Hybrid Transceiver Optimization for Multi-Hop Communications

Multi-hop communication with the aid of large-scale antenna arrays will play a vital role in future emergence communication systems. In this paper, we investigate amplify-and-forward based and multiple-input multiple-output assisted multi-hop communication, in which all nodes employ hybrid transceivers. Moreover, channel errors are taken into account in our hybrid transceiver design. Based on the matrix-monotonic optimization framework, the optimal structures of the robust hybrid transceivers are derived. By utilizing these optimal structures, the optimizations of analog transceivers and digital transceivers can be separated without loss of optimality. This fact greatly simplifies the joint optimization of analog and digital transceivers. Since the optimization of analog transceivers under unit-modulus constraints is non-convex, a projection type algorithm is proposed for analog transceiver optimization to overcome this difficulty. Based on the derived analog transceivers, the optimal digital transceivers can then be derived using matrix-monotonic optimization. Numeral results obtained demonstrate the performance advantages of the proposed hybrid transceiver designs over other existing solutions.Comment: 32 pages, 6 figures. This manuscript has been submitted to IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communications (special issue on Multiple Antenna Technologies for Beyond 5G

Interference Exploitation via Symbol-Level Precoding: Overview, State-of-the-Art and Future Directions

Interference is traditionally viewed as a performance limiting factor in wireless communication systems, which is to be minimized or mitigated. Nevertheless, a recent line of work has shown that by manipulating the interfering signals such that they add up constructively at the receiver side, known interference can be made beneficial and further improve the system performance in a variety of wireless scenarios, achieved by symbol-level precoding (SLP). This paper aims to provide a tutorial on interference exploitation techniques from the perspective of precoding design in a multi-antenna wireless communication system, by beginning with the classification of constructive interference (CI) and destructive interference (DI). The definition for CI is presented and the corresponding mathematical characterization is formulated for popular modulation types, based on which optimization-based precoding techniques are discussed. In addition, the extension of CI precoding to other application scenarios as well as for hardware efficiency is also described. Proof-of-concept testbeds are demonstrated for the potential practical implementation of CI precoding, and finally a list of open problems and practical challenges are presented to inspire and motivate further research directions in this area

A Tutorial on Interference Exploitation via Symbol-Level Precoding: Overview, State-of-the-Art and Future Directions

IEEE Interference is traditionally viewed as a performance limiting factor in wireless communication systems, which is to be minimized or mitigated. Nevertheless, a recent line of work has shown that by manipulating the interfering signals such that they add up constructively at the receiver side, known interference can be made beneficial and further improve the system performance in a variety of wireless scenarios, achieved by symbol-level precoding (SLP). This paper aims to provide a tutorial on interference exploitation techniques from the perspective of precoding design in a multi-antenna wireless communication system, by beginning with the classification of constructive interference (CI) and destructive interference (DI). The definition for CI is presented and the corresponding mathematical characterization is formulated for popular modulation types, based on which optimization-based precoding techniques are discussed. In addition, the extension of CI precoding to other application scenarios as well as for hardware efficiency is also described. Proof-of-concept testbeds are demonstrated for the potential practical implementation of CI precoding, and finally a list of open problems and practical challenges are presented to inspire and motivate further research directions in this area

Design and optimization for wireless-powered networks

Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) opens an emerging area of Wireless-Powered Networks (WPNs). In narrowband WPNs, beamforming is recognized as a key technique for enhancing information and energy transfer. However, in multi-antenna multi-sine WPT systems, not only the beamforming gain but also the rectifier nonlinearity can be exploited by a waveform design to boost the end-to-end power transfer efficiency. This thesis proposes and optimizes novel transmission strategies for two types of WPNs: narrowband autonomous relay networks and multi-antenna multi-sine WPT systems. The thesis starts by proposing a novel Energy Flow-Assisted (EFA) relaying strategy for a one-way multi-antenna Amplify-and-Forward (AF) autonomous relay network. In contrast to state-of-the-art autonomous relaying strategies, the EFA enables the relay to simultaneously harvest power from source information signals and a dedicated Energy Flow (EF) from the destination for forwarding. As a baseline, a Non-EFA (NEFA) strategy, where the relay splits power from the source signals, is also investigated. We optimize relay strategies for EFA and NEFA, so as to maximize the end-to-end rate and gain insights into the benefit of the EF. To transmit multiple data streams, we extend the EFA and the NEFA to a Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) relay network. A novel iterative algorithm is developed to jointly optimize source precoders and relay matrices for the EFA and the NEFA, in order to maximize the end-to-end rate. Based on a channel diagonalization method, we also propose less complex EFA and NEFA algorithms. In the study of waveform designs for multi-antenna multi-sine WPT, large-scale designs with many sinewaves and transmit antennas, computationally tractable algorithms and optimal multiuser waveforms remain open challenges. To tackle these issues, we propose efficient waveform optimization algorithms to maximize the multiuser weighted-sum/minimum rectenna DC output voltage, assuming perfect Channel State Information at the Transmitter (CSIT). An optimization framework is developed to derive these waveform algorithms. Relaxing the assumption on CSIT, we propose waveform strategies for multi-antenna multi-sine WPT based on waveform selection (WS) and waveform refinement (WR), respectively. Applying the strategies, an energy transmitter can generate preferred waveforms for WPT from predesigned codebooks of waveform precoders, according to limited feedback from an energy receiver, which carries information on the harvested energy. Although the WR-based strategy is suboptimal for maximizing the average rectenna output voltage, it causes a lower overhead than the WS-based strategy. We propose novel algorithms to optimize the codebooks for the two strategies.Open Acces