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Reconfigurable Massive MIMO: Harnessing the Power of the Electromagnetic Domain for Enhanced Information Transfer

Keke Ying, Zhen Gao, Sheng Chen, Xinyu Gao, Michail Matthaiou, Rui Zhang, Robert Schober

TL;DR

A viable architecture for reconfigurable mMIMO systems, and the associated system model and downlink precoding are discussed, and a three-level precoding scheme is proposed, and simulation results verify its considerable spectral and energy efficiency advantages compared to traditional mMIMOs.

Abstract

The capacity of commercial massive multiple-input multiple-output (mMIMO) systems is constrained by the limited array aperture at the base station, and cannot meet the ever-increasing traffic demands of wireless networks. Given the array aperture, holographic MIMO with infinitesimal antenna spacing can maximize the capacity, but is physically unrealizable. As a promising alternative, reconfigurable mMIMO is proposed to harness the unexploited power of the electromagnetic (EM) domain for enhanced information transfer. Specifically, the reconfigurable pixel antenna technology provides each antenna with an adjustable EM radiation (EMR) pattern, introducing extra degrees of freedom for information transfer in the EM domain. In this article, we present the concept and benefits of availing the EMR domain for mMIMO transmission. Moreover, we propose a viable architecture for reconfigurable mMIMO systems, and the associated system model and downlink precoding are also discussed. In particular, a three-level precoding scheme is proposed, and simulation results verify its considerable spectral and energy efficiency advantages compared to traditional mMIMO systems. Finally, we further discuss the challenges, insights, and prospects of deploying reconfigurable mMIMO, along with the associated hardware, algorithms, and fundamental theory.

Reconfigurable Massive MIMO: Harnessing the Power of the Electromagnetic Domain for Enhanced Information Transfer

TL;DR

A viable architecture for reconfigurable mMIMO systems, and the associated system model and downlink precoding are discussed, and a three-level precoding scheme is proposed, and simulation results verify its considerable spectral and energy efficiency advantages compared to traditional mMIMOs.

Abstract

The capacity of commercial massive multiple-input multiple-output (mMIMO) systems is constrained by the limited array aperture at the base station, and cannot meet the ever-increasing traffic demands of wireless networks. Given the array aperture, holographic MIMO with infinitesimal antenna spacing can maximize the capacity, but is physically unrealizable. As a promising alternative, reconfigurable mMIMO is proposed to harness the unexploited power of the electromagnetic (EM) domain for enhanced information transfer. Specifically, the reconfigurable pixel antenna technology provides each antenna with an adjustable EM radiation (EMR) pattern, introducing extra degrees of freedom for information transfer in the EM domain. In this article, we present the concept and benefits of availing the EMR domain for mMIMO transmission. Moreover, we propose a viable architecture for reconfigurable mMIMO systems, and the associated system model and downlink precoding are also discussed. In particular, a three-level precoding scheme is proposed, and simulation results verify its considerable spectral and energy efficiency advantages compared to traditional mMIMO systems. Finally, we further discuss the challenges, insights, and prospects of deploying reconfigurable mMIMO, along with the associated hardware, algorithms, and fundamental theory.
Paper Structure (16 sections, 1 equation, 3 figures)

This paper contains 16 sections, 1 equation, 3 figures.

Table of Contents

  1. Overview of MIMO Systems
  2. EM Radiation Gain of R-mMIMO Systems
  3. System Model of R-mMIMO
  4. Architecture of R-mMIMO
  5. Downlink Precoding with R-mMIMO
  6. Three-Level Precoding for R-mMIMO
  7. Overview of Existing Schemes
  8. Three-Level SE Optimization
  9. Performance Comparison
  10. Challenges and Future Directions
  11. Theoretical Capacity
  12. Multifunctional Reconfigurable Antennas
  13. CSI Acquisition
  14. Low Complexity Precoding
  15. Integration with Other Technologies
  16. ...and 1 more sections

Figures (3)

  • Figure 1: Comparison of received E-field intensities for different MIMO systems. A fully-digital linear array with an aperture of 4$\lambda$ (operated at $3$ GHz with $\lambda$ denoting the wavelength) is placed along the y-axis with its geometric center at the origin. The target receiver is randomly located in the area $\left\{\left(x,y\right)|x\in \left[5,50\right]\textrm{m}, y\in \left[50,100\right] \textrm{m}\right\}$, which is in the far-field region of the array. The results shown are averaged over 3,000 randomly generated target positions.
  • Figure 2: Schematic diagram of R-mMIMO systems: (a) multi-user downlink transmission and the corresponding SCA-based R-mMIMO architecture, (b) structure of a single RPA, (c) examples of 3D radiation pattern produced by an RPA, and (d) 2D horizontal and vertical radiation pattern cuts of (c).
  • Figure 3: (a) SE gains achieved by R-mMIMO for different geographic regions, (b) CDF curves of the overall SE under different BS architectures, and (c) EE of different BS architectures.