Symmetry/Asymmetry in RF Communications Engineering

Dear Colleagues,

RF communications engineering has been the backbone of modern electronic and communication systems for several decades. However, this field has become even more important in recent years due to a range of technological advancements, such as the push for high-frequency efficiency, rapid growth in RF-enabled devices, the proliferation of IoT hardware, the emergence of 5G architectures, and the increasing dependence on RF systems for enhancing daily life (healthcare instrumentation, automotive sensing, aerospace, etc.). Therefore, it is becoming increasingly vital to improve the performance, reliability, and efficiency of both RF channels and RF front-end systems. Symmetry in RF communications can play a pivotal role in achieving this, because the complexity of RF system design is significantly reduced when the underlying electromagnetic structures, propagation paths, or circuit layouts exhibit symmetrical properties. Technologies such as advanced antenna arrays, metamaterials, and reconfigurable RF surfaces can be used to develop or enforce symmetrical RF environments.

This Special Issue will highlight the significance of symmetry for modern RF communication systems, with the secondary objective of addressing the challenges encountered in the design, modelling, and optimisation of symmetric RF structures and propagation channels. This Special Issue will also focus on emerging technologies, such as reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs), high-frequency MIMO arrays, and AI-assisted RF design, which can transform asymmetric RF propagation conditions into more symmetric and predictable environments. Lastly, this Special Issue will introduce key methodologies and tools relevant to the development and analysis of symmetric RF data communication systems.

This Special Issue welcomes original research articles and reviews on (but not limited to) the following topics:

• Performance analysis of symmetric and asymmetric RF channels;
• The role of structural symmetry in RF communication systems;
• Applications of RISs/metasurfaces for enhancing RF propagation;
• High-frequency MIMO arrays for improved RF coverage and diversity;
• Machine learning techniques for RF channel modelling and prediction;
• RF architectures and system designs for IoT and embedded applications;
• Intelligent sensing, radar, and automotive RF systems;
• Millimetre-wave and optical RF channel studies;
• Visible-light and hybrid RF–optical communication technologies.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Zia Nadir
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Symmetry is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.