Limited-Resolution Hybrid Analog-Digital Precoding Design Using MIMO Detection Methods

While fully digital precoding achieves superior performance in massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems, it comes with significant drawbacks in terms of computational complexity and power consumption, particularly when operating at millimeter-wave frequencies and beyond. Hybrid analog-digital architectures address this by reducing radio frequency (RF) chains while maintaining performance in sparse multipath environments. However, most hybrid precoder designs assume ideal, infinite-resolution analog phase shifters, which cannot be implemented in actual systems. Another practical constraint is the limited fronthaul capacity between the baseband processor and array, implying that each entry of the digital precoder must be picked from a finite set of quantization labels. This paper proposes novel designs for the limited-resolution analog and digital precoders by exploiting two well-known MIMO symbol detection algorithms, namely sphere decoding (SD) and expectation propagation (EP). The goal is to minimize the Euclidean distance between the optimal fully digital precoder and the hybrid precoder to minimize the degradation caused by the finite resolution of the analog and digital precoders. Taking an alternative optimization approach, we first apply the SD method to find the precoders in each iteration optimally. Then, we apply the lower-complexity EP method which finds a near-optimal solution at a reduced computational cost. The effectiveness of the proposed designs is validated via numerical simulations, where we show that the proposed symbol detection-based precoder designs significantly outperform the nearest point mapping scheme which is commonly used for finding a sub-optimal solution to discrete optimization problems.

Pre-Optimized Irregular Arrays versus Moveable Antennas in Multi-User MIMO Systems

Massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems exploit the spatial diversity achieved with an array of many antennas to perform spatial multiplexing of many users. Similar performance can be achieved using fewer antennas if movable antenna (MA) elements are used instead. MA-enabled arrays can dynamically change the antenna locations, mechanically or electrically, to achieve maximum spatial diversity for the current propagation conditions. However, optimizing the antenna locations for each channel realization is computationally excessive, requires channel knowledge for all conceivable locations, and requires rapid antenna movements, thus making real-time implementation cumbersome. To overcome these challenges, we propose a pre-optimized irregular array (PIA) concept, where the antenna locations at the base station are optimized a priori for a given coverage area. The objective is to maximize the average sum rate and we take a particle swarm optimization approach to solve it. Simulation results show that PIA achieves performance comparable to MA-enabled arrays while outperforming traditional uniform arrays. Hence, PIA offers a fixed yet efficient array deployment approach without the complexities associated with MA-enabled arrays.

A Novel Hybrid Precoder With Low-Resolution Phase Shifters and Fronthaul Capacity Limitation

In massive MIMO systems, fully digital precoding offers high performance but has significant implementation complexity and energy consumption, particularly at millimeter frequencies and beyond. Hybrid analog-digital architectures provide a practical alternative by reducing the number of radio frequency (RF) chains while retaining performance in spatially sparse multipath scenarios. However, most hybrid precoder designs assume ideal, infinite-resolution analog phase shifters, which are impractical in real-world scenarios. Another practical constraint is the limited fronthaul capacity between the baseband processor and array, implying that each entry of the digital precoder must be picked from a finite set of quantization labels. To minimize the sum rate degradation caused by quantized analog and digital precoders, we propose novel designs inspired by the sphere decoding (SD) algorithm. We demonstrate numerically that our proposed designs outperform traditional methods, ensuring minimal sum rate loss in hybrid precoding systems with low-resolution phase shifters and limited fronthaul capacity.

Parametric Channel Estimation for RIS-Assisted Wideband Systems

A reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) alters the reflection of incoming signals based on the phase-shift configuration assigned to its elements. This feature can be used to improve the signal strength for user equipments (UEs), expand coverage, and enhance spectral efficiency in wideband communication systems. Having accurate channel state information (CSI) is indispensable to realize the full potential of RIS-aided wideband systems. Unfortunately, CSI is challenging to acquire due to the passive nature of the RIS elements, which cannot perform transmit/receive signal processing. Recently, a parametric maximum likelihood (ML) channel estimator has been developed and demonstrated excellent estimation accuracy. However, this estimator is designed for narrowband systems with no non-line-of-sight (NLOS) paths. In this paper, we develop a novel parametric ML channel estimator for RIS-assisted wideband systems, which can handle line-of-sight (LOS) paths in the base station (BS)-RIS and RIS-UE links as well as NLOS paths between the UE, BS, and RIS. We leverage the reduced subspace representation induced by the array geometry to suppress noise in unused dimensions, enabling accurate estimation of the NLOS paths. Our proposed algorithm demonstrates superior estimation performance for the BS-UE and RIS-UE channels, outperforming the existing ML channel estimator.

Achieving Beamfocusing via Two Separated Uniform Linear Arrays

This paper investigates coordinated beamforming using a modular linear array (MLA), composed of a pair of physically separated uniform linear arrays (ULAs), treated as sub-arrays. We focus on how such setups can give rise to near-field effects in 6G networks without requiring many antennas. Unlike conventional far-field beamforming, near-field beamforming enables simultaneous data service to multiple users at different distances in the same angular direction, offering significant multiplexing gains. We present a detailed analysis, including analytical expressions of the beamwidth and beamdepth for the MLA. Our findings reveal that using the MLA approach, we can remove approximately 36% of the antennas in the ULA while achieving the same level of beamfocusing.

Approaching Maximum Likelihood Performance via End-to-End Learning in MU-MIMO Systems

Multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO) systems allow multiple users to share the same wireless spectrum. Each user transmits one symbol drawn from an M-ary quadrature amplitude modulation (M-QAM) constellation set, and the resulting multi-user interference (MUI) is cancelled at the receiver. End-to-End (E2E) learning has recently been proposed to jointly design the constellation set for a modulator and symbol detector for a single user under an additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel by using deep neural networks (DNN) with a symbol-error-rate (SER) performance, exceeding that of Maximum likelihood (ML) M-QAM detectors. In this paper, we extend the E2E concept to the MU-MIMO systems, where a DNN-based modulator that generates learned M constellation points and graph expectation propagation network (GEPNet) detector that cancels MUI are jointly optimised with respect to SER performance loss. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed E2E with learned constellation outperforms GEPNet with 16-QAM by around 5 dB in terms of SER in a high MUI environment and even surpasses ML with 16-QAM in a low MUI condition, both with no additional computational complexity.

An Efficient Modified MUSIC Algorithm for RIS-Assisted Near-Field Localization

In this paper, we consider a single-anchor localization system assisted by a reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS), where the objective is to localize multiple user equipments (UEs) placed in the radiative near-field region of the RIS by estimating their azimuth angle-of-arrival (AoA), elevation AoA, and distance to the surface. The three-dimensional (3D) locations can be accurately estimated via the conventional MUltiple SIgnal Classification (MUSIC) algorithm, albeit at the expense of tremendous complexity due to the 3D grid search. In this paper, capitalizing on the symmetric structure of the RIS, we propose a novel modified MUSIC algorithm that can efficiently decouple the AoA and distance estimation problems and drastically reduce the complexity compared to the standard 3D MUSIC algorithm. Additionally, we introduce a spatial smoothing method by partitioning the RIS into overlapping sub-RISs to address the rank-deficiency issue in the signal covariance matrix. We corroborate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm via numerical simulations and show that it can achieve the same performance as 3D MUSIC but with much lower complexity.

Symbol-Level Precoding for Near-Field ISAC

The forthcoming 6G and beyond wireless networks are anticipated to introduce new groundbreaking applications, such as Integrated Sensing and Communications (ISAC), potentially leveraging much wider bandwidths at higher frequencies and using significantly larger antenna arrays at base stations. This puts the system operation in the radiative near-field regime of the BS antenna array, characterized by spherical rather than flat wavefronts. In this paper, we refer to such a system as near-field ISAC. Unlike the far-field regime, the near-field regime allows for precise focusing of transmission beams on specific areas, making it possible to simultaneously determine a target's direction and range from a single base station and resolve targets located in the same direction. This work designs the transmit symbol vector in near-field ISAC to maximize a weighted combination of sensing and communication performances subject to a total power constraint using symbol-level precoding (SLP). The formulated optimization problem is convex, and the solution is used to estimate the angle and range of the considered targets using the 2D MUSIC algorithm. The simulation results suggest that the SLP-based design outperforms the block-level-based counterpart. Moreover, the 2D MUSIC algorithm accurately estimates the targets' parameters.

The Roles of Spatial Frequencies and Degrees-of-Freedom in Near-Field Communications

As wireless technology begins to utilize physically larger arrays and/or higher frequencies, the transmitter and receiver will reside in each other's radiative near field. This fact gives rise to unusual propagation phenomena such as spherical wavefronts and beamfocusing, creating the impression that new spatial dimensions -- called degrees-of-freedom (DoF) -- can be exploited in the near field. However, this is a fallacy because the theoretically maximum DoF are already achievable in the far field. This paper sheds light on these issues by providing a tutorial on spatial frequencies, which are the fundamental components of wireless channels, and by explaining their role in characterizing the DoF in the near and far fields. In particular, we demonstrate how a single propagation path utilizes one spatial frequency in the far field and an interval of spatial frequencies in the near field. We explain how the array geometry determines the number of distinguishable spatial frequency bins and, thereby, the spatial DoF. We also describe how to model near-field multipath channels and their spatial correlation matrices. Finally, we discuss the research challenges and future directions in this field.

Enabling 6G Performance in the Upper Mid-Band Through Gigantic MIMO

The initial 6G networks will likely operate in the upper mid-band (7-24 GHz), which has decent propagation conditions but underwhelming new spectrum availability. In this paper, we explore whether we can anyway reach the ambitious 6G performance goals by evolving the multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology from being massive to gigantic. We describe how many antennas are needed and can realistically be deployed, and what the peak user rate and degrees-of-freedom (DOF) can become. We further suggest a new deployment strategy that enables the utilization of radiative near-field effects in these bands for precise beamfocusing, localization, and sensing from a single base station site. We also identify five open research challenges that must be overcome to efficiently use gigantic MIMO dimensions in 6G from hardware, cost, and algorithmic perspectives.