband antenna array with a dielectric lens, enabling multi-beam operation with angle-dependent modulation across ± 55° and a peak differential radar cross section of -13.4 dBsm. Demonstrated backscatter performance includes 4 Gbps 32-QAM at 5 m with an energy cost of 0.08 pJ bit −1 and 1 Gbps operation over 20 m. Link-budget analysis projects 1 Gbps backscatter ranges up to 2.6 km under the 75 dBm EIRP permitted in 5G millimeter-wave systems, establishing an energy-efficient pathway for high-capacity, long-range wireless identification.