Geometry-based stochastic channel modeling of a semi-urban environment using simultaneously transmitting and reflecting reconfigurable intelligentsurface

Simultaneously Transmitting and Reflecting (STAR) Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface (RIS) demonstrates the ability to split incoming electromagnetic beams to transmit and reflect signals in a concurrent manner. Thus, compared to conventional RIS, service area coverage is extended on deploying STAR-RIS. This paper presents a geometry-based stochastic channel model (GBSM) of STAR-RIS-assisted outdoor wireless channel. For the considered semi-urban environment, STAR-RIS operates in energy-splitting mode. Channel between a base station (BS) and users $({\text{U}}_{\text{R}}/{\text{U}}_{\text{T}})$ located on the reflect/transmit (R/T) side of STAR-RIS is characterised using a GBSM. An elliptical model incorporates the inevitable presence of scatterers in the considered semi-urban segment. Statistical properties of the wireless channel under test are analysed using space–time cross-correlation function (ST-CCF) and temporal auto-correlation function (ACF). Further, to gain holistic insight about the wireless channel behaviour, normalised Doppler power spectral density (ND-PSD) is estimated for semi-urban segment having three distinct underlying hypothesis as: (i) Wireless channel is governed by Rayleigh fading model, (ii) Wireless Channel is equipped with conventional RIS and (iii) STAR-RIS is an integral part of the considered wireless channel. Simulation results confirm that STAR-RIS performs at par with RIS, however, facilitating an additional degree of coverage. It is observed that temporal ACF and ST-CCF improves with an increase in the number of elements in STAR-RIS.