Sensing-Aware Backscatter Communications: A Survey on Envelope Stability, Waveform Design, and Selection Diversity

Abstract

The vision of ubiquitous battery-free connectivity has positioned backscatter communication as a foundational technology for next-generation Internet of Things (IoT) and industrial sensing applications. However, as backscatter systems evolve from simple identification tags toward high-fidelity integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) devices, fundamental challenges emerge at the intersection of waveform design, hardware nonlinearity, and channel dynamics. This paper presents a comprehensive survey of sensing-aware backscatter communications, with a focus on three tightly coupled dimensions: envelope stability, spatial diversity, and temporal channel robustness. We introduce the concept of the ``Illuminator's Dilemma'' to describe the inherent conflict between high-peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) multicarrier waveforms optimized for active communication and the stringent dynamic range requirements of passive tags. The survey provides a unified treatment of multi-objective waveform design strategies, a comprehensive taxonomy of near-far mitigation techniques, and an in-depth analysis of channel state information (CSI) aging in backscatter networks. Key contributions include tag-centric metrics such as the Backscatter Crest Factor (BCF), Envelope Stability Factor (ESF), and Sensing Fidelity Index (SFI), along with a comparative evaluation of PAPR reduction techniques, spatial diversity methods, and non-coherent detection schemes. This survey is intended for researchers, engineers, and graduate students working in wireless communications, IoT, RF sensing, and integrated sensing and communications.