Near-Field MIMO Communications for 6G: Fundamentals, Challenges, Potentials, and Future Directions

Extremely large-scale antenna array (ELAA) is a common feature of several key candidate technologies for sixth generation (6G) mobile networks, such as ultra-massive multiple-input-multiple-output (UM-MIMO), cell-free massive MIMO, reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS), and terahertz communications. Since the number of antennas is very large for ELAA, the electromagnetic radiation field needs to be modeled by near-field spherical waves, which differs from the conventional planar-wave-based radiation model of 5G massive MIMO. As a result, near-field MIMO communications will become essential in 6G wireless networks. In this article, we systematically investigate the emerging near-field communication…

• NN
  National Natural Science Foundation of China

  Award: 62031019
• NK
  National Key Research and Development Program of China

  Award: 2020YFB1807201