High-Efficiency Beamspace MIMO with Electromagnetic Lens Arrays for Next-Gen mmWave Communications

Millimeter-wave (mmWave) communication is pivotal in enabling high data rates for 5G and beyond. Beamforming and massive MIMO are essential to overcome propagation challenges in such high-frequency bands. However, conventional MIMO systems require high hardware complexity and energy consumption due to the large number of RF chains. These limitations hinder their scalability and efficiency in real-time applications. Hybrid MIMO architectures reduce RF chain usage but suffer from beam misalignment and limited angular resolution in dynamic environments. This work proposes a Beamspace MIMO (Multiple-Input Multiple-Output) architecture enhanced with electromagnetic lens arrays to achieve high spectral and energy efficiency with reduced complexity. Simulations were conducted across various SNR levels and channel scenarios including LOS, NLOS, and high mobility. The system is evaluated under 3GPP UMa channel conditions. Implementation and analysis were carried out using MATLAB and custom-built simulation modules for lens-assisted beamforming. The proposed system achieved 14.6 bps/Hz spectral efficiency, 72.3 Mbps/W energy efficiency, and 0.00056 BER at 20 dB SNR—outperforming both conventional and hybrid MIMO systems. In conclusion, the proposed design significantly reduces power (21.0 W), complexity (3.8× speedup), and improves beamforming gain (23.6 dBi), making it highly suitable for future mmWave communication systems.