Skip to main content
Log in

Multiple-antenna techniques in nonorthogonal multiple access: a review

  • Review
  • Published:
Frontiers of Information Technology & Electronic Engineering Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

As a promising physical layer technique, nonorthogonal multiple access (NOMA) can admit multiple users over the same space-time resource block, and thus improve the spectral efficiency and increase the number of access users. Specifically, NOMA provides a feasible solution to massive Internet of Things (IoT) in 5G and beyond-5G wireless networks over a limited radio spectrum. However, severe co-channel interference and high implementation complexity hinder its application in practical systems. To solve these problems, multiple-antenna techniques have been widely used in NOMA systems by exploiting the benefits of spatial degrees of freedom. This study provides a comprehensive review of various multiple-antenna techniques in NOMA systems, with an emphasis on spatial interference cancellation and complexity reduction. In particular, we provide a detailed investigation on multiple-antenna techniques in two-user, multiuser, massive connectivity, and heterogeneous NOMA systems. Finally, future research directions and challenges are identified.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

5G:

Fifth generation

ADC:

Analog-to-digital converter

AF:

Amplify and forward

B5G:

Beyond 5G

BS:

Base station

CDI:

Channel direction information

CDMA:

Code division multiple access

CE:

Channel estimation

CF:

Compute and forward

CR:

Cognitive radio

CS:

Compressive sensing

CSI:

Channel state information

DF:

Decode and forward

DoF:

Degree of freedom

DPC:

Dirty paper coding

EH:

Energy harvesting

FD:

Full duplex

FDD:

Frequency division duplex

FRAB:

Finite resolution analog beamforming

Gbps:

Gigabits per second

HD:

Half duplex

IoT:

Internet of Things

LOS:

Line of sight

LTE-A:

Long-term evolution-advanced

MF:

Matched filtering

MIMO:

Multiple-input multiple-output

MISO:

Multiple-input single-ouput

MMSE:

Minimum mean square error

mmWave:

Millimeter wave

MUD:

Multiuser detection

NLOS:

Non-line of sight

NOMA:

Nonorthogonal multiple access

OMA:

Orthogonal multiple access

PLS:

Physical layer security

PS:

Power splitting

QoS:

Quality of service

RF:

Radio frequency

SIC:

Successive interference cancellation

SINR:

Signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio

SNR:

Signal-to-noise ratio

SOCP:

Second-order cone programming

SWIPT:

Simultaneous wireless information and power transfer

TAS:

Transmitting antenna selection

TDD:

Time division duplex

TDMA:

Time division multiple access

TS:

Time switching

UAD:

User activity detection

UE:

User equipment

ZF:

Zero forcing

References

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Xiao-ming Chen.

Additional information

Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 61871344), the Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (No. LR20F010002), the National Science and Technology Major Project of China (No. 2018ZX03001017-002), and the National Key R&D Program of China (No. 2018YFB1801104)

Compliance with ethics guidelines

Fei-yan TIAN and Xiao-ming CHEN declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Dr. Xiao-ming CHEN, corresponding author of this invited review article, received his PhD degree in Communication and Information Systems from Zhejiang University, where he is currently a professor. From January 2015 to June 2016, he was a Humboldt Research Fellow at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany. His research interests include 5G/6G key techniques, IoT theories and techniques, and smart communications. Dr. CHEN was an editor for IEEE Commun Lett, and is now serving as an editor of IEEE Trans Commun, a corresponding expert of Front Inform Technol Electron Eng, and a lead guest editor of the special issue “Massive Access for 5G and Beyond” in IEEE JSAC. He was an exemplary reviewer for IEEE Commun Lett in 2014, and for IEEE Trans Commun from 2015 to 2018. He was a recipient of Best Paper Awards of IEEE/CIC ICCC 2018 and IEEE ICC 2019.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Tian, Fy., Chen, Xm. Multiple-antenna techniques in nonorthogonal multiple access: a review. Front Inform Technol Electron Eng 20, 1665–1697 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1631/FITEE.1900405

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1631/FITEE.1900405

Key words

CLC number

Navigation