Noise Analysis and Low-Noise Design for Compact Multi-Antenna Receivers: A Communication Theory Perspective

Abstract

Multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) wireless communication systems combine the deployment of multiple antennas at both the transmitter and receiver with sophisticated signal processing to improve the performance of wireless communications. As with any communication system, developing an accurate yet mathematically tractable channel model is essential to analyzing the performance of actual systems. Prior studies of MIMO channel modeling have provided detailed models for fading correlation -- either due to the propagation environment or through mutual coupling between the antennas -- and how this correlation affects performance. On the other hand, relatively little attention has been paid to the noise correlation.

In this dissertation we consider noise analysis and low-noise design for compact MIMO receivers. We begin by analyzing the performance of several MIMO communication schemes in the presence of fading and noise correlation. It is shown that fading and noise correlation have opposite effects on performance, so properly accounting for both in the channel model is crucial to accurately predicting performance. Next we develop a circuit model for compact multi-antenna receivers that includes noise generated by the antennas, front-end amplifiers, and other components. Through analytical and numerical examples we demonstrate that the noise may be correlated, and that different noise sources may impact performance in profoundly different ways. Finally, we derive low-noise design theorems for MIMO front-ends from communication-theoretic principles.