Secure Transmission in Wireless Powered Massive MIMO Relaying Systems: Performance Analysis and Optimization

In this paper, we address the problem of securing information transmission in very adverse environments, i.e., no eavesdropper channel state information (CSI) and imperfect legitimate channel CSI, by introducing a massive multiple-input–multiple-output (M-MIMO) relay. The relay is powered through wireless power transfer from the source, such that it can flexibly adjust its position according to the secrecy requirement. The benefits of a M-MIMO relay are fully exploited to enhance both power transfer efficiency and information transmission security. In particular, the challenging issues incurred by short interception distance and long transfer distance are well addressed simultaneously. The focus of this paper is on investigating the secrecy performance of two classical relaying protocols, namely amplify-and-forward (AF) and decode-and-forward (DF), and obtaining explicit expressions of secrecy outage capacity in terms of transmit power, channel condition, and antenna number. Furthermore, we propose two effective performance optimization schemes, i.e., power control at the source, and relaying protocol switch at the relay. Finally, our theoretical claims are validated by simulation results.