Channel estimation and beamforming play critical roles in frequency-division duplexing (FDD) massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems. However, these two modules have been treated as two stand-alone components, which makes it difficult t
o achieve a global system optimality. In this paper, we propose a deep learning-based approach that directly optimizes the beamformers at the base station according to the received uplink pilots, thereby, bypassing the explicit channel estimation. Different from the existing fully data-driven approach where all the modules are replaced by deep neural networks (DNNs), a neural calibration method is proposed to improve the scalability of the end-to-end design. In particular, the backbone of conventional time-efficient algorithms, i.e., the least-squares (LS) channel estimator and the zero-forcing (ZF) beamformer, is preserved and DNNs are leveraged to calibrate their inputs for better performance. The permutation equivariance property of the formulated resource allocation problem is then identified to design a low-complexity neural network architecture. Simulation results will show the superiority of the proposed neural calibration method over benchmark schemes in terms of both the spectral efficiency and scalability in large-scale wireless networks.
Intelligent reflecting surfaces (IRSs) are revolutionary enablers for next-generation wireless communication networks, with the ability to customize the radio propagation environment. To fully exploit the potential of IRS-assisted wireless systems, r
eflective elements have to be jointly optimized with conventional communication techniques. However, the resulting optimization problems pose significant algorithmic challenges, mainly due to the large-scale non-convex constraints induced by the passive hardware implementations. In this paper, we propose a low-complexity algorithmic framework incorporating alternating optimization and gradient-based methods for large-scale IRS-assisted wireless systems. The proposed algorithm provably converges to a stationary point of the optimization problem. Extensive simulation results demonstrate that the proposed framework provides significant speedups compared with existing algorithms, while achieving a comparable or better performance.
