Emerging Interference Modeling and Analysis Techniques for 6G Networks: A Comprehensive Survey

As the evolution towards 6G networks accelerates, key technologies such as extremely large MIMO (XL-MIMO), reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS), and integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) are anticipated to play an important role. The emergence of these newly spotlighted techniques calls for interference models from a new perspective, along with signal processing methods adapted accordingly. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of these emerging interference issues, examines the limitations of traditional interference management techniques (i.e., beamforming, resource allocation, cooperative communication) when applied to these newly modeled scenarios, and identifies critical open research challenges. Along with the mathematical formalization of interference, our study explores interference scenarios and emphasizes the necessity of mitigation. We present an integrative discussion of interference mitigation across these key technologies and identify open challenges under stringent 6G constraints to guide future research. The insights provided in this study aim to guide the development of next-generation interference modeling and management solutions are essential for realizing the full potential of 6G.