Reconfigurable Circularly Polarized Antenna Arrays for secure and resilient V2X communications: Design, Integration, and Validation

The advancement of Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) communications demands antenna systems that are not only high-performing but also secure, adaptable, and resilient within dynamic vehicular environments. Traditional linearly polarized and static antenna arrays are often challenged by polarization mismatch, multipath fading, and increased vulnerability to interception or jamming. This research topic focuses on reconfigurable circularly polarized (RH/LH-CP) antenna arrays designed to enable adaptive beamforming, polarization agility, and enhanced physical-layer security. Through the integration of metasurface reconfiguration, AI-driven beam control, and additive manufacturing, this collection seeks to highlight innovations that achieve robust, low-latency, and secure V2X communication. The overarching aim is to establish a comprehensive understanding of how reconfigurable CP arrays can enhance the resilience of vehicular networks, supporting intelligent transportation systems, autonomous vehicles, and the evolution toward 6G-connected mobility.

This research topic also aims to investigate the design, integration, and experimental validation of reconfigurable arrays tailored for dynamic vehicular scenarios. We encourage submissions that address adaptive beamforming, polarization reconfiguration, and mode control to reduce polarization mismatch and combat multipath effects, while enhancing physical-layer security against interception and jamming. Contributions leveraging AI-driven control for resilience and beam management, as well as additive or conformal fabrication for practical vehicular integration, are highly encouraged. We also invite studies focusing on co-design of antenna systems with V2X communication protocols to realize robust, low-latency links in real-world environments. Both simulation-based and measurement-driven researches are welcome, especially those addressing practical implementation, system integration, and performance evaluation in V2X settings, including coexistence with vehicular radar and sensing technologies.

Submissions are invited in the form of original research articles, reviews, and short communications, covering: reconfigurable circularly polarized antenna designs for V2X; intelligent beamforming and array thinning; additive manufacturing and conformal CP array integration on vehicles; secure PHY-layer techniques using polarization diversity and mode control; antenna–protocol co-design for V2X; measurement and characterization in dynamic vehicular contexts; AI-driven self-healing and self-optimizing arrays; integration with vehicular radar and sensing; and hybrid electromagnetic and information-theoretic security strategies for V2X. Emphasis should be placed on practical implementation and validation in V2X scenarios, including thorough descriptions of system integration, experimental setups, and performance metrics. Cross-disciplinary contributions that combine electromagnetic design with protocol optimization or AI-based resilience approaches are particularly encouraged.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Original Research
• Perspective
• ... View all formats

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Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Reconfigurability, Circular polarization, Vehicular Communication, Physical-layer security, AI-driven control, Additive manufacturing

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.