A Review on Phase Rotation and Beamforming Scheme for Intelligent Reflecting Surface Assisted Wireless Communication Systems

ObjectiveSince the large-scale commercial deployment of 5G networks in 2020 and the continued development of 6G technology, modern communication systems need to function under increasingly complex channel conditions. These include ultra-high-density urban environments and remote areas such as oceanic regions, deserts, and forests. To meet these challenges, low-energy solutions capable of dynamically adjusting and reconfiguring wireless channels are required. Such solutions would improve transmission performance by lowering latency, increasing data rates, and strengthening signal reception, and would support more efficient deployment in demanding environments. The Intelligent Reflecting Surface (IRS) has gained attention as a promising approach for reshaping channel conditions. Unlike traditional active relays, an IRS operates passively and adds minimal energy consumption. When integrated with communication architectures such as Single Input Single Output (SISO), Multiple Input Single Output (MISO), and Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO), an IRS can improve transmission efficiency, reduce power consumption, and enhance adaptability in complex scenarios. This paper reviews IRS-assisted communication systems, with emphasis on signal transmission models, beamforming methods, and phase-shift optimization strategies.MethodsThis review examines IRS technology in modern communication systems by analyzing signal transmission models across three fundamental configurations. The discussion begins with IRS-assisted SISO systems, in which IRS control of incident signals through reflection and phase shifting improves single-antenna communication by mitigating traditional propagation constraints. The analysis then extends to MISO and MIMO architectures, where the relationship between IRS phase adjustments and MIMO precoding is assessed to determine strategies that support high spectral efficiency. Based on these transmission models, this review surveys joint optimization and precoding methods tailored for IRS-enhanced MIMO systems. These algorithms can be grouped into four categories that meet different operational requirements. The first aims to minimize power consumption by reducing total energy use while maintaining acceptable communication quality, which is important for energy-sensitive applications such as IoT systems and green communication scenarios. The second seeks to maximize energy efficiency by optimizing the ratio of achievable data rate to power consumption rather than lowering energy use alone, thereby improving performance per unit of energy. The third focuses on maximizing the sum rate by increasing aggregated throughput across users to strengthen overall system capacity in high-density 5G and 6G environments. The fourth prioritizes fairness-aware rate maximization by applying resource allocation methods that ensure equitable bandwidth distribution among users while sustaining high Quality of Service (QoS). Together, these optimization approaches provide a framework for advancing IRS-assisted MIMO systems and allow engineers and researchers to balance performance, energy efficiency, and user fairness according to specific application needs in next-generation wireless networks.Results and DiscussionsThis review shows that IRS assisted communication systems provide important capabilities for next-generation wireless networks through four major advantages. First, IRS strengthens system performance by reconfiguring propagation environments and improving signal strength and coverage in non-line-of-sight conditions, including urban canyons, indoor environments, and remote regions, while also maintaining reliable connectivity in high-mobility cases such as vehicular communication. Second, the technology supports high energy efficiency because of its passive operation, which adds minimal power overhead yet improves spectral efficiency. This characteristic is valuable for sustainable large-scale IoT deployments and green 6G systems that may incorporate energy-harvesting designs. Third, IRS shows strong adaptability when integrated with different communication architectures, including SISO for basic signal enhancement, MISO for improved beamforming, and MIMO for spatial multiplexing, enabling use across environments ranging from ultra-dense urban networks to remote or airborne communication platforms. Finally, recent progress in beamforming and phase-shift optimization strengthens system performance through coherent signal combining, interference suppression in multi-user settings, and low-latency operation for time-critical applications. Machine learning methods such as deep reinforcement learning are also being investigated for real-time optimization. Together, these capabilities position IRS as a key technology for future 6G networks with the potential to support smart radio environments and broad-area connectivity, although further study is required to address challenges in channel estimation, scalability, and standardization.ConclusionsThis review highlights the potential of IRS technology in next-generation wireless communication systems. By enabling dynamic channel reconfiguration with minimal energy overhead, IRS strengthens the performance of SISO, MISO, and MIMO systems and supports reliable operation in complex propagation environments. The surveyed signal transmission models and optimization methods form a technical basis for continued development of IRS-assisted communication frameworks. As research and industry move toward 6G, IRS is expected to support ultra-reliable, low-latency, and energy-efficient global connectivity. Future studies should address practical deployment challenges such as hardware design, real-time signal processing, and progress toward standardization.