Intelligent Reflecting Surface Assisted Multi-User MISO Communication
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The recently completed global standard for 5G new radio air interface focuses on fulfilling key performance indicators for the new generation of cellular networks through several cutting-edge technologies, including Massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), millimeter (mm)-Wave communication and network densification. However, these technologies face two main practical limitations 1) the lack of control over the wireless propagation environment, and 2) the high power consumption of the wireless interface. To address the need for green and sustainable future cellular networks with control over the propagation channel, the concept of reconfiguring wireless propagation environments using Intelligent Reflecting Surfaces (IRS)s has emerged for beyond 5G networks. An IRS comprises of a large number of low-cost passive reflecting elements that can smartly reconfigure the signal propagation for performance enhancement. In this paper, we discuss the role of passive IRSs in reconfiguring wireless propagation environments, introduce an IRS-assisted multi-user MIMO communication system, outline the communication-theoretic model and minimum mean squared error (MMSE) based channel estimation protocol for its design and analysis, and present performance evaluation results to illustrate the efficiency of the proposed system.
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