Massive MIMO for Full-Duplex Cellular Two-Way Relay Network: A Spectral Efficiency Study

This paper presents the new analysis of the applications of massive multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) in full-duplex (FD) cellular two-way relay networks, and sheds valuable insights on the interactions between massive MIMO, and relay and duplex modes. Practical scenarios are considered, where massive MIMO is deployed at the base station and the relay station. Based on generic relay modes, namely, antenna-selection-based decode-and-forward (DF) relay and signal-space alignment based amplify-and-forward (AF) relay, closed-form expressions for the asymptotic signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratios (SINRs) are derived. The difference between AF and DF in the FD mode is quantified, and so is that between FD and half-duplex (HD) under the two relay modes. With massive MIMO, the superiority of DF in the FD mode is confirmed in terms of spectral efficiency. The sufficient conditions for the FD mode to outperform the HD mode are identified. The effectiveness of massive MIMO in terms of self-loop interference cancellation and inter-user interference suppression is proved. All these insightful findings are corroborated by simulations.