Experimental Validation of 5G NR Data Links using an Optically Controlled RF Beam Steering Surface

Zahra Sepehri; Benoit Malenfant; Richard Al Hadi

doi:10.1109/NewCAS64543.2026.11673996

Experimental Validation of 5G NR Data Links using an Optically Controlled RF Beam Steering Surface

Zahra Sepehri
, Benoit Malenfant
, Richard Al Hadi

École de technologie supérieure

Research output: Contribution to Book/Report types › Contribution to conference proceedings › peer-review

Abstract

This paper presents the system-level performance of a photovoltaic beam-steering surface, experimentally verifying its capability to support wide-band 5G New Radio (NR) point-to-point communications at 28.03 GHz. The steering mechanism uses a commercially available monocrystalline silicon solar cell, where low-power visible light (0.043 W/cm²) projects dynamically reconfigurable Fresnel Zone Plate (FZP) patterns to spatially modulate the incident wavefront. Over-the-air measurements using 5G NR waveforms demonstrate robust performance across both narrow-band (50 MHz) and wide-band (400 MHz) scenarios, supporting modulation schemes up to 256 QAM. The system achieves aggregate data rates of up to 3.9 Gbps with Error Vector Magnitude (EVM) values within standard limits, demonstrating photo-induced RF steering for high-speed millimeter-wave links.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	24th IEEE Interregional NEWCAS Conference, NEWCAS 2026 - Proceedings
Publisher	Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
ISBN (Electronic)	9798331544133
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/NewCAS64543.2026.11673996
Publication status	Published - 2026
Event	24th IEEE Interregional NEWCAS Conference, NEWCAS 2026 - Chicoutimi, Canada Duration: 21 Jun 2026 → 24 Jun 2026

Publication series

Name	24th IEEE Interregional NEWCAS Conference, NEWCAS 2026 - Proceedings

Conference

Conference	24th IEEE Interregional NEWCAS Conference, NEWCAS 2026
Country/Territory	Canada
City	Chicoutimi
Period	21/06/26 → 24/06/26

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy

!!!Keywords

5G New Radio (NR)
Fresnel Zone Plates
Millimeter-wave
dynamic beam steering
optical control
photovoltaic aperture
semiconductor photo modulation

Access to Document

10.1109/NewCAS64543.2026.11673996

Cite this

Sepehri, Z., Malenfant, B., & Al Hadi, R. (2026). Experimental Validation of 5G NR Data Links using an Optically Controlled RF Beam Steering Surface. In 24th IEEE Interregional NEWCAS Conference, NEWCAS 2026 - Proceedings (24th IEEE Interregional NEWCAS Conference, NEWCAS 2026 - Proceedings). Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.. https://doi.org/10.1109/NewCAS64543.2026.11673996

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title = "Experimental Validation of 5G NR Data Links using an Optically Controlled RF Beam Steering Surface",

abstract = "This paper presents the system-level performance of a photovoltaic beam-steering surface, experimentally verifying its capability to support wide-band 5G New Radio (NR) point-to-point communications at 28.03 GHz. The steering mechanism uses a commercially available monocrystalline silicon solar cell, where low-power visible light (0.043 W/cm2) projects dynamically reconfigurable Fresnel Zone Plate (FZP) patterns to spatially modulate the incident wavefront. Over-the-air measurements using 5G NR waveforms demonstrate robust performance across both narrow-band (50 MHz) and wide-band (400 MHz) scenarios, supporting modulation schemes up to 256 QAM. The system achieves aggregate data rates of up to 3.9 Gbps with Error Vector Magnitude (EVM) values within standard limits, demonstrating photo-induced RF steering for high-speed millimeter-wave links.",

keywords = "5G New Radio (NR), Fresnel Zone Plates, Millimeter-wave, dynamic beam steering, optical control, photovoltaic aperture, semiconductor photo modulation",

author = "Zahra Sepehri and Benoit Malenfant and \{Al Hadi\}, Richard",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2026 IEEE.; 24th IEEE Interregional NEWCAS Conference, NEWCAS 2026 ; Conference date: 21-06-2026 Through 24-06-2026",

year = "2026",

doi = "10.1109/NewCAS64543.2026.11673996",

language = "English",

series = "24th IEEE Interregional NEWCAS Conference, NEWCAS 2026 - Proceedings",

publisher = "Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.",

booktitle = "24th IEEE Interregional NEWCAS Conference, NEWCAS 2026 - Proceedings",

}

Sepehri, Z, Malenfant, B & Al Hadi, R 2026, Experimental Validation of 5G NR Data Links using an Optically Controlled RF Beam Steering Surface. in 24th IEEE Interregional NEWCAS Conference, NEWCAS 2026 - Proceedings. 24th IEEE Interregional NEWCAS Conference, NEWCAS 2026 - Proceedings, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., 24th IEEE Interregional NEWCAS Conference, NEWCAS 2026, Chicoutimi, Canada, 21/06/26. https://doi.org/10.1109/NewCAS64543.2026.11673996

Experimental Validation of 5G NR Data Links using an Optically Controlled RF Beam Steering Surface. / Sepehri, Zahra; Malenfant, Benoit; Al Hadi, Richard.
24th IEEE Interregional NEWCAS Conference, NEWCAS 2026 - Proceedings. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., 2026. (24th IEEE Interregional NEWCAS Conference, NEWCAS 2026 - Proceedings).

Research output: Contribution to Book/Report types › Contribution to conference proceedings › peer-review

TY - GEN

T1 - Experimental Validation of 5G NR Data Links using an Optically Controlled RF Beam Steering Surface

AU - Sepehri, Zahra

AU - Malenfant, Benoit

AU - Al Hadi, Richard

PY - 2026

Y1 - 2026

N2 - This paper presents the system-level performance of a photovoltaic beam-steering surface, experimentally verifying its capability to support wide-band 5G New Radio (NR) point-to-point communications at 28.03 GHz. The steering mechanism uses a commercially available monocrystalline silicon solar cell, where low-power visible light (0.043 W/cm2) projects dynamically reconfigurable Fresnel Zone Plate (FZP) patterns to spatially modulate the incident wavefront. Over-the-air measurements using 5G NR waveforms demonstrate robust performance across both narrow-band (50 MHz) and wide-band (400 MHz) scenarios, supporting modulation schemes up to 256 QAM. The system achieves aggregate data rates of up to 3.9 Gbps with Error Vector Magnitude (EVM) values within standard limits, demonstrating photo-induced RF steering for high-speed millimeter-wave links.

AB - This paper presents the system-level performance of a photovoltaic beam-steering surface, experimentally verifying its capability to support wide-band 5G New Radio (NR) point-to-point communications at 28.03 GHz. The steering mechanism uses a commercially available monocrystalline silicon solar cell, where low-power visible light (0.043 W/cm2) projects dynamically reconfigurable Fresnel Zone Plate (FZP) patterns to spatially modulate the incident wavefront. Over-the-air measurements using 5G NR waveforms demonstrate robust performance across both narrow-band (50 MHz) and wide-band (400 MHz) scenarios, supporting modulation schemes up to 256 QAM. The system achieves aggregate data rates of up to 3.9 Gbps with Error Vector Magnitude (EVM) values within standard limits, demonstrating photo-induced RF steering for high-speed millimeter-wave links.

KW - 5G New Radio (NR)

KW - Fresnel Zone Plates

KW - Millimeter-wave

KW - dynamic beam steering

KW - optical control

KW - photovoltaic aperture

KW - semiconductor photo modulation

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105051428220

U2 - 10.1109/NewCAS64543.2026.11673996

DO - 10.1109/NewCAS64543.2026.11673996

M3 - Contribution to conference proceedings

AN - SCOPUS:105051428220

T3 - 24th IEEE Interregional NEWCAS Conference, NEWCAS 2026 - Proceedings

BT - 24th IEEE Interregional NEWCAS Conference, NEWCAS 2026 - Proceedings

PB - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.

T2 - 24th IEEE Interregional NEWCAS Conference, NEWCAS 2026

Y2 - 21 June 2026 through 24 June 2026

ER -

Sepehri Z, Malenfant B, Al Hadi R. Experimental Validation of 5G NR Data Links using an Optically Controlled RF Beam Steering Surface. In 24th IEEE Interregional NEWCAS Conference, NEWCAS 2026 - Proceedings. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc. 2026. (24th IEEE Interregional NEWCAS Conference, NEWCAS 2026 - Proceedings). doi: 10.1109/NewCAS64543.2026.11673996

Experimental Validation of 5G NR Data Links using an Optically Controlled RF Beam Steering Surface

Abstract

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UN SDGs

!!!Keywords

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