Multilevel Code Construction for Compound Fading Channels

Abstract: We consider explicit constructions of multi-level lattice codes that universally approach the capacity of the compound block-fading channel. Specifically, building on algebraic partitions of lattices, we show how to construct codes with negligible probability of error for any channel realization and normalized log-density approaching the Poltyrev limit. Capacity analyses and numerical results on the achievable rates for each partition level are provided. The proposed codes have several enjoyable properties such as constructiveness and good decoding complexity, as compared to random one-level codes. Numerical results for finite-dimensional multi-level lattices based on polar codes are exhibited.