Generalized Pinching-Antenna Systems: A Tutorial on Principles, Design Strategies, and Future Directions

Xu Y, Cui J, Zhu Y, Ding Z, Chang TH, Schober R, Wong VW, Dobre OA, Karagiannidis GK, Vincent Poor H, You X (2026)

Publication Type: Journal article, Review article

Publication year: 2026

Journal

IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)

DOI: 10.1109/COMST.2026.3674222

Abstract

Pinching-antenna systems have emerged as a novel and transformative flexible-antenna architecture for next-generation wireless networks. They offer unprecedented flexibility and spatial reconfigurability by enabling dynamic positioning and activation of radiating elements along a signal-guiding medium (e.g., dielectric waveguide), which is not possible with conventional fixed antenna systems. In this paper, we introduce the concept of generalized pinching antenna systems, which retain the core principle of creating localized radiation points on demand, but can be physically realized with a variety of technologies. These include implementations based on dielectric waveguides, leaky coaxial cables, surface-wave guiding structures, and other types of media, employing different feeding methods and activation mechanisms (e.g., mechanical, electronic, or hybrid). Despite differences in their physical realizations, they all share the same inherent ability to form, reposition, or deactivate radiation sites as needed, enabling user-centric and dynamic coverage. We first describe the underlying physical mechanisms of representative generalized pinching-antenna realizations and their associated wireless channel models, highlighting their unique propagation and reconfigurability characteristics compared with conventional antennas. Then, using dielectric waveguide-based pinching antennas as primary examples, we review several representative pinching-antenna system architectures, ranging from single- to multiple-waveguide configurations, and discuss advanced design strategies tailored to these flexible deployments. Furthermore, we examine their integration with emerging wireless technologies to enable synergistic, user-centric solutions. Finally, we identify key open research challenges and outline future directions, charting a pathway toward the deployment of generalized pinching antennas in next-generation wireless networks.

Authors with CRIS profile

Robert Schober Lehrstuhl für Digitale Übertragung (IDC)

Involved external institutions

Nanyang Technological University (NTU) SG Singapore (SG) The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) CN China (CN) University of British Columbia CA Canada (CA) Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN) CA Canada (CA) Aristotle University of Thessaloniki GR Greece (GR) Princeton University US United States (USA) (US) Southeast University / 东南大学 CN China (CN) Southwest Jiaotong University / 西南交通大学 CN China (CN)

How to cite

APA:

Xu, Y., Cui, J., Zhu, Y., Ding, Z., Chang, T.H., Schober, R.,... You, X. (2026). Generalized Pinching-Antenna Systems: A Tutorial on Principles, Design Strategies, and Future Directions. IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials. https://doi.org/10.1109/COMST.2026.3674222

MLA:

Xu, Yanqing, et al. "Generalized Pinching-Antenna Systems: A Tutorial on Principles, Design Strategies, and Future Directions." IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials (2026).

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