Recent advances in near-field beam training and channel estimation for XL-MIMO systems
1 Department of Electric and Computer Engineering, Laval University, Quebec City, Canada
2 Department of Electronics and Information Engineering, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
3 School of Electrical and Information Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
4 Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Nottingham, Ningbo, China
5 School of Information Science and Engineering, Hunan Institute of Science and Technology, Yueyang, China
6 School of Computer Science and Statistics, The University of Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
  • Volume
  • Citation
    Zeng M, Wang J, Hao W, Chu Z, Xie W, et al. Recent advances in near-field beam training and channel estimation for XL-MIMO systems. Adv. Inf. Commun. 2025(2):0005, https://doi.org/10.55092/aic20260005. 
  • DOI
    10.55092/aic20260005
  • Copyright
    Copyright2026 by the authors. Published by ELSP.
Abstract

Extremely large-scale multiple-input multiple-output (XL-MIMO) is a key technology for next-generation wireless communication systems. By deploying significantly more antennas than conventional massive MIMO systems, XL-MIMO promises substantial improvements in spectral efficiency. However, due to the drastically increased array size, the conventional planar wave channel model is no longer accurate, necessitating a transition to a near-field spherical wave model. This shift challenges traditional beam training and channel estimation methods, which were designed for planar wave propagation. In this article, we present a comprehensive review of state-of-the-art beam training and channel estimation techniques for XL-MIMO systems. We analyze the fundamental principles, key methodologies, and recent advancements in this area, highlighting their respective strengths and limitations in addressing the challenges posed by the near-field propagation environment. Furthermore, we explore open research challenges that remain unresolved to provide valuable insights for researchers and engineers working toward the development of next-generation XL-MIMO communication systems.

Keywords

near-field; extreme-large (XL) MIMO; beam training; codebook design; channel estimation

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