Can Movable Antenna-enabled Micro-Mobility Replace UAV-enabled Macro-Mobility? A Physical Layer Security Perspective

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Li, Kaixuan, Yu, Kan, Ma, Dingyou, Zhao, Yujia, Liu, Xiaowu, Zhang, Qixun, Feng, ZHiyong
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Li, Kaixuan
Yu, Kan
Ma, Dingyou
Zhao, Yujia
Liu, Xiaowu
Zhang, Qixun
Feng, ZHiyong
author_facet Li, Kaixuan
Yu, Kan
Ma, Dingyou
Zhao, Yujia
Liu, Xiaowu
Zhang, Qixun
Feng, ZHiyong
contents This paper investigates the potential of movable antenna (MA)-enabled micro-mobility to replace UAV-enabled macro-mobility for enhancing physical layer security (PLS) in air-to-ground communications. While UAV trajectory optimization offers high flexibility and Line-of-Sight (LoS) advantages, it suffers from significant energy consumption, latency, and complex trajectory optimization. Conversely, MA technology provides fine-grained spatial reconfiguration (antenna positioning within a confined area) with ultra-low energy overhead and millisecond-scale response, enabling real-time channel manipulation and covert beam steering. To systematically compare these paradigms, we establish a dual-scale mobility framework where a UAV-mounted uniform linear array (ULA) serves as a base station transmitting confidential information to a legitimate user (Bob) in the presence of an eavesdropper (Eve). We formulate non-convex average secrecy rate (ASR) maximization problems for both schemes: 1) MA-based micro-mobility: Jointly optimizing antenna positions and beamforming (BF) vectors under positioning constraints; 2) UAV-based macro-mobility: Jointly optimizing the UAV's trajectory and BF vectors under kinematic constraints. Extensive simulations reveal distinct operational regimes: MA micro-mobility demonstrates significant ASR advantages in low-transmit-power scenarios or under antenna constraints due to its energy-efficient spatial control. Conversely, UAV macro-mobility excels under resource-sufficient conditions (higher power, larger antenna arrays) by leveraging global mobility for optimal positioning. The findings highlight the complementary strengths of both approaches, suggesting hybrid micro-macro mobility as a promising direction for balancing security, energy efficiency, and deployment complexity in future wireless networks.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2506_19456
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Can Movable Antenna-enabled Micro-Mobility Replace UAV-enabled Macro-Mobility? A Physical Layer Security Perspective
Li, Kaixuan
Yu, Kan
Ma, Dingyou
Zhao, Yujia
Liu, Xiaowu
Zhang, Qixun
Feng, ZHiyong
Information Theory
Signal Processing
This paper investigates the potential of movable antenna (MA)-enabled micro-mobility to replace UAV-enabled macro-mobility for enhancing physical layer security (PLS) in air-to-ground communications. While UAV trajectory optimization offers high flexibility and Line-of-Sight (LoS) advantages, it suffers from significant energy consumption, latency, and complex trajectory optimization. Conversely, MA technology provides fine-grained spatial reconfiguration (antenna positioning within a confined area) with ultra-low energy overhead and millisecond-scale response, enabling real-time channel manipulation and covert beam steering. To systematically compare these paradigms, we establish a dual-scale mobility framework where a UAV-mounted uniform linear array (ULA) serves as a base station transmitting confidential information to a legitimate user (Bob) in the presence of an eavesdropper (Eve). We formulate non-convex average secrecy rate (ASR) maximization problems for both schemes: 1) MA-based micro-mobility: Jointly optimizing antenna positions and beamforming (BF) vectors under positioning constraints; 2) UAV-based macro-mobility: Jointly optimizing the UAV's trajectory and BF vectors under kinematic constraints. Extensive simulations reveal distinct operational regimes: MA micro-mobility demonstrates significant ASR advantages in low-transmit-power scenarios or under antenna constraints due to its energy-efficient spatial control. Conversely, UAV macro-mobility excels under resource-sufficient conditions (higher power, larger antenna arrays) by leveraging global mobility for optimal positioning. The findings highlight the complementary strengths of both approaches, suggesting hybrid micro-macro mobility as a promising direction for balancing security, energy efficiency, and deployment complexity in future wireless networks.
title Can Movable Antenna-enabled Micro-Mobility Replace UAV-enabled Macro-Mobility? A Physical Layer Security Perspective
topic Information Theory
Signal Processing
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.19456