Reading of an electromagnetic resonant structure by a separated transmitter and receiver

A system comprising:

• a resonant structure comprising a conductive surface layer on a dielectric layer that produces an enhanced or reduced backscattered radiation in one or more resonant frequency bands when illuminated with electromagnetic energy;
• a transmitter illuminating the resonant structure with the electromagnetic energy at a first angle relative to a normal of the conductive surface layer;
• a receiver operable to detect the enhanced or reduced backscattered radiation at the resonant frequency bands at a second angle relative to the normal of the conductive surface layer, the second angle different from the first angle by at least five degrees;
• and
• a processor coupled to the receiver and operable to detect data encoded in one or both of a frequency response and a polarization response of the resonant structure based on the detected enhanced or reduced backscattered radiation, the data being encoded within the resonant structure, wherein the processor is coupled to the transmitter and further operable to synchronize the illumination with the backscattered radiation through an optical signal transmitted to the transmitter and the receiver, the optical signal combined with a detected backscattering radiation signal to synchronize the transmitter and the receiver via deramping.