This paper investigates the central limit theorem for linear spectral statistics of high dimensional sample covariance matrices of the form $mathbf{B}_n=n^{-1}sum_{j=1}^{n}mathbf{Q}mathbf{x}_jmathbf{x}_j^{*}mathbf{Q}^{*}$ where $mathbf{Q}$ is a nonrandom matrix of dimension $ptimes k$, and ${mathbf{x}_j}$ is a sequence of independent $k$-dimensional random vector with independent entries, under the assumption that $p/nto y>0$. A key novelty here is that the dimension $kge p$ can be arbitrary, possibly infinity. This new model of sample covariance matrices $mathbf{B}_n$ covers most of the known models as its special cases. For example, standard sample covariance matrices are obtained with $k=p$ and $mathbf{Q}=mathbf{T}_n^{1/2}$ for some positive definite Hermitian matrix $mathbf{T}_n$. Also with $k=infty$ our model covers the case of repeated linear processes considered in recent high-dimensional time series literature. The CLT found in this paper substantially generalizes the seminal CLT in Bai and Silverstein (2004). Applications of this new CLT are proposed for testing the structure of a high-dimensional covariance matrix. The derived tests are then used to analyse a large fMRI data set regarding its temporary correlation structure.
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