MIMO Evolution Beyond 5G Through Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces and Fluid Antenna Systems

With massive deployment, multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) systems continue to take mobile communications to new heights, but the ever-increasing demands mean that there is a need to look beyond MIMO and pursue the next disruptive wireless technologies. Reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inProceedings of the IEEE Vol. 110; no. 9; pp. 1244 - 1265
Main Authors Shojaeifard, Arman, Wong, Kai-Kit, Tong, Kin-Fai, Chu, Zhiyuan, Mourad, Alain, Haghighat, Afshin, Hemadeh, Ibrahim, Nguyen, Nhan Thanh, Tapio, Visa, Juntti, Markku
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published New York IEEE 01.09.2022
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
Subjects
5G mobile communication
6G mobile communication
Alliances
Antennas
B5G
emerging technologies
fluid antennas
Interference
MIMO communication
Power efficiency
Propagation
Radio transmission
Reconfigurable intelligent surfaces
reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs)
Surface waves
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Summary:With massive deployment, multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) systems continue to take mobile communications to new heights, but the ever-increasing demands mean that there is a need to look beyond MIMO and pursue the next disruptive wireless technologies. Reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) is widely considered a key candidate technology block to provide the next generational leap. The first part of this article provides an updated overview of the conventional reflection-based RIS technology, which complements the existing literature to include active and semiactive RIS, and the synergies with cell-free massive MIMO (CF mMIMO). Then, we widen the scope to discuss the surface-wave-assisted RIS that represents a different design dimension in utilizing metasurface technologies. This goes beyond being a passive reflector and can use the surface as an intelligent propagation medium for superb radio propagation efficiency. The third part of this article turns the attention to the fluid antenna, a novel antenna technology that enables a diverse form of reconfigurability that can combine with RIS for ultrahigh capacity, power efficiency, and scalability. This article concludes with a discussion of the potential synergies that can be exploited between MIMO, RIS, and fluid antennas.
ISSN:0018-9219
1558-2256
DOI:10.1109/JPROC.2022.3170247