Abstract

In recent times, there has been a growing interest in the wireless community regarding the integration of intelligent reflecting surface (IRS) assistance in millimeter-wave (mmWave) and terahertz (THz) communications. This research paper sets out to develop a beam-centric multiple-access strategy tailored for this emerging paradigm. The fundamental concept involves employing multiple sub-arrays within a hybrid digital-analog array to create distinct beams. Each beam is then directed independently towards the desired direction, effectively mitigating inter-user interference and suppressing undesired signal reflections. The proposed approach amalgamates the benefits of both orthogonal multiple access (ensuring no inter-user interference) and non-orthogonal multiple access (utilizing the full time-frequency resource spectrum). As a result, this strategy has the potential to significantly enhance system capacity, a conclusion supported by Monte-Carlo simulations.