Grid-Less DOA Estimation Using Sparse Linear Arrays Based on Wasserstein Distance

Sparse linear arrays, such as nested and co-prime arrays, are capable of resolving O(M-2) sources using only O(M) sensors by exploiting their so-called difference coarray model. One popular approach to exploit the difference coarray model is to construct an augmented covariance matrix from the sample covariance matrix. By applying common direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation algorithms to this augmented covariance matrix, more sources than the number of sensors can be identified. In this letter, inspired by the optimal transport theory, we develop a new approach to construct this augmented covariance matrix. We formulate a structured covariance estimation problem that minimizes the Bures-Wasserstein distance between the sample covariance matrix and the subsampled augmented covariance matrix, which can be either casted to a semi-definite programming problem, or directly solved using gradient-based methods. Our approach contributes to a new grid-less DOA estimation algorithm for sparse linear arrays. Numerical examples show that our approach achieves state-of-art estimation performance.