Wireless MIMO communications — waves, scattering, and system design

A wireless multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communications transceiver is a promising candidate for next generation wireless systems. It can enhance the capacity and reliability of the communication link. MIMO is enabled by the presence of multiple transmitting antennas and multiple receiving antennas in the communication link. The benefits of MIMO communication are obtained through a combination of antenna arrays, signal processing, and coding algorithms, which adapt the link to the changing channel. In this critical review paper, a propagation-oriented viewpoint is adopted to discuss wireless MIMO. We give an overview of current research areas and discuss some open problems.