A Survey of Physical Layer Security Techniques for 5G Wireless Networks and Challenges Ahead

Physical layer security which safeguards data confidentiality based on the information-theoretic approaches has received significant research interest recently. The key idea behind physical layer security is to utilize the intrinsic randomness of the transmission channel to guarantee the security in physical layer. The evolution towards 5G wireless communications poses new challenges for physical layer security research. This paper provides a latest survey of the physical layer security research on various promising 5G technologies, including physical layer security coding, massive multiple-input multiple-output, millimeter wave communications, heterogeneous networks, non-orthogonal multiple access, full duplex technology, etc. Technical challenges which remain unresolved at the time of writing are summarized and the future trends of physical layer security in 5G and beyond are discussed.Comment: To appear in IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communication

Quantum-aided multi-user transmission in non-orthogonal multiple access systems

With the research on implementing a universal quantum computer being under the technological spotlight, new possibilities appear for their employment in wireless communications systems for reducing their complexity and improving their performance. In this treatise, we consider the downlink of a rank-deficient, multi-user system and we propose the discrete-valued and continuous-valued Quantum-assisted Particle Swarm Optimization (QPSO) algorithms for performing Vector Perturbation (VP) precoding, as well as for lowering the required transmission power at the Base Station (BS), while minimizing the expected average Bit Error Ratio (BER) at the mobile terminals. We use the Minimum BER (MBER) criterion. We show that the novel quantum-assisted precoding methodology results in an enhanced BER performance, when compared to that of a classical methodology employing the PSO algorithm, while requiring the same computational complexity in the challenging rank-deficient scenarios, where the number of transmit antenna elements at the BS is lower than the number of users. Moreover, when there is limited Channel State Information (CSI) feedback from the users to the BS, due to the necessary quantization of the channel states, the proposed quantum-assisted precoder outperforms the classical precoder

High reliability downlink MU-MIMO with new encoded OSTBC approach and superposition modulated side information

Abstract. The promise of Fifth Generation Mobile Network (5G) heralded 5G-era with apparently unlimited potential outcomes. It resulted in the emergence of new paradigms of thought, better approaches to lead business, new innovative solutions, services and products, and is expected to transform the world as we know it. With the advent of some of those new technologies and use cases which deviate from the traditional human-centric, delay tolerant applications, the need for Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communications (URLLC) in the 5G wireless network has become indispensable. In this thesis we investigate how to improve the reliability of a downlink multiuser (MU) MIMO transmission scheme with the use of a new approach of orthogonal space time block codes (OSTBC) and network coding with superposition modulated system and side information. The main advantage here is that we show multiple users can be accommodated with the same resource. This is quite useful in a wireless system where resources are always restricted. This therefore is a combination of two techniques to further enhance reliability. Orthogonality is useful in terms of resolving different signals from multiple antennas in a reduced complexity configuration. Superposition modulation with side information is important as it facilitates the recovery of symbols while still keeping the energy normalized. Thus we carried out a detailed analysis with the new OSTBC approach. It is shown that the performance of a multiuser (MU) MIMO system can be improved significantly in terms of bit, block and frame error rates (BER, BLER and FER) as reliability measures. By accommodating a reasonable number of multiple users, high reliability is achieved at the expense of bringing down the rate. To compensate for the low rate, conventional OSTBC is considered as well, where, as a penalty to pay, multiple orthogonal resources are required

Compressive Sensing-Based Grant-Free Massive Access for 6G Massive Communication

The advent of the sixth-generation (6G) of wireless communications has given rise to the necessity to connect vast quantities of heterogeneous wireless devices, which requires advanced system capabilities far beyond existing network architectures. In particular, such massive communication has been recognized as a prime driver that can empower the 6G vision of future ubiquitous connectivity, supporting Internet of Human-Machine-Things for which massive access is critical. This paper surveys the most recent advances toward massive access in both academic and industry communities, focusing primarily on the promising compressive sensing-based grant-free massive access paradigm. We first specify the limitations of existing random access schemes and reveal that the practical implementation of massive communication relies on a dramatically different random access paradigm from the current ones mainly designed for human-centric communications. Then, a compressive sensing-based grant-free massive access roadmap is presented, where the evolutions from single-antenna to large-scale antenna array-based base stations, from single-station to cooperative massive multiple-input multiple-output systems, and from unsourced to sourced random access scenarios are detailed. Finally, we discuss the key challenges and open issues to shed light on the potential future research directions of grant-free massive access.Comment: Accepted by IEEE IoT Journa