6G and Beyond: Terahertz Communication and Beamforming for Future Communication Networks

Terahertz (THz) communication has become a crucial facilitator for the sixth generation (6G) and upcoming wireless systems. The extensive bandwidth offered in this spectrum can efficiently address the capacity limitations and spectrum shortage present in current cellular communication systems. THz communication systems face significant path loss and absorption loss, restricting their transmission range and signal quality. To address these issues, beamforming (BF) methods are utilized to direct energy toward particular direction. Thus, precise beam training is crucial for achieving correct alignment between the transmitter and receiver. Yet, the beam training procedure requires significant computational resources. In recent years, there has been an increasing focus on applying machine learning (ML) methods for beam prediction to lower computational demands and enhance efficiency. This paper provides an overview of BF technology and THz communication. Additionally, it examines recent research that has been performed to implement efficient BF processes using ML methods.