This letter presents the first work introducing a deep learning (DL) framework for channel estimation in large intelligent surface (LIS) assisted massive MIMO (multiple-input multiple-output) systems. A twin convolutional neural network (CNN) architecture is designed and it is fed with the received pilot signals to estimate both direct and cascaded channels. In a multi-user scenario, each user has access to the CNN to estimate its own channel. The performance of the proposed DL approach is evaluated and compared with state-of-the-art DL-based techniques and its superior performance is demonstrated.

This letter introduces a deep learning (DL) framework for the classification of multiple signals in direction finding (DF) scenario via sensor arrays. Previous works in DL context mostly consider a single or two target scenario which is a strong limitation in practice. Hence, in this work, we propose a DL framework called DeepMUSIC for multiple signal classification. We design multiple deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs), each of which is dedicated to a subregion of the angular spectrum. Each CNN learns the MUSIC spectra of the corresponding angular subregion. Hence, it constructs a nonlinear relationship between the received sensor data and the angular spectrum. We have shown, through simulations, that the proposed DeepMUSIC framework has superior estimation accuracy and exhibits less computational complexity in comparison with both DL and non-DL based techniques.

Wireless communications and sensing at terahertz (THz) band are increasingly investigated as promising short-range technologies because of the availability of high operational bandwidth at THz. In order to address the extremely high attenuation at THz, ultra-massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna systems have been proposed for THz communications to compensate propagation losses. However, the cost and power associated with fully digital beamformers of these huge antenna arrays are prohibitive. In this paper, we develop wideband hybrid beamformers based on both model-based and model-free techniques for a new group-of-subarrays (GoSA) ultra-massive MIMO structure in low-THz band. Further, driven by the recent developments to save the spectrum, we propose beamformers for a joint ultra-massive MIMO radar-communications system, wherein the base station serves multi-antenna user equipment (RX), and tracks radar targets by generating multiple beams toward both RX and the targets. We formulate the GoSA beamformer design as an optimization problem to provide a trade-off between the unconstrained communications beamformers and the desired radar beamformers. To mitigate the beam split effect at THz band arising from frequency-independent analog beamformers, we propose a phase correction technique to align the beams of multiple subcarriers toward a single physical direction. Additionally, our design also exploits second-order channel statistics so that an infrequent channel feedback from the RX is achieved with less channel overhead. To further decrease the ultra-massive MIMO computational complexity and enhance robustness, we also implement deep learning solutions to the proposed model-based hybrid beamformers. Numerical experiments demonstrate that both techniques outperform the conventional approaches in terms of spectral efficiency and radar beampatterns, as well as exhibiting less hardware cost and computation time.

Beamforming is a signal processing technique to steer, shape, and focus an electromagnetic (EM) wave using an array of sensors toward a desired direction. It has been used in many engineering applications, such as radar, sonar, acoustics, astronomy, seismology, medical imaging, and communications. With the advent of multiantenna technologies in, say, radar and communication, there has been a great interest in designing beamformers by exploiting convex or nonconvex optimization methods. Recently, machine learning (ML) is also leveraged for obtaining attractive solutions to more complex beamforming scenarios. This article captures the evolution of beamforming in the last 25 years from convex to nonconvex optimization and optimization to learning approaches. It provides a glimpse into these important signal processing algorithms for a variety of transmit–receive architectures, propagation zones, propagation paths, and multidisciplinary applications.

In multi-user millimeter wave (mmWave) multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) systems, hybrid precoding is a crucial task to lower the complexity and cost while achieving a sufficient sum-rate. Previous works on hybrid precoding were usually based on optimization or greedy approaches. These methods either provide higher complexity or have sub-optimum performance. Moreover, the performance of these methods mostly relies on the quality of the channel data. In this work, we propose a deep learning (DL) framework to improve the performance and provide less computation time as compared to the conventional techniques. In fact, we design a convolutional neural network for MIMO (CNN-MIMO) that accepts as input an imperfect channel matrix and gives the analog precoder and combiners at the output. The procedure includes two main stages. First, we develop an exhaustive search algorithm to select the analog precoder and combiners from a predefined codebook maximizing the achievable sum-rate. Then, the selected precoder and combiners are used as output labels in the training stage of CNN-MIMO where the input-output pairs are obtained. We evaluate the performance of the proposed method through numerous and extensive simulations and show that the proposed DL framework outperforms the conventional techniques. Overall, CNN-MIMO provides a robust hybrid precoding scheme in the presence of imperfections regarding the channel matrix. On top of this, the proposed approach exhibits less computation time with comparison to the optimization and codebook based approaches.