This letter investigates the outage probability of a variable-gain amplify-and-forward full-duplex relaying network in which not only the relaying link but also the direct link is used to convey information, thus improving the system reliability. We consider a basic three-node relaying system composed of a source, a destination, and a two-antenna relay-one antenna for transmission, one antenna for reception. Also, we consider that the full-duplex relay undergoes some residual self interference, modeled as a fading channel, and that maximal-ratio combining is employed at the destination to merge the signals from the source and relay. We derive an exact integral-form expression for the outage probability and validate this via Monte Carlo simulation. In addition, we propose a highly-accurate closed-form approximation to the outage probability, as well as a simple asymptotic expression at high signal-to-noise ratio. The use of the direct link is shown to overcome the zero diversity order inherent to full-duplex relaying.

Capitalizing on the benefits of non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) and full-duplex relaying as key technologies to boost spectral efficiency in the next generation of wireless communications, herein we investigate the performance of a cooperative network in which a source communicates with two destinations via one node selected from a set of full-duplex amplify-and-forward relays. For this purpose, a power-domain NOMA scheme is used to transmit information from the source to the destinations, and partial relay selection is performed to choose the relay based on the channel state information of the first hops. The system performance is characterized in terms of both the outage probability and the ergodic capacity, for which, exact analytical expressions are derived in integral form. In addition, to reduce the computational complexity of the obtained analytical results, closed-form expressions are derived from lower-bound, approximate, and asymptotic analyses. From these analytical expressions, the impact on the system performance of the number of relays, the power allocation factor between the NOMA destinations, and the residual self-interference at full-duplex relays is assessed. The correctness of our analyses is validated by Monte Carlo simulations, and a comparison with the half-duplex relay-aided NOMA system counterpart is also provided.

We propose an adaptive transmission scheme for cognitive decode-and-forward relaying networks, whereby, before each communication process, one out of three transmission modes is dynamically selected in order to maximize the instantaneous capacity of the system, namely, half-duplex (HD) relaying, full-duplex (FD) relaying, or direct transmission with no cooperation. The following key issues, relevant to underlay spectrum sharing and cooperative relaying, are considered: 1) the overall transmit power at the secondary network is constrained by both the maximum tolerable interference at the primary receiver and the maximum transmit power available at the secondary nodes; 2) under FD operation, the secondary relay is subject to residual self-interference, which is modeled as a fading channel; and 3) the signals coming from the secondary source and relay are handled at the secondary destination via maximal-ratio combining, in the HD relaying mode, and via a joint-decoding technique, in the FD relaying mode. We derive an exact analytical expression for the outage probability of the proposed scheme. Then, an approximate closed-form expression is proposed, and a corresponding asymptotic expression is derived. Monte Carlo simulations are run to validate the accuracy of the presented mathematical analysis and to showcase the tightness of the proposed approximation.

A thorough understanding of fundamental limits of wireless-powered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) relay networks in millimeter waves is still missing. We narrow this gap by investigating the outage performance of a UAV-assisted wireless network over fluctuating two-ray (FTR) channels. The FTR fading model is particularly appealing since well characterizes the wireless propagation in a wide range of frequencies, including those in millimeter waves. The proposed setup consists of a source-destination pair communicating with the assistance of a UAV, which is a wireless-powered relay station operating in full-duplex mode under the amplify-and-forward protocol. For the wireless energy harvesting at the UAV, wireless power transfer (WPT), simultaneous wireless information and power transfer (SWIPT), and self-recycling energy techniques are employed together. To characterize the system outage probability, we obtain an integral-form expression derived from an approximate analysis and a simple closed-form expression derived from an asymptotic analysis at the high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) regime. Monte Carlo simulations are provided to validate the correctness of our theoretical results and provide insights on the network performance in terms of key system parameters. Interestingly, obtained results show that the FTR fading parameters corresponding to the first hop and second hop play no role on the system outage performance at high SNR. Instead, it is mainly governed by the effect of the residual self-interference at the UAV, leading to outage floors.

5G networks must provide a highly resilient, secure, and privacy-protected platform to support the emergence of new business and technologies expected from the so-called vertical-industry paradigm. However, as the definition and implementation of 5G networks are in progress, many security challenges arise. Thus, special emphasis will be given in the coming years to provide security and privacy for 5G and beyond networks. In this regard, physical layer security has been recognized as a potential solution to safeguard the confidentiality and privacy of communications in such stringent scenarios. In light of this, herein we provide an overview on some promising physical-layer techniques, focusing on the requirements and design challenges for machine-type communication scenarios. Key issues are discussed along with potential solutions.

Recently, three useful secrecy metrics based on the partial secrecy regime were proposed to analyze secure transmissions on wireless systems over quasi-static fading channels, namely: generalized secrecy outage probability, average fractional equivocation, and average information leakage. These metrics were devised from the concept of fractional equivocation, which is related to the decoding error probability at the eavesdropper, so as to provide a comprehensive insight on the practical implementation of wireless systems with different levels of secrecy requirements. Considering the partial secrecy regime, in this paper we examine the secrecy performance of an amplify-and-forward relaying network with an untrusted relay node, where a destination-based jamming is employed to enable secure transmissions. In this regard, a closed-form approximation is derived for the generalized secrecy outage probability, and integral-form expressions are obtained for the average fractional equivocation and the average information leakage rate. Additionally, equal and optimal power allocation schemes are investigated and compared for the three metrics. From this analysis, we show that different power allocation approaches lead to different system design criteria. The obtained expressions are validated via Monte Carlo simulations.