A novel method for joint sensing and communication at terahertz frequencies by exploiting rough surfaces

In this paper, a novel method for joint sensing and communication (JSAC) is proposed by exploiting the scattering properties of a rough surface present in the environment in the terahertz (THz) frequency range. At higher frequencies, the transmitted signals are more likely to be obstructed by a blockage owing to their shorter wavelength. Therefore establishing an alternate connection between the communicating nodes is highly desired. In case when the direct line-of-sight (LOS) link is unavailable between transmitter (Tx) and receiver (Rx), the proposed framework provides a true non-line-of-sight (NLOS) connection via a rough surface. The transmitted signal interacts with the rough surface present in the environment. The scattering pattern of the reflected signal from the rough surface is exploited to realize a JSAC system. Specifically, the high-powered specular component reflected by an intermediate rough surface is used for communication whereas, a moderate-powered diffused reflected component is exploited for target sensing. Finally, simulation results are provided to analyze communication and sensing performance along specular and diffused components reflected from a rough surface.