Channel Orthogonalization with Reconfigurable Surfaces: General Models, Theoretical Limits, and Effective Configuration

We envision a future in which multi-antenna technology effectively exploits the spatial domain as a set of non-interfering orthogonal resources, allowing for flexible resource allocation and efficient modulation/demodulation. Reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) has emerged as a promising technology which allows shaping the propagation environment for improved performance. This paper studies the ability of three extended types of reconfigurable surface (RS), including the recently proposed beyond diagonal RIS (BD-RIS), to achieve perfectly orthogonal channels in a general multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO) scenario. We propose practical implementations for the three types of RS consisting of passive components, and obtain the corresponding restrictions on their reconfigurability. We then use these restrictions to derive closed-form conditions for achieving arbitrary (orthogonal) channels. We also study the problem of optimal orthogonal channel selection for achieving high channel gain without active amplification at the RS, and we propose some methods with satisfying performance. Finally, we provide efficient channel estimation and RS configuration techniques such that all the computation, including the channel selection, may be performed at the base station (BS). The numerical results showcase the potential and practicality of RS channel orthogonalization, thus taking a step towards orthogonal spatial domain multiplexing (OSDM).