Design and Decoding of Full-Diversity Construction-D Lattices on Block-Fading Channels

This paper introduces a novel framework for constructing algebraic lattices based on Construction-D, leveraging nested linear codes and prime ideals from algebraic number fields. We focus on the application of these lattices in block-fading (BF) channels, which are characterized by piecewise-constant fading across blocks of transmitted symbols. This approach results in a semi-systematic generator matrix, providing a structured foundation for high -dimensional lattice design for BF channels. The proposed Construction-D lattices exhibit the full diversity property, making them highly effective for error performance improvement. To address this, we develop an efficient decoding algorithm designed specifically for full-diversity Construction-D lattices. Simulations indicate that the proposed lattices notably enhance error performance compared to full-diversity Construction-A lattices, especially in high-diversity scenarios. Interestingly, the anticipated performance gain from increasing the number of nested code levels was only observed in the two-level case. We believe that this is due to the amplified impact of error propagation during successive cancellation at higher levels. These findings highlight the promise of Construction-D lattices as an effective and practical coding strategy for enhancing communication reliability in BF channels.