Abstract:With the explosive growth of various smart devices and the introduction of new multimedia applications, the exponential growth of wireless data demand has caused a significant burden on the existing cellular network. Compared with the fourth-generation(4G) Long-Term Evolution(LTE) communication system, the capacity of the fifth generation(5G) wireless communication system requires more than 1 000 times to meet the user demand. From the perspective of the physical layer of wireless communication, some potential techniques applied in 5G communication are discussed, such as the new channel model estimation, design of directional antenna, beam forming algorithm and the technology of massive Multiple- Input Multiple-Output(MIMO). Finally, the main problems existing in physical layer technology and the possible development direction of 5G communication system are pointed out.