Cross-Field Channel Parameter Estimation and Channel Characterization at THz Bands in Indoor Scenarios

Hengtai Chang, Cheng-Xiang Wang, Cunhua Pan, Jian Sun, Bingchang Hua, Yongchao He, el-Hadi M. Aggoune

The terahertz (THz) frequency band offers the potential for ultra-high data rate transmission in future wireless communication systems. To extend the transmission distance and enhance spectral efficiency, the deployment of large-scale antenna arrays emerges as a promising solution in the THz band. This paper targets the critical challenge of cross-field (hybrid near-field/far-field) channel parameter estimation and channel characterization in such configurations. We first establish a 260-380 GHz virtual uniform linear array (ULA) measurement framework in an indoor scenario, capturing high-resolution channel transfer functions (CTFs) that reveal spatial non-stationarity and cross-field wavefront characteristics. Building upon these empirical observations, we propose a cross-field space-alternating generalized expectation-maximization (SAGE) algorithm that discriminatively estimates near-field and far-field multipath components (MPCs) via Bayesian phase-curvature classification, while explicitly tracking spatial birth-death phenomena through visibility region estimation. Analysis of the measurement data validates the algorithm's effectiveness in resolving cross-field MPCs and quantifies that near-field MPCs account for over 90% of total MPCs at 2 m transmission distance (380 GHz). We observe that spatial non-stationarity intensifies as the carrier frequency increases and the transmission distance decreases. These findings offer quantitative guidelines for channel modeling and system design in wireless THz communication systems.