# Beyond Diagonal RIS: Key to Next-Generation Integrated Sensing and Communications?

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2402.14157 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2402.14157/

## Key facts

- Cited by 1 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 21 Feb 2024.

## Built on by (most cited first, 1 of 1)

- [Quantum Intelligence Meets BD-RIS-Enabled AmBC: Challenges, Opportunities, and Practical Insights](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2512.23400/) (2025)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) have introduced unprecedented flexibility and adaptability toward smart wireless channels. Recent research on integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) systems has demonstrated that RIS platforms enable enhanced signal quality, coverage, and link capacity. In this paper, we explore the application of fully-connected beyond diagonal RIS (BD-RIS) to ISAC systems. BD-RIS introduces additional degrees of freedom by allowing non-zero off-diagonal elements for the scattering matrix, potentially enabling further functionalities and performance enhancements. In particular, we consider the joint design objective of maximizing the weighted sum of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) at the radar receiver and communication users by leveraging the extra degrees-of-freedom offered in the BD-RIS setting. These degrees-of-freedom are unleashed by formulating an alternating optimization process over known and auxiliary (latent) variables of such systems. Our numerical results reveal the advantages of deploying BD-RIS in the context of ISAC and the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm by improving the SNR values for both radar and communication users by several orders of magnitude.