On the design of MIMO block fading channels with feedback-link capacity constraint

In this paper, we propose a combined adaptive power control and beamforming framework for optimizing multiple-input/multiple-output (MIMO) link capacity in the presence of feedback-link capacity constraint. The feedback(1) is assumed to be noiseless and causal with a feedback capacity constraint in terms of maximum number of feedback bits per fading block. We show that the hybrid design could achieve the optimal MIMO link capacity, and we derive a computationally efficient algorithm to search for the optimal design under a specific average power constraint. Finally, we shall illustrate that a minimum mean-square error spatial processor with a successive interference canceller at the receiver could be used to realize the optimal capacity. We found that feedback effectively enhances the forward channel capacity for all signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) values when the number of transmit antennas (n(T)) is larger than the number of receive antennas (n(R)). The SNR gain with feedback is contributed by focusing transmission power on active eigenchannel and temporal power waterfilling. The former factor contributed, at most, 10 log(10) (n(T)/n(R)) dB SNR gain when n(T) > n(R), while the latter factor's SNR gain is significant only for low SNR values.