Performance limits of multicarrier based systems in fading channels with optimal detection

Abstract

We investigate the best attainable performance (performance limits) of multicarrier modulated signals in time-variant frequency selective fading channels when optimal maximum likelihood detection is deployed. It is found that filtered multicarrier modulation is a diversity transform that is capable of yielding coding gains and time/frequency diversity gains as a function of the sub-carrier spacing, and the sub-channel filter shape.