Dual-Polarized Spatial Modulation Over Correlated Fading Channels

We address multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication employing spatial modulation (SM) with dual-polarized (DP) antennas. The proposed architecture adds the polarization dimension to the conventional SM mappings and offers performances, which are comparable to or under certain conditions even better than those of the uni-polarized systems while occupying half as much space. We consider the generalized spatially correlated Rayleigh and Rician fading channel models and present an average bit-error probability upper bounding framework for the proposed DP SM-MIMO system. The theoretical error analysis is also extended to the case where the channel coefficients are estimated with Gaussian estimation errors. This upper bounding method is also used to determine the conditions in which the dual-polarized SM is better than equivalent systems with uni-polarized antennas. Theoretical derivations are also validated by extensive simulations, both corroborating that SM combined with dual-polarization forms an attractive alternative not only for its improved multiplexing gains and space efficiency but also for performance gains over correlated channels.