Pinching-Antenna-Enabled ISAC: A Unified Architecture for Flexible Communication and Sensing
Abstract
Integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) is a cornerstone of sixth-generation (6G) networks, yet conventional fixed-antenna systems lack the spatial adaptability to cope with dynamic users and targets. The emerging pinching antenna (PA) offers a flexible, low-cost solution by dynamically reconfiguring radiation points along waveguides, introducing large-scale spatial degrees of freedom. This article develops a unified architectural perspective for PA-enabled ISAC. We first discuss the unique advantages of PAs over existing flexible solutions, and then propose a PA-enabled ISAC framework that accommodates both uplink and downlink communication while being compatible with passive and active sensing targets. Within this framework, we identify representative application scenarios, discuss major design challenges, and highlight critical enabling techniques. A numerical case study demonstrates how PA reconfigurability affects the communication-sensing rate trade-off. We also outline open issues to guide further PA-ISAC research for future 6G networks.
Related
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BibTeX
@misc{chen2026pinchingantennaenabled,
title = {{Pinching-Antenna-Enabled ISAC: A Unified Architecture for Flexible Communication and Sensing}},
author = {Yunshu Chen and Qing Xue and Chongjun Ouyang and Zhidu Li and Yi Wang and Meng Hua},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2609.18083},
eprint = {2609.18083},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.18083},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Pinching-Antenna-Enabled ISAC: A Unified Architecture for Flexible Communication and Sensing
AU - Yunshu Chen
AU - Qing Xue
AU - Chongjun Ouyang
AU - Zhidu Li
AU - Yi Wang
AU - Meng Hua
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/16
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2609.18083
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.18083
AB - Integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) is a cornerstone of sixth-generation (6G) networks, yet conventional fixed-antenna systems lack the spatial adaptability to cope with dynamic users and targets. The emerging pinching antenna (PA) offers a flexible, low-cost solution by dynamically reconfiguring radiation points along waveguides, introducing large-scale spatial degrees of freedom. This article develops a unified architectural perspective for PA-enabled ISAC. We first discuss the unique advantages of PAs over existing flexible solutions, and then propose a PA-enabled ISAC framework that accommodates both uplink and downlink communication while being compatible with passive and active sensing targets. Within this framework, we identify representative application scenarios, discuss major design challenges, and highlight critical enabling techniques. A numerical case study demonstrates how PA reconfigurability affects the communication-sensing rate trade-off. We also outline open issues to guide further PA-ISAC research for future 6G networks.
ER -