Physical Layer Authentication Jointly Utilizing Channel and Phase Noise in MIMO Systems

In this paper, we propose a physical layer authentication scheme in heterogeneous coexist multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) systems. This scheme utilizes two physical layer features in terms of location-specific channel gains and transmitter-specific phase noise caused by imperfect oscillators to identify transmitters. Three properties of the proposed scheme: covertness, robustness, and security, are analyzed in detail. By using a maximum-likelihood estimator (MLE) and extended Kalman filter (EKF), we estimate channel gains and phase noise, and formulate variances of estimation errors. We also quantize the temporal variations of channel gains and phase noise through the developed quantizers. Based on quantization results and theories of hypothesis testing and stochastic process, we then derive the closed-form expressions for false alarm and detection probabilities with the consideration of quantization errors. Simulations are carried out to validate the theoretical results of the two probabilities. Based on theoretical models, we further demonstrate that the proposed scheme makes it possible for us to flexibly control authentication performance by adjusting thresholds (for channel gain, phase noise, and decision, respectively) to achieve a required authentication performance in specific MIMO applications.