Secure Communications in Fading Cognitive Radio Networks with Finite-Alphabet Signaling

Missouri University Of Science And Technology, Rolla MO

Investigators

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this program is to establish transformative methodology and novel algorithms for secure communications in spectrum sharing cognitive radio networks to simultaneously maximize the secrecy throughput of secondary users under security threats, ensure the quality of service for primary users, and keep information secret to eavesdroppers. Intellectual merit: The intellectual merit is: 1) to propose a unified network model to describe the fading cognitive radio network that has multiple primary users, secondary users and eavesdroppers, all connected by wireless fading channels; 2) to formulate the secure communication of secondary users into direct maximization of mutual information or throughput with finite-alphabet (rather than Gaussian) signaling and channel statistics constraints; 3) to present a novel approach to solving the neither concave nor convex optimization problem. Broader impacts: The broader impacts include: 1) this project will bridge the gap between network information theory and practical network implementation by employing finite-alphabet signaling and channel statistics to optimize linear precoders which maximize the practically achievable data rates or throughput; 2) it will establish a transformative methodology that effectively tackles difficult non-concave, non-convex, and nondeterministic polynomial-time (NP) hard optimization problems in cognitive radio networks. This methodology can be well applicable to other wireless network settings such as cooperative relay networks, cellular networks, and wireless sensor and mesh networks; 3) The research will be timely integrated to collaborations with industrial partners and education of undergraduate and graduate students, particularly, underrepresented minority students, thus enhancing the impact to the society via technology innovation.