Performance Scaling Law for Multi-Cell Multi-User Massive MIMO

Abstract: This work provides a comprehensive scaling law based performance analysis for multi-cell multi-user massive multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) downlink systems. Imperfect channel state information (CSI), pilot contamination, and channel spatial correlation are all considered. First, a sum- rate lower bound is derived by exploiting the asymptotically deterministic property of the received signal power, while keeping the random nature of other components in the signal-to-interference-plus-noise-ratio (SINR) intact. Via a general scaling model on important network parameters, including the number of users, the channel training energy and the data transmission power, with respect to the number of base station antennas, the asymptotic scaling law of the effective SINR is obtained, which reveals quantitatively the tradeoff of the network parameters. More importantly, pilot contamination and pilot contamination elimination (PCE) are considered in the analytical framework. In addition, the applicability of the derived asymptotic scaling law in practical systems with large but finite antenna numbers are discussed. Finally, sufficient conditions on the parameter scalings for the SINR to be asymptotically deterministic in the sense of mean square convergence are provided, which covers existing results on such analysis as special cases and shows the effect of PCE explicitly.