Stacked Intelligent Metasurface-Aided Wave-Domain Signal Processing: From Communications to Sensing and Computing

Artificial neural networks possess remarkable capabilities for abstract feature extraction, while electromagnetic computing leverages wave propagation to execute complex mathematical operations.

Concurrently, metasurfaces engineered from subwavelength meta-atoms offer unprecedented control over electromagnetic wavefronts.

Synthesizing these three cutting-edge fields has sparked significant interest in developing electromagnetic neural networks via stacked intelligent metasurface (SIM) technology, which aims to execute diverse signal processing tasks directly within the wave domain.

By enabling direct processing of information-carrying electromagnetic waves, SIMs offer a promising paradigm for high-speed, massively parallel, and low-power signal processing.

This article provides a comprehensive overview of SIM technology, beginning with its evolutionary trajectory.

We then delve into its theoretical foundations and examine state-of-the-art SIM hardware prototypes.

Furthermore, we analyze the optimization and training strategies devised to configure SIM functionalities from two distinct perspectives.

Additionally, the diverse applications of SIM technology across the communication, sensing, and computing domains are explored, supported by experimental evidence that highlights its ability to sustain multiple functions within a single device.

Finally, we outline critical technical challenges to deploying SIMs in next-generation wireless networks and chart promising research directions to fully unlock their transformative potential.