Structures and performance of noncoherent receivers for unitary space-time modulation on correlated fast-fading channels

Fast fading used in this paper refers to multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) channels with channel gains changing from sample to sample, even within a block symbol. The impact of spatially correlated and sample-to-sample variant (SCSSV) fading channels on the design and error performance of noncoherent receivers is not yet clear in the literature. In this paper, we derive optimal and suboptimal noncoherent receivers for operating on SCSSV MIMO fading channels. The joint effect of spatial correlation and sample-to-sample variation of channel gains on various receivers in Rayleigh and Rician fading is investigated by the derivation of their pairwise error performance. Numerical and simulation results are also presented to illustrate the theory and to compare the performance of the optimal and suboptimal receivers.