The use of deep learning (DL) for channel state information (CSI) feedback has garnered widespread attention across academia and industry. The mainstream DL architectures, e.g., CsiNet, deploy DL models on the base station (BS) side and the user equipment (UE) side, which are highly coupled and need to be trained jointly. However, two-sided DL models require collaborations between different network vendors and UE vendors, which entails considerable challenges in order to achieve consensus, e.g., model maintenance and responsibility. Furthermore, DL-based CSI feedback design invokes DL to reduce only the CSI feedback error, whereas jointly optimizing several modules at the transceivers would provide more significant gains. This article presents DL-based CSI feedback from the perspectives of one-sided model and joint multi-module learning. We herein introduce various novel one-sided CSI feedback architectures. In particular, the recently proposed CSI-PPPNet provides a one-sided one-for-all framework, which allows a DL model to deal with arbitrary CSI compression ratios. We review different joint multi-module learning methods, where the CSI feedback module is learned jointly with other modules including channel coding, channel estimation, pilot design and precoding design. Finally, future directions and challenges for DL-based CSI feedback are discussed, from the perspectives of inherent limitations of artificial intelligence (AI) and practical deployment issues.
Reconfigurable massive multiple-input multiple-output (RmMIMO) technology offers increased flexibility for future communication systems by exploiting previously untapped degrees of freedom in the electromagnetic (EM) domain. The representation of the traditional spatial domain channel state information (sCSI) limits the insights into the potential of EM domain channel properties, constraining the base station's (BS) utmost capability for precoding design. This paper leverages the EM domain channel state information (eCSI) for radiation pattern design at the BS. We develop an orthogonal decomposition method based on spherical harmonic functions to decompose the radiation pattern into a linear combination of orthogonal bases. By formulating the radiation pattern design as an optimization problem for the projection coefficients over these bases, we develop a manifold optimization-based method for iterative radiation pattern and digital precoder design. To address the eCSI estimation problem, we capitalize on the inherent structure of the channel. Specifically, we propose a subspace-based scheme to reduce the pilot overhead for wideband sCSI estimation. Given the estimated full-band sCSI, we further employ parameterized methods for angle of arrival estimation. Subsequently, the complete eCSI can be reconstructed after estimating the equivalent channel gain via the least squares method. Simulation results demonstrate that, in comparison to traditional mMIMO systems with fixed antenna radiation patterns, the proposed RmMIMO architecture offers significant throughput gains for multi-user transmission at a low channel estimation overhead.
We propose a distributed implementation for integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) backed by a massive multiple input multiple output (CF-mMIMO) architecture without cells. Distributed multi-antenna access points (APs) simultaneously serve communication users (UEs) and emit probing signals towards multiple specified zones for sensing. The APs can switch between communication and sensing modes, and adjust their transmit power based on the network settings and sensing and communication operations' requirements. By considering local partial zero-forcing and maximum-ratio-transmit precoding at the APs for communication and sensing, respectively, we first derive closed-form expressions for the spectral efficiency (SE) of the UEs and the mainlobe-to-average-sidelobe ratio (MASR) of the sensing zones. Then, a joint operation mode selection and power control design problem is formulated to maximize the SE fairness among the UEs, while ensuring specific levels of MASR for sensing zones. The complicated mixed-integer problem is relaxed and solved via successive convex approximation approach. We further propose a low-complexity design, where AP mode selection is designed through a greedy algorithm and then power control is designed based on this chosen mode. Our findings reveal that the proposed scheme can consistently ensure a sensing success rate of $100\%$ for different network setups with a satisfactory fairness among all UEs.
Due to the low impedance and high feeding currents, it is naturally challenging to design super-directive antenna arrays that perfectly match the feed line, and this becomes almost impossible as the number of elements increases. In this paper, we assert that it is crucial to consider the trade-off between directivity and overall efficiency (to achieve high realized gain) before employing super-directive arrays in real-world applications. Given this trade-off (high directivity and low mismatch for high realized gain), a 4-element dipole array (unit array) is optimized using the differential evolution (DE) algorithm. Then, the performance of the unit array in subarray configuration scenarios is analyzed. Finally, the obtained parameters are verified using the CST full-wave simulation software. The results clearly indicate that the proposed unit array is a strong candidate for dense array applications, particularly in the context of massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), thanks to its notable high gain and efficiency.
An orthogonal time sequency multiplexing (OTSM) scheme using practical signaling functions is proposed under strong phase noise (PHN) scenarios. By utilizing the transform relationships between the delay-sequency (DS), time-frequency (TF) and time-domains, we first conceive the DS-domain input-output relationship of our OTSM system, where the conventional zero-padding is discarded to increase the spectral efficiency. Then, the unconditional pairwise error probability is derived, followed by deriving the bit error ratio (BER) upper bound in closed-form. Moreover, we compare the BER performance of our OTSM system based on several practical signaling functions. Our simulation results demonstrate that the upper bound derived accurately predicts the BER performance in the case of moderate to high signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs), while harnessing practical window functions is capable of attaining an attractive out-of-band emission (OOBE) vs. BER trade-off.
This paper investigates the integration of beyond-diagonal reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (BD-RISs) into cell-free massive multiple-input multiple-output (CF-mMIMO) systems, focusing on applications involving simultaneous wireless information and power transfer (SWIPT). The system supports concurrently two user groups: information users (IUs) and energy users (EUs). A BD-RIS is employed to enhance the wireless power transfer (WPT) directed towards the EUs. To comprehensively evaluate the system's performance, we present an analytical framework for the spectral efficiency (SE) of IUs and the average harvested energy (HE) of EUs in the presence of spatial correlation among the BD-RIS elements and for a non-linear energy harvesting circuit. Our findings offer important insights into the transformative potential of BD-RIS, setting the stage for the development of more efficient and effective SWIPT networks. Finally, incorporating a heuristic scattering matrix design at the BD-RIS results in a substantial improvement compared to the scenario with random scattering matrix design.
Super-directive antenna arrays have faced challenges in achieving high realized gains ever since their introduction in the academic literature. The primary challenges are high impedance mismatches and resistive losses, which become increasingly more dominant as the number of elements increases. Consequently, a critical limitation arises in determining the maximum number of elements that should be utilized to achieve super-directivity, particularly within dense array configurations. This paper addresses precisely this issue through an optimization study to design a super-directive antenna array with a maximum number of elements. An iterative approach is employed to increase the array of elements while sustaining a satisfactory realized gain using the differential evolution (DE) algorithm. Thus, it is observed that super-directivity can be obtained in an array with a maximum of five elements. Our results indicate that the obtained unit array has a $67.20\%$ higher realized gain than a uniform linear array with conventional excitation. For these reasons, these results make the proposed architecture a strong candidate for applications that require densely packed arrays, particularly in the context of massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO).
In order to break through the development bottleneck of modern wireless communication networks, a critical issue is the out-of-date channel state information (CSI) in high mobility scenarios. In general, non-stationary CSI has statistical properties which vary with time, implying that the data distribution changes continuously over time. This temporal distribution shift behavior undermines the accurate channel prediction and it is still an open problem in the related literature. In this paper, a hypernetwork based framework is proposed for non-stationary channel prediction. The framework aims to dynamically update the neural network (NN) parameters as the wireless channel changes to automatically adapt to various input CSI distributions. Based on this framework, we focus on low-complexity hypernetwork design and present a deep learning (DL) based channel prediction method, termed as LPCNet, which improves the CSI prediction accuracy with acceptable complexity. Moreover, to maximize the achievable downlink spectral efficiency (SE), a joint channel prediction and beamforming (BF) method is developed, termed as JLPCNet, which seeks to predict the BF vector. Our numerical results showcase the effectiveness and flexibility of the proposed framework, and demonstrate the superior performance of LPCNet and JLPCNet in various scenarios for fixed and varying user speeds.
In this paper, we investigate joint power control and access point (AP) selection scheme in a cell-free massive multiple-input multiple-output (CF-mMIMO) system under an active eavesdropping attack, where an eavesdropper tries to overhear the signal sent to one of the legitimate users by contaminating the uplink channel estimation. We formulate a joint optimization problem to minimize the eavesdropping spectral efficiency (SE) while guaranteeing a given SE requirement at legitimate users. The challenging formulated problem is converted into a more tractable form and an efficient low-complexity accelerated projected gradient (APG)-based approach is proposed to solve it. Our findings reveal that the proposed joint optimization approach significantly outperforms the heuristic approaches in terms of secrecy SE (SSE). For instance, the $50\%$ likely SSE performance of the proposed approach is $265\%$ higher than that of equal power allocation and random AP selection scheme.
This work proposes novel approaches that jointly design user equipment (UE) association and power control (PC) in a downlink user-centric cell-free massive multiple-input multiple-output (CFmMIMO) network, where each UE is only served by a set of access points (APs) for reducing the fronthaul signalling and computational complexity. In order to maximize the sum spectral efficiency (SE) of the UEs, we formulate a mixed-integer nonconvex optimization problem under constraints on the per-AP transmit power, quality-of-service rate requirements, maximum fronthaul signalling load, and maximum number of UEs served by each AP. In order to solve the formulated problem efficiently, we propose two different schemes according to the different sizes of the CFmMIMO systems. For small-scale CFmMIMO systems, we present a successive convex approximation (SCA) method to obtain a stationary solution and also develop a learning-based method (JointCFNet) to reduce the computational complexity. For large-scale CFmMIMO systems, we propose a low-complexity suboptimal algorithm using accelerated projected gradient (APG) techniques. Numerical results show that our JointCFNet can yield similar performance and significantly decrease the run time compared with the SCA algorithm in small-scale systems. The presented APG approach is confirmed to run much faster than the SCA algorithm in the large-scale system while obtaining an SE performance close to that of the SCA approach. Moreover, the median sum SE of the APG method is up to about 2.8 fold higher than that of the heuristic baseline scheme.