Presenters
Tutorial : Design and Optimization of Pinching-Antenna Networks for Future Wireless Networks
Abstract
Flexible antenna technologies are viewed as important building blocks for next-generation wireless networks because of their ability to adapt to the radio environment and improve effective channel conditions for users. One particularly promising recent development is the pinching-antenna system (PAS), which offers a novel approach to reconfigurable wireless transmission. In PAS, electromagnetic waves travel along dielectric waveguides and are radiated through selected pinching points. This makes it possible to place antennas near users in a highly flexible manner. This capability enables the establishment of robust line-of-sight (LoS) connections, expands coverage, and allows for scalable antenna deployment. This tutorial provides an overview of the fundamentals and latest advances in PAS technology. It covers physical principles, mathematical modeling, transmission strategies, and application scenarios. First, it explains how pinching antennas operate and presents the associated signal models. Then, it examines representative PAS architectures involving different waveguide configurations and numbers of pinching points. Based on this foundation, the tutorial discusses recent advances in signal processing and resource management for PAS-enabled networks. These advances include uplink communication design, joint optimization of antenna locations and communication resources, orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA) transmission over frequency-selective channels, and computationally efficient antenna activation strategies. Additionally, it discusses modern beamforming and optimization methods developed using convex optimization and machine learning tools. Finally, the tutorial concludes by outlining emerging PAS applications in next-generation multiple-access schemes and integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) systems, while identifying key challenges such as waveguide placement, channel acquisition, and large-scale system implementation.
