A 3D Wideband Channel Model for RIS-Assisted MIMO Communications

Recently, reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) has drawn much attention due to its capability of improving coverage and communication performance. The development of RIS-assisted communication technology relies on deep understanding of RIS channel characteristics. However, most of the existing investigations focus on the impact of RIS, ignoring the existence of local scatterers in the real propagation environment. The ideal propagation condition limits the accuracy and application of the developed channel model. In this paper, we aim to analyze the channel characteristics of RIS-assisted near-filed communication by considering different conditions of local scatterers. Specifically, we propose a three-dimensional (3D) RIS-assisted multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) channel model based on a three-dimensional cylinder model, which considers line-of-sight, single-bounced at RIS (SBR) and double-bounced (DB) modes where radio waves reflect from RIS and scatterers near receiver. Based on the proposed channel model, we investigate some key statistical properties for SBR and DB propagation, including the time-frequency-space correlation function and Doppler power spectrum. From the simulation results, it is found that RIS element number, RIS horizontal and vertical locations, distribution of surrounding scatterers, and movement of Rx have significant impacts on channel characteristics. Finally, channel capacities of SBR and DB modes are calculated, where the large size and appropriate locations of RIS significantly improve the channel capacity of RIS-assisted communication. These numerical results and observations can be used for design of RIS-assisted near-field communication systems.