Subspace estimation and hybrid precoding for wideband millimeter-wave MIMO systems

There has been growing interest in millimeter wave (mmWave) multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems, which would likely employ hybrid analog-digital precoding with large-scale analog arrays deployed at wide bandwidths. Primary challenges here are how to efficiently estimate the large-dimensional frequency-selective channels and customize the wideband hybrid analog-digital precoders and combiners. To address these challenges, we propose a low-overhead channel subspace estimation technique for the wideband hybrid analog-digital MIMO precoding systems. We first show that the Gram matrix of the frequency-selective channel can be decomposed into frequency-flat and frequency-selective components. Based on this, the Arnoldi approach, leveraging channel reciprocity and time-reversed echoing, is employed to estimate a frequency-flat approximation of the frequency-selective mmWave channels, which is used to design the analog parts. After the analog precoder and combiner design, the low-dimensional frequency-selective channels are estimated using conventional pilot-based channel sounding. Numerical results show that considerable improvement in data-rate performance is possible.