Phase Noise Mitigation in Communication Systems
Summary
Phase noise arises from random fluctuations in the phase of oscillators and signal generators and represents a fundamental impairment in modern communication systems. It manifests as unwanted phase modulation that degrades signal quality, causes constellation rotation and inter-carrier interference, and limits achievable data rates in orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM), millimetre-wave and multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) architectures. Mitigation strategies span hardware design improvements—such as low-phase-noise oscillators and phase-locked loops with enhanced loop filters—and a variety of digital signal processing algorithms. These include phase noise estimation and compensation schemes based on maximum likelihood and linear minimum mean square error criteria, decision-directed tracking using Kalman filters or particle filters, and novel modulation formats designed for resilience to phase perturbations. As demand grows for higher carrier frequencies and broader bandwidths in beyond-5G and radar-communication fusion applications, robust phase noise mitigation remains central to sustaining spectral efficiency, link reliability and global interoperability.
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Phase Noise Mitigation in Communication Systems publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in phase noise mitigation in communication systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Phase noise: Random variations in an oscillator’s phase causing distortion of the transmitted signal.
Common phase error (CPE): A uniform rotational offset affecting all subcarriers in an OFDM symbol due to phase noise.
Inter-carrier interference (ICI): Crosstalk between adjacent subcarriers in multi-carrier systems resulting from phase noise or frequency offsets.
Maximum likelihood estimation: A statistical method to infer phase noise parameters by maximising the likelihood of observed signal samples.
Linear minimum mean square error (LMMSE): An estimation technique that minimises the mean squared error between the true and estimated phase noise.
Polar-QAM: A modulation format mapping data onto a lattice in the amplitude-phase plane to enhance robustness against phase perturbations.
Particle filter: A sequential Monte Carlo technique for tracking time-varying channel states, including phase noise, via a population of weighted hypotheses.
References
- Phase Noise Effects on OFDM Chirp Communication Systems: Characteristics and Compensation. Information (2024).
- Design of Digital Communications for Strong Phase Noise Channels. IEEE Open Journal of Vehicular Technology (2020).
- Decision-directed Kalman particle filter with application to the MIMO phase noise channel. Physical Communication (2022).
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