Advanced Propagation Channel Estimation Techniques for Sixth-Generation (6G) Wireless Communications

Dear Colleagues,

The evolution toward sixth-generation (6G) wireless networks is redefining the wireless propagation environment, driven by ambitious goals such as ultra-high data rates, ultra-low latency, massive connectivity, and integrated sensing and communication (ISAC). Enabling technologies—including terahertz (THz) communications, extremely large-scale MIMO (XL-MIMO), reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS), near- and far-field hybrid transmission, and orthogonal time frequency space (OTFS) modulation—are introducing unprecedented complexity to wireless channel behavior.

In this context, robust channel estimation and accurate physical parameter extraction (e.g., delay, angle, Doppler, and polarization) are key to ensuring system reliability and efficiency. These techniques not only support reliable data transmission but also enable high-resolution localization, environmental sensing, and dynamic spectrum optimization—cornerstones of future 6G networks.

This Topic invites high-quality original research and review articles focusing on advanced estimation and simulation techniques for wireless propagation channels and parameters, especially in the context of 6G-enabling technologies and complex environments. We welcome interdisciplinary contributions from both academia and industry, covering theoretical analysis, algorithm design, simulation frameworks, and hardware feasibility studies.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Channel estimation and parameter extraction in THz/sub-THz and mmWave systems;
• Near-field and hybrid-field channel estimation for XL-MIMO systems;
• Delay-Doppler domain channel estimation for OTFS modulation;
• Sparse, structured, and compressive sensing-based estimation techniques;
• Deep learning and data-driven approaches to channel and parameter estimation;
• Channel estimation and beamforming for RIS-assisted communication;
• Wireless-based localization and sensing in ISAC systems;
• Dataset generation, channel simulation platforms, and reproducible frameworks;
• Trade-offs in estimation accuracy, complexity, and latency.

This Topic aims to foster collaboration across wireless communication, signal processing, and sensing communities and promote novel insights that will shape the future of channel modeling and estimation for 6G.

Dr. Han Wang
Prof. Dr. Fangqing Wen
Prof. Dr. Xianpeng Wang
Topic Editors