Channel Estimation in MIMO Systems Aided by Microwave Linear Analog Computers (MiLACs)

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Zhang, Qiaosen, Nerini, Matteo, Clerckx, Bruno
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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author Zhang, Qiaosen
Nerini, Matteo
Clerckx, Bruno
author_facet Zhang, Qiaosen
Nerini, Matteo
Clerckx, Bruno
contents Microwave linear analog computers (MiLACs) have recently emerged as a promising solution for future gigantic multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems, enabling beamforming with greatly reduced hardware and computational cost. However, channel estimation for MiLAC-aided systems remains an open problem. Conventional least squares (LS) and minimum mean square error (MMSE) estimation rely on intensive digital computation, which undermines the benefits offered by MiLACs. In this letter, we propose efficient LS and MMSE channel estimation schemes for MiLAC-aided MIMO systems. By designing training precoders and combiners implemented by MiLACs, both LS and MMSE estimation are performed fully in the analog domain, achieving identical performance to their digital counterparts while significantly reducing computational complexity, transmit RF chains, analog-to-digital/digital-to-analog converters (ADCs/DACs) resolution requirements, and peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR). Numerical results verify the effectiveness and advantages of the proposed schemes.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2601_11438
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Channel Estimation in MIMO Systems Aided by Microwave Linear Analog Computers (MiLACs)
Zhang, Qiaosen
Nerini, Matteo
Clerckx, Bruno
Signal Processing
Information Theory
Microwave linear analog computers (MiLACs) have recently emerged as a promising solution for future gigantic multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems, enabling beamforming with greatly reduced hardware and computational cost. However, channel estimation for MiLAC-aided systems remains an open problem. Conventional least squares (LS) and minimum mean square error (MMSE) estimation rely on intensive digital computation, which undermines the benefits offered by MiLACs. In this letter, we propose efficient LS and MMSE channel estimation schemes for MiLAC-aided MIMO systems. By designing training precoders and combiners implemented by MiLACs, both LS and MMSE estimation are performed fully in the analog domain, achieving identical performance to their digital counterparts while significantly reducing computational complexity, transmit RF chains, analog-to-digital/digital-to-analog converters (ADCs/DACs) resolution requirements, and peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR). Numerical results verify the effectiveness and advantages of the proposed schemes.
title Channel Estimation in MIMO Systems Aided by Microwave Linear Analog Computers (MiLACs)
topic Signal Processing
Information Theory
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.11438