A chaos-based surface scrambles signals so only one receiver can hear them, it’s fast, energy-saving, and works with today’s wireless tech.
For next-gen wireless security, researchers from Peking University, Southeast University, and University of Sannio have developed a chaos-modulated, reconfigurable metasurface that can secure communications without requiring encryption keys. Instead of encrypting data digitally, this technology manipulates radio waves at the physical layer using real-world chaos patterns—scrambling signals in all directions except toward the intended receiver.
Traditional wireless security methods rely on shared encryption keys and computationally heavy algorithms, which are vulnerable, energy-consuming, and often unsuitable for real-time or low-power applications. This new metasurface, however, sidesteps the need for shared keys altogether. A small chip controls the surface’s behavior using chaos-based logic, ensuring that the signal remains readable only at one spatial location—effectively making it invisible everywhere else. No need to alter the transmitter, receiver, or communication protocols.
This could redefine wireless security, especially in applications where traditional encryption is impractical—such as smart sensors, drones, wearables, or IoT devices. The team successfully built a working prototype using off-the-shelf components and standard wireless frequencies. Tests showed near-zero error for receivers positioned correctly, while adjacent receivers heard only static. Because the chaos modulation is rooted in physical phenomena (not software-based pseudorandom logic), it’s significantly harder to intercept or reverse-engineer. Plus, it’s retrofittable to existing systems with minimal hardware changes.
Looking ahead, the team is exploring miniaturization, support for millimeter-wave 6G, and real-time adaptability for dynamic environments like moving vehicles or wearables. ““Imagine whispering a message that only one person in a precise location can hear—everywhere else, it’s just noise,” said co-senior author Lianlin Li. “This could usher in an era of devices that are physically secure by design—not just encrypted by code,” added co-author Tie Jun Cui. “It’s a new way of thinking about protecting data.”
