Impact of IQ imbalance on the performance of QSM multiple-input-multiple-output system

Quadrature spatial modulation (QSM) is proposed recently as an efficient multiple-input-multiple-output wireless communication technique. In QSM, spatial multiplexing gain is achieved through modulating a two-dimensional spatial constellation diagram in addition to conventional signal modulation. It was demonstrated that QSM can be designed with single in-phase and quadrature (IQ) transmitter. However, the impact of IQ modulator imperfections, which degrade signal fidelity and overall system performance, has not been studied in the literature. In this study, typical IQ modulator/demodulator is considered for QSM system and the performance of the system is analysed and discussed. In particular, IQ imbalance channel modelling, pair-wise error probability, and average bit error ratio are discussed. Results reveal that IQ imbalance can lead to significant performance degradation of QSM system and should be carefully addressed for any future deployment.