Securing Integrated Sensing and Communication Against a Mobile Adversary: A Stackelberg Game with Deep Reinforcement Learning

In this paper, we study a secure integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) system employing a full-duplex base station with sensing capabilities against a mobile proactive adversarial target$\unicode{x2014}$a malicious unmanned aerial vehicle (M-UAV). We develop a game-theoretic model to enhance communication security, radar sensing accuracy, and power efficiency. The interaction between the legitimate network and the mobile adversary is formulated as a non-cooperative Stackelberg game (NSG), where the M-UAV acts as the leader and strategically adjusts its trajectory to improve its eavesdropping ability while conserving power and avoiding obstacles. In response, the legitimate network, acting as the follower, dynamically allocates resources to minimize network power usage while ensuring required secrecy rates and sensing performance. To address this challenging problem, we propose a low-complexity successive convex approximation (SCA) method for network resource optimization combined with a deep reinforcement learning (DRL) algorithm for adaptive M-UAV trajectory planning through sequential interactions and learning. Simulation results demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed method in addressing security challenges of dynamic ISAC systems in 6G, i.e., achieving a Stackelberg equilibrium with robust performance while mitigating the adversary's ability to intercept network signals.

RIS-Assisted Sensing: A Nested Tensor Decomposition-Based Approach

We study a monostatic multiple-input multiple-output sensing scenario assisted by a reconfigurable intelligent surface using tensor signal modeling. We propose a method that exploits the intrinsic multidimensional structure of the received echo signal, allowing us to recast the target sensing problem as a nested tensor-based decomposition problem to jointly estimate the delay, Doppler, and angular information of the target. We derive a two-stage approach based on the alternating least squares algorithm followed by the estimation of the signal parameters via rotational invariance techniques to extract the target parameters. Simulation results show that the proposed tensor-based algorithm yields accurate estimates of the sensing parameters with low complexity.

Deep Unfolding-Empowered MmWave Massive MIMO Joint Communications and Sensing

In this paper, we propose a low-complexity and fast hybrid beamforming design for joint communications and sensing (JCAS) based on deep unfolding. We first derive closed-form expressions for the gradients of the communications sum rate and sensing beampattern error with respect to the analog and digital precoders. Building on this, we develop a deep neural network as an unfolded version of the projected gradient ascent algorithm, which we refer to as UPGANet. This approach efficiently optimizes the communication-sensing performance tradeoff with fast convergence, enabled by the learned step sizes. UPGANet preserves the interpretability and flexibility of the conventional PGA optimizer while enhancing performance through data training. Our simulations show that UPGANet achieves up to a 33.5% higher communications sum rate and 2.5 dB lower beampattern error compared to conventional designs based on successive convex approximation and Riemannian manifold optimization. Additionally, it reduces runtime and computational complexity by up to 65% compared to PGA without unfolding.

Non-Reciprocal Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces

In contrast to conventional RIS, the scattering matrix of a non-reciprocal RIS (NR-RIS) is non-symmetric, leading to differences in the uplink and the downlink components of NR-RIS cascaded channels. In this paper, a physically-consistent device model is proposed in which an NR-RIS is composed of multiple groups of two-port elements inter-connected by non-reciprocal devices. The resulting non-reciprocal scattering matrix is derived for various cases including two-element groups connected with isolators or gyrators, and general three-element groups connected via circulators. Signal models are given for NR-RIS operating in either reflecting-only or simultaneously transmitting and reflecting modes. The problem of NR-RIS design for non-reciprocal beamsteering is formulated for three-element circulator implementations, and numerical results confirm that non-reciprocal beamsteering can be achieved with minimal sidelobe power. We also show that our physically consistent NR-RIS architecture is effective in implementing channel reciprocity attacks, achieving similar performance to that with idealized NR-RIS models.

Performance Analysis and Power Allocation for Massive MIMO ISAC Systems

Integrated sensing and communications (ISAC) is envisioned as a key feature in future wireless communications networks. Its integration with massive multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) techniques promises to leverage substantial spatial beamforming gains for both functionalities. In this work, we consider a massive MIMO-ISAC system employing a uniform planar array with zero-forcing and maximum-ratio downlink transmission schemes combined with monostatic radar-type sensing. Our focus lies on deriving closed-form expressions for the achievable communications rate and the Cram\'er--Rao lower bound (CRLB), which serve as performance metrics for communications and sensing operations, respectively. The expressions enable us to investigate important operational characteristics of massive MIMO-ISAC, including the mutual effects of communications and sensing as well as the advantages stemming from using a very large antenna array for each functionality. Furthermore, we devise a power allocation strategy based on successive convex approximation to maximize the communications rate while guaranteeing the CRLB constraints and transmit power budget. Extensive numerical results are presented to validate our theoretical analyses and demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed power allocation approach.

CRB Optimization using a Parametric Scattering Model for Extended Targets in ISAC Systems

This paper presents a novel parametric scattering model (PSM) for sensing extended targets in integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) systems. The PSM addresses the limitations of traditional models by efficiently capturing the target's angular characteristics through a compact set of key parameters, including the central angle and angular spread, enabling efficient optimization. Based on the PSM, we first derive the Cramer-Rao Bound (CRB) for parameter estimation and then propose a beamforming design algorithm to minimize the CRB while meeting both communication signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) and power constraints. By integrating the PSM into the beamforming optimization process, the proposed framework achieves superior CRB performance while balancing the tradeoff between sensing accuracy and communication quality. Simulation results demonstrate that the PSM-based approach consistently outperforms traditional unstructured and discrete scattering models, particularly in resource-limited scenarios, highlighting its practical applicability and scalability.

Channel-Coded Precoding for Multi-User MISO Systems

Precoding is a critical and long-standing technique in multi-user communication systems. However, the majority of existing precoding methods do not consider channel coding in their designs. In this paper, we consider the precoding problem in multi-user multiple-input single-output (MISO) systems, incorporating channel coding into the design. By leveraging the error-correcting capability of channel codes we increase the degrees of freedom in the transmit signal design, thereby enhancing the overall system performance. We first propose a novel data-dependent precoding framework for coded MISO systems, referred to as channel-coded precoding (CCP), which maximizes the probability that information bits can be correctly recovered by the channel decoder. This proposed CCP framework allows the transmit signals to produce data symbol errors at the users' receivers, as long as the overall information BER performance can be improved. We develop the CCP framework for both one-bit and multi-bit error-correcting capacity and devise a projected gradient-based approach to solve the design problem. We also develop a robust CCP framework for the case where knowledge of perfect channel state information (CSI) is unavailable at the transmitter, taking into account the effect of both noise and channel estimation errors. Finally, we conduct numerous simulations to verify the effectiveness of the proposed CCP and its superiority compared to existing precoding methods, and we identify situations where the proposed CCP yields the most significant gains.

RIS-Aided Dual-Polarized MIMO: How Large a Surface is Needed to Beat Single Polarization?

Dual-polarized (DP) multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) systems have been widely adopted in commercial mobile wireless communications. Such systems achieve multiplexing and diversity gain by exploiting the polarization dimension. However, existing studies have shown that the capacity of DP MIMO may not surpass that of single-polarized (SP) MIMO systems due to the cross-polarization coupling induced by the propagation environment. In this letter, we employ reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs) to address this issue and investigate how large the surface should be to ensure a better performance for DP MIMO. Specifically, we first derive the capacities of DP and SP MIMO systems with an RIS, and then study the influence of the RIS size on the system capacity. Our analyses reveal how to deploy the RIS in a DP MIMO scenario.

DOA Estimation-Oriented Joint Array Partitioning and Beamforming Designs for ISAC Systems

Integrated sensing and communication has been identified as an enabling technology for forthcoming wireless networks. In an effort to achieve an improved performance trade-off between multiuser communications and radar sensing, this paper considers a dynamically-partitioned antenna array architecture for monostatic ISAC systems, in which each element of the array at the base station can function as either a transmit or receive antenna. To fully exploit the available spatial degrees of freedom for both communication and sensing functions, we jointly design the partitioning of the array between transmit and receive antennas together with the transmit beamforming in order to minimize the direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation error, while satisfying constraints on the communication signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio and the transmit power budget. An alternating algorithm based on Dinkelbach's transform, the alternative direction method of multipliers, and majorization-minimization is developed to solve the resulting complicated optimization problem. To reduce the computational complexity, we also present a heuristic three-step strategy that optimizes the transmit beamforming after determining the antenna partitioning. Simulation results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms in significantly reducing the DOA estimation error.

Meta-Learning-Driven Adaptive Codebook Design for Near-Field Communications

Extremely large-scale arrays (XL-arrays) and ultra-high frequencies are two key technologies for sixth-generation (6G) networks, offering higher system capacity and expanded bandwidth resources. To effectively combine these technologies, it is necessary to consider the near-field spherical-wave propagation model, rather than the traditional far-field planar-wave model. In this paper, we explore a near-field communication system comprising a base station (BS) with hybrid analog-digital beamforming and multiple mobile users. Our goal is to maximize the system's sum-rate by optimizing the near-field codebook design for hybrid precoding. To enable fast adaptation to varying user distributions, we propose a meta-learning-based framework that integrates the model-agnostic meta-learning (MAML) algorithm with a codebook learning network. Specifically, we first design a deep neural network (DNN) to learn the near-field codebook. Then, we combine the MAML algorithm with the DNN to allow rapid adaptation to different channel conditions by leveraging a well-initialized model from the outer network. Simulation results demonstrate that our proposed framework outperforms conventional algorithms, offering improved generalization and better overall performance.