Layered space-time complex field coding: full-diversity with full-rate, and tradeoffs

Multi-antenna systems allow for a significant increase in the transmission rate of coherent wireless transmissions over flat Rayleigh fading channels. Various multi-antenna designs have been developed in recent years targeting either high-performance, or, high rate. We design a layered space-time (ST) scheme equipped with linear complex field (LCF) coding, which enables full diversity with full rate, for any number of transmit- and receive-antennas. Furthermore, we delineate the tradeoff between diversity and rate in the class of layered ST schemes, when sub-optimal decoding is employed. Our theoretical claims are confirmed by simulations.