Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access Techniques in Wireless Communication Systems
Summary
Non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) techniques represent a paradigm shift from traditional orthogonal resource allocation by allowing multiple users to share the same frequency-time block through signal superposition at distinct power levels. By exploiting variations in channel conditions and employing successive interference cancellation at the receiver, NOMA enhances spectral efficiency and supports massive connectivity demands intrinsic to modern wireless ecosystems. Advances in MIMO-NOMA, cooperative relaying and cognitive-radio–assisted schemes have extended its applicability across diverse service types—from enhanced mobile broadband to ultra-reliable low-latency communications and massive machine-type deployments. Core optimisation challenges focus on adaptive power allocation, user pairing and multi-antenna beamforming to balance throughput, fairness and energy efficiency. Integration into 5G standards and ongoing exploration for beyond-5G networks underscore the global significance of NOMA in meeting escalating data-rate requirements, dense Internet-of-Things traffic and stringent quality-of-service objectives.
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Research from all publishers
Researchers have recently introduced intelligent quantum-inspired algorithms to jointly optimise inter- and intra-subchannel power allocation in downlink NOMA systems, demonstrating significant gains in energy efficiency and sum-rate performance while managing computational complexity. A seminal overview in a leading proceedings has delineated the principles of power-domain multiplexing NOMA for 5G and beyond, covering multiple-antenna designs, cooperative transmission interplay, resource-control strategies and coexistence with other emerging technologies. Further work on successive interference cancellation has proposed hybrid SIC schemes that dynamically adapt decoding order based on real-time channel and service-level information, yielding notable improvements in interference mitigation and overall system robustness.
Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access Techniques in Wireless Communication Systems publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in non-orthogonal multiple access techniques in wireless communication systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA): A multiple access technique permitting simultaneous transmission to multiple users over the same frequency-time resources by superimposing signals at different power levels and separating them at the receiver.
Successive interference cancellation (SIC): A multiuser detection method that sequentially decodes and subtracts stronger user signals from the composite received signal to mitigate interference and recover weaker user transmissions.
Power-domain multiplexing: A resource-sharing approach in which distinct transmit power levels are assigned to different users sharing the same channel, enabling signal separation at the receiver.
Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO): A wireless communication technology using multiple transmit and receive antennas to enhance capacity or reliability through spatial multiplexing or diversity gains.
Spectral efficiency: The amount of information transmitted per unit of bandwidth, typically measured in bits per second per Hertz, indicating how effectively the spectrum is utilised.
Energy efficiency: The ratio of system throughput to energy consumption, reflecting the power effectiveness of a communication scheme.
References
- Joint subchannel power allocation for downlink NOMA systems based on quantum carnivorous plant algorithm. Journal of King Saud University - Computer and Information Sciences (2024).
- Nonorthogonal Multiple Access for 5G and Beyond. Proceedings of the IEEE (2017).
- Unveiling the Importance of SIC in NOMA Systems—Part II: New Results and Future Directions. IEEE Communications Letters (2020).
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