6G PHY: Insights From 6G-ANNA Research Initiative

Banerjee B, Agarwal B, Ahmad A, Bockelmann C, Cavalcante RLG, Danaee A, Dekorsy A, Fettweis G, Fink J, Franchi N, Fritschek R, Gast F, Gautam P, Kortz J, Li C, Lopez M, Lübke M, Miretti L, Nimr A, Parvini M, Roth S, Schaefer RF, Schmeink A, Schreiber G, Seyedmasoumian S, Sezgin A, Stanczak S, Su Y, Wuebben D, Zenger C (2026)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2026

Journal

IEEE Open Journal of the Communications Society Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)

Pages Range: 1-1

DOI: 10.1109/OJCOMS.2026.3658132

Abstract

The sixth generation (6G) of wireless networks is envisioned to achieve far beyond the capabilities of fifth generation (5G), necessitating significant innovations at the physical layer (PHY). These include exploration of several fundamental trade-offs between spectral efficiency, reliability, and energy consumption, and enhancing the performance of key enablers for 6G PHY. This paper synthesizes key insights from the 6G-ANNA research initiative on emerging PHY technologies for 6G to provide a holistic exploration of the ongoing trends in the 6G research. The investigations span novel waveform and channel coding techniques for improved energy efficiency, the “Gearbox PHY” concept for adaptive transceiver operations, and optimized radio transceiver designs that balance complexity and power consumption. The study also examines advanced multiple access schemes and cell-free massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) architectures to enhance spectral efficiency and uniform coverage. Integrated artificial intelligence (AI) solutions at the PHY layer and insights to security and trustworthiness challenges in 6G networks are also provided. The findings offer insights into the fundamental trade-offs and provide several key PHY innovations that address sustainability, capacity, and resiliency challenges of future 6G wireless systems.

Authors with CRIS profile

Norman Franchi Lehrstuhl für Intelligente Technische Elektronik und Systeme Maximilian Lübke Lehrstuhl für Intelligente Technische Elektronik und Systeme Yanpeng Su Lehrstuhl für Intelligente Technische Elektronik und Systeme

Involved external institutions

PHYSEC GmbH DE Germany (DE) Fraunhofer-Institut für Nachrichtentechnik (Heinrich-Hertz-Institut FhG HHI) DE Germany (DE) Technische Universität Dresden DE Germany (DE) Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) DE Germany (DE) Universität Bremen DE Germany (DE) Nokia Bell Labs DE Germany (DE) Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule (RWTH) Aachen DE Germany (DE) Ericsson GmbH DE Germany (DE) Vodafone DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Banerjee, B., Agarwal, B., Ahmad, A., Bockelmann, C., Cavalcante, R.L.G., Danaee, A.,... Zenger, C. (2026). 6G PHY: Insights From 6G-ANNA Research Initiative. IEEE Open Journal of the Communications Society, 1-1. https://doi.org/10.1109/OJCOMS.2026.3658132

MLA:

Banerjee, Bitan, et al. "6G PHY: Insights From 6G-ANNA Research Initiative." IEEE Open Journal of the Communications Society (2026): 1-1.

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