On Precoding for Constant -User MIMO Gaussian Interference Channel With Finite Constellation Inputs

This paper considers linear precoding for the constant channel-coefficient K-user MIMO Gaussian interference channel (MIMO GIC) where each transmitter-i (Tx-i) requires the sending of d_i independent complex symbols per channel use that take values from fixed finite constellations with uniform distribution to receiver-i (Rx-i) for i=1,2,..., K. We define the maximum rate achieved by Tx-i using any linear precoder as the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) tends to infinity when the interference channel coefficients are zero to be the constellation constrained saturation capacity (CCSC) for Tx-i. We derive a high-SNR approximation for the rate achieved by Tx-i when interference is treated as noise and this rate is given by the mutual information between Tx-i and Rx-i, denoted as I[X_i;Y_i]. A set of necessary and sufficient conditions on the precoders under which [IX_i; Y_i] tends to CCSC for Tx-i is derived. Interestingly, the precoders designed for interference alignment (IA) satisfy these necessary and sufficient conditions. Furthermore, we propose gradient-ascent-based algorithms to optimize the sum rate achieved by precoding with finite constellation inputs and treating interference as noise. A simulation study using the proposed algorithms for a three-user MIMO GIC with two antennas at each node with d_i=1 for all i and with BPSK and QPSK inputs shows more than 0.1-b/s/Hz gain in the ergodic sum rate over that yielded by precoders obtained from some known IA algorithms at moderate SNRs.