Aims & Scope

The scope of IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Signal Processing (JSTSP) is the Field of Interest of the IEEE Signal Processing Society: “The theory and application of filtering, coding, transmitting, estimating, detecting, analyzing, recognizing, synthesizing, recording, and reproducing signals by digital or analog devices or techniques. The term “signal” includes audio, video, speech, image, communication, geophysical, sonar, radar, medical, musical, and other signals.” The format of the journal allows the exploration, in depth, of a signal processing topic. This format allows the Society to not only provide issues on more mature signal processing topical areas, but also to explore new areas, particularly those at the nexus of other engineering disciplines that are dependent upon signal processing (e.g., biomedical engineering; language), as well as those not traditionally part of the engineering landscape (e.g., genetics; security; atmospheric prediction).

Additional Information

The articles in this journal are peer reviewed in accordance with the requirements set forth in the IEEE PSPB Operations Manual (sections 8.2.1.C & 8.2.2.A). Each published article was reviewed by a minimum of two independent reviewers using a single-anonymous peer review process, where the identities of the reviewers are not known to the authors, but the reviewers know the identities of the authors. Articles will be screened for plagiarism before acceptance.

Corresponding authors from low-income countries are eligible for waived or reduced open access APCs.

Special Issue on Advancing Signal Processing Algorithm for Fluid Antenna Systems (FAS)
Submission Date: 2025-08-15

The sixth-generation (6G) networks aim to revolutionize wireless communications with ultra-high capacity, ultra-low latency, massive connectivity, and seamless integration of sensing and AI. Achieving this vision requires disruptive advances in antenna and signal processing technologies. Fluid Antenna Systems (FAS), introduced by Wong et al. in 2020, have emerged as a key innovation. FAS include software-controlled structures—such as liquid antennas, RF pixel arrays, movable elements, flexible arrays, and Meta surfaces—that can dynamically reconfigure their shape and radiation in real time. This flexibility enhances spatial diversity, beamforming, interference mitigation, and connectivity, positioning FAS as a foundational technology for future 6G systems.

Despite this promise, FAS poses substantial challenges for conventional signal processing. Dynamic antenna configurations lead to time-varying channels and nonlinear interactions across multiple layers—from baseband and digital front-end (DFE) to analog front-end (AFE) and circuit control. Real-time algorithms are essential for signal acquisition, beam optimization, and reconfiguration tracking. Additionally, joint optimization across digital, analog, and physical layers demands novel architectures capable of supporting low-latency feedback loops, noise-robust filtering, and reconfiguration-aware modulation and coding schemes. Emerging hardware such as low-noise amplifiers (LNAs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) further demand co-designed signal processing algorithms that operate under strict timing, energy, and reliability constraints. Meanwhile, the inherent NP-hardness of antenna adaptation problems calls for efficient heuristic, learning-based, or hybrid optimization strategies.

This special issue aims to highlight the theoretical, algorithmic, and practical advances in signal processing for fluid antenna systems, bridging the gap between reconfigurable antenna hardware and real-world 6G applications. We seek contributions that address open challenges in modeling, optimization, hardware-algorithm co-design, and field deployment of FAS-based systems. Submissions from both academic and industrial researchers are encouraged, particularly those demonstrating real-time operation, cross-layer integration, or AI-powered adaptation in dynamic wireless environments. By advancing signal processing techniques tailored for FAS, this special issue aspires to catalyze the next generation of intelligent, adaptive, and high-performance wireless systems.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

    Optimal precoding and signal processing algorithms for FAS
    Distributed and decentralized signal processing for FAS
    Adaptive modulation and coding techniques for FAS
    Semantic encoding and decoding for FAS
    Online or real-.me signal processing for FAS
    Channel estimation and reconstruction for FAS
    Interference cancellation and mitigation for FAS
    Non-coherent signal processing for multi-user FAS
    Large Language Model (LLM)-driven techniques for FAS
    Near-field communication and localization algorithm for FAS
    Cross-layer integration, implementation, and design of FAS
    Case studies and experimental evaluations involving signal processing for FAS

Submission Guidelines

The Guest Editors also welcome creative papers outside the areas listed above but related to the overall scope of the special issue. Prospective authors may contact the Guest Editors to ascertain interest on topics that are not listed, and should follow the instructions given on the IEEE JSTSP webpage and submit their manuscripts via the IEEE Author Portal submission system. All submitted manuscripts will be peer-reviewed according to the standard IEEE process. Papers should be submitted through EDAS according to the following schedule.

Important Dates

    Manuscript Submission Due: 15 August 2025
    First Review Due: 26 September 2025
    Second Review Completed: 5 December 2025
    Final Manuscript Due: 15 December 2025
    Planned Publication: March 2026