The rapid advancements in wireless communication have underscored the need for innovative solutions to enhance network performance, spectral efficiency, and energy savings. Intelligent Reflecting Surface (IRS) technology has emerged as a transformative approach that passively reconfigures wireless propagation environments, offering significant improvements without active power consumption. This survey provides a comprehensive analysis of IRS technology, covering its architecture, operational principles, and integration into next-generation wireless networks. We examine key performance metrics in various application scenarios, demonstrating IRS's potential to improve coverage, signal quality, and energy efficiency, with up to 40% higher spectral efficiency and substantial energy savings over traditional networks. The survey also explores the integration of IRS with advanced multiple access techniques such as Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access (NOMA) and Terahertz (THz) communication, positioning IRS as a critical enabler in future 6G networks. This survey contributes by offering an in-depth review of IRS design principles and operational mechanisms, presenting a performance analysis in various scenarios that highlights IRS's ability to improve network efficiency, and identifying practical challenges and open research areas, such as the need for robust channel estimation methods, effective interference management in dense networks, and IRS solutions scalable for urban and rural deployments. Additionally, we discuss the future trajectory of IRS standardization and the regulatory frameworks essential for large-scale deployment. By summarizing advancements and identifying key research directions, this survey aims to serve as a valuable reference for researchers and practitioners seeking to advance IRS technology in future wireless networks.

中文翻译：

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智能反射面调查：性能分析、扩展、潜在挑战和开放性研究问题


无线通信的快速发展凸显了对创新解决方案的需求，以提高网络性能、频谱效率和节能。智能反射面 （IRS） 技术已成为一种变革性方法，可被动地重新配置无线传播环境，从而在没有主动功耗的情况下提供显著改进。本调查对 IRS 技术进行了全面分析，涵盖其架构、操作原理以及与下一代无线网络的集成。我们研究了各种应用场景中的关键性能指标，展示了 IRS 在提高覆盖范围、信号质量和能源效率方面的潜力，与传统网络相比，频谱效率提高了 40%，并节省了大量能源。该调查还探讨了 IRS 与非正交多址 （NOMA） 和太赫兹 （THz） 通信等先进多址技术的集成，将 IRS 定位为未来 6G 网络的关键推动因素。本调查通过深入回顾 IRS 设计原则和操作机制、提供各种场景的性能分析来突出 IRS 提高网络效率的能力，并确定实际挑战和开放研究领域，例如需要强大的信道估计方法、密集网络中的有效干扰管理以及针对城市和农村部署可扩展的 IRS 解决方案。此外，我们还讨论了 IRS 标准化的未来轨迹以及大规模部署所必需的监管框架。 通过总结进展和确定关键研究方向，本调查旨在为寻求在未来无线网络中推进 IRS 技术的研究人员和从业者提供有价值的参考。