On Vector Perturbation Precoding for the MIMO Gaussian Broadcast Channel

Precoding schemes in the framework of vector perturbation (VP) for the multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) Gaussian broadcast channel (GBC) are investigated. The VP scheme, originally a “one-shot” technique, is generalized to encompass processing over multiple time instances. Using lattice-based extended alphabets (“perturbations”), and considering the infinite time-span extension limit, a lower bound on the achievable sum-rate using the generalized VP scheme is analytically obtained. The lower bound is shown to asymptotically achieve the optimum sum-rate in the high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) regime (both in terms of degrees-of-freedom and power offset), for any number of users and transmit antennas. For the two-user cases, it is shown that the lower bound coincides with the sum-capacity for low SNR. The above lower bound is constructively obtained by means of an efficient practically oriented suboptimal transmit energy minimization algorithm, which exhibits a polynomial complexity in the number of users. The proposed precoding scheme demonstrates that the “shaping gain” is achievable for VP schemes, when employing “good” multidimensional lattices. It is also shown that the suboptimum algorithm has its merits, even when processing over multiple time instances is not employed. For the $2\times 2$ MIMO GBC, the VP scheme is generalized further, and an inner bound for the entire achievable rate region is obtained, by which an interesting correspondence is identified with the ultimate capacity region, as obtained by “dirty paper coding”.