IEEE journal on selected areas in communications : a publication of the IEEE Communications Society最新文献

{"title":"Hybrid Bit and Semantic Communications for UAV-Enabled Wireless Power Transfer Networks: A Decision-Assisted Deep Reinforcement Learning Approach","authors":"Jingfu Li;Jingjing Cui;Chong Huang;Jing Zhu;Zheng Chu;Mingzhe Chen;Pei Xiao;Rahim Tafazolli","doi":"10.1109/JSAC.2026.3701000","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/JSAC.2026.3701000","url":null,"abstract":"Semantic communications which can significantly reduce spectrum consumption in wireless networks, have recently become a popular research area. When combined with wireless power transfer (WPT), semantic communications can help achieve high spectral efficiency for energy-limited devices in wireless communications. In energy-constrained and link budget-limited scenarios such as UAV networks, the integration of semantic communications and WPT enables highly energy-efficient transmission mechanisms. In this paper, we investigate semantic communications in UAV-enabled WPT networks. To achieve adaptability to varying signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and task requirements, we introduce a multi-layer hybrid bit and semantic communication framework. We adopt a semantic communication efficiency metric and aim to maximize it by jointly optimizing UAV trajectory, energy harvesting base station (EHBS) selection, user association, semantic mode selection, and energy harvesting time allocation. To address this complex long-term optimization problem, we introduce the distributional soft actor-critic (DSAC) algorithm and introduce a decision assistant to further enhance the convergence performance of DSAC. Simulation results validate the effectiveness of the proposed method and framework and demonstrate that our algorithm can achieve superior long-term optimization performance in dynamic network environments.","PeriodicalId":73294,"journal":{"name":"IEEE journal on selected areas in communications : a publication of the IEEE Communications Society","volume":"44 ","pages":"4924-4936"},"PeriodicalIF":17.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=11554051","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148236156","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mastering Beam Alignment for Satellite WPT: A Predictive ISAC Framework for Sustainable 6G Connectivity","authors":"Min Jia;Shiyao Meng;Jinyue Song;Gaole Fan;Yihua Liu;Qing Guo","doi":"10.1109/JSAC.2026.3700144","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/JSAC.2026.3700144","url":null,"abstract":"To tackle the distinctive challenges of satellite mobility—challenges that exert significant impacts on both the reliability of communication links and the efficiency of wireless power transfer (WPT)—we propose a distributed satellite-fusion cell-free (SFcf) integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) architecture. Traditional adaptive beamforming, which performs reactive compensation based on estimated channel state information (CSI), faces inherent limitations in achieving robust data transmission and efficient energy delivery within such high-dynamic environments, primarily due to its intrinsic latency. To surmount this bottleneck, we put forward a novel closed-loop ISAC framework that facilitates a proactive paradigm for the joint transfer of wireless information and power. The core concept lies in estimating the physical source of channel variation—namely the satellite’s motion parameters—and utilizing these parameters to enable predictive adaptation of both communication and energy beams. In this framework, sensing-derived Doppler and time of arrival (ToA) parameters are fed back to actively pre-compensate for channel mismatch, ensuring communication signals are robust and that energy beams remain precisely focused on the moving target. Therefore, our proposed SFcf-ISAC framework is specifically designed to validate this effective synergy, enabling sustainable 6G satellite-ground connectivity through high-efficiency WPT, remote sensing and resilient high-mobility communication.","PeriodicalId":73294,"journal":{"name":"IEEE journal on selected areas in communications : a publication of the IEEE Communications Society","volume":"44 ","pages":"4876-4891"},"PeriodicalIF":17.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148236266","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Security Analysis of MDI-QKD in Turbulent Free-Space Polarization Channels—A Composite Channel Framework","authors":"Heyang Peng;Seid Koudia;Symeon Chatzinotas","doi":"10.1109/JSAC.2026.3706034","DOIUrl":"10.1109/JSAC.2026.3706034","url":null,"abstract":"Atmospheric turbulence poses a significant challenge to free-space measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution (FSO MDI-QKD) by inducing polarization distortions and stochastic propagation losses, which together degrade the secret key rate (SKR). In this paper, we propose a composite channel framework that unifies phase perturbations, beam spreading, beam drift, receiver-aperture truncation, scintillation-induced fading, and atmospheric attenuation into a compact set of closed-form interface parameters: an effective depolarization parameter, an effective decoherence parameter, and an effective end-to-end detection probability. By modeling turbulence-induced polarization changes as random polarization rotations with axis statistics captured by a directional distribution, we obtain a Pauli-diagonal effective depolarizing–dephasing description and derive an analytic SKR evaluation that can be directly embedded into standard MDI-QKD security analysis. We incorporate representative clear, overcast, and hazy profiles through weather-dependent attenuation and turbulence conditions, and the resulting parameterization enables computationally efficient SKR evaluation and link-parameter sweeps. Numerical case studies on a ground-to-satellite free-space link illustrate the SKR trends under the proposed framework, supporting physical-layer design and performance assessment for satellite-based MDI-QKD networks.","PeriodicalId":73294,"journal":{"name":"IEEE journal on selected areas in communications : a publication of the IEEE Communications Society","volume":"44 ","pages":"5190-5205"},"PeriodicalIF":17.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=11574653","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148299546","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Improving Reliability and Range of Underwater QKD With Optical Intelligent Reflecting Surfaces","authors":"Shunyuan Shang;Ziyuan Shi;Mohamed-Slim Alouini","doi":"10.1109/JSAC.2026.3706657","DOIUrl":"10.1109/JSAC.2026.3706657","url":null,"abstract":"Underwater quantum key distribution (QKD) is emerging as a critical enabler for secure communication in submerged environments. However, conventional underwater QKD systems are fundamentally constrained by the requirement of line-of-sight (LoS) optical paths, which are often obstructed by terrain, particulates, or mobility. To address this challenge, we propose a novel architecture based on an optical intelligent reflecting surface (OIRS), which enables non LOS (NLoS) underwater quantum communication through dynamic beam redirection. We develop a comprehensive composite channel model that jointly incorporates wavelength-dependent attenuation, geometric misalignment loss (GML), and turbulence-induced fading. Closed-form expressions for the end-to-end transmittance distribution are derived using Meijer-G and Fox-H functions. Leveraging this framework, we obtain analytical expressions and simulation-validated bounds for the average quantum bit error rate (QBER) and secret key rate (SKR) under both discrete-variable (DV) and continuous-variable (CV) QKD protocols. Extensive Monte Carlo (MC) simulations confirm the accuracy of the theoretical models and reveal the critical impact of water turbidity, misalignment, and thermal noise. The results demonstrate that the OIRS-assisted architecture significantly extends the operational range of underwater QKD, paving the way for practical and secure quantum communication in complex aquatic environments.","PeriodicalId":73294,"journal":{"name":"IEEE journal on selected areas in communications : a publication of the IEEE Communications Society","volume":"44 ","pages":"5206-5221"},"PeriodicalIF":17.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148314204","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"AFDM-Enabled Integrated Sensing and Communication: Theoretical Framework and Pilot Design","authors":"Fan Zhang;Zhaocheng Wang;Tianqi Mao;Tianyu Jiao;Yinxiao Zhuo;Miaowen Wen;Wei Xiang;Sheng Chen;George K. Karagiannidis","doi":"10.1109/JSAC.2025.3609766","DOIUrl":"10.1109/JSAC.2025.3609766","url":null,"abstract":"The integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) has been envisioned as one representative usage scenario of sixth-generation (6G) network. However, the unprecedented characteristics of 6G, especially the doubly dispersive channel, make classical ISAC waveforms rather challenging to guarantee a desirable performance level. The recently proposed affine frequency division multiplexing (AFDM) can attain full diversity even under doubly dispersive effects, thus becoming a competitive candidate for next-generation ISAC waveforms. Relevant investigations are still at an early stage, which involve only straightforward design lacking explicit theoretical analysis. This paper provides an in-depth investigation on AFDM waveform design for ISAC applications. Specifically, the closed-form Crámer-Rao bounds of target detection for AFDM are derived, followed by a demonstration on its merits over existing counterparts. Furthermore, we formulate the ambiguity function of the pilot-assisted AFDM waveform for the first time, revealing conditions for stable sensing performance. To further enhance both the communication and sensing performance of the AFDM waveform, we propose a novel pilot design by exploiting the characteristics of AFDM signals. The proposed design is analytically validated to be capable of optimizing the ambiguity function property and channel estimation accuracy simultaneously as well as overcoming the sensing and channel estimation range limitation originated from the pilot spacing. Numerical results have verified the superiority of the proposed pilot design in terms of dual-functional performance.","PeriodicalId":73294,"journal":{"name":"IEEE journal on selected areas in communications : a publication of the IEEE Communications Society","volume":"44 ","pages":"310-324"},"PeriodicalIF":17.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145072677","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"RIS-Aided Cooperative ISAC Networks for Structural Health Monitoring","authors":"Jie Yang;Chao-Kai Wen;Xiao Li;Shi Jin","doi":"10.1109/JSAC.2025.3610805","DOIUrl":"10.1109/JSAC.2025.3610805","url":null,"abstract":"Integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) is a key feature of future cellular systems, enabling applications such as intruder detection, monitoring, and tracking using the same infrastructure. However, its potential for structural health monitoring (SHM), which requires the detection of slow and subtle structural changes, remains largely unexplored due to challenges such as multipath interference and the need for ultra-high sensing precision. This study introduces a novel theoretical framework for SHM via ISAC by leveraging reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS) as reference points in collaboration with base stations and users. By dynamically adjusting RIS phases to generate distinct radio signals that suppress background multipath interference, measurement accuracy at these reference points is enhanced. We theoretically analyze RIS-aided collaborative sensing in three-dimensional cellular networks using Fisher information theory, demonstrating how increasing observation time, incorporating additional receivers (even with self-positioning errors), optimizing RIS phases, and refining collaborative node selection can reduce the position error bound to meet SHM’s stringent accuracy requirements. Furthermore, we develop a Bayesian inference model to identify structural states and validate damage detection probabilities. Both theoretical and numerical analyses confirm ISAC’s capability for millimeter-level deformation detection, highlighting its potential for high-precision SHM applications.","PeriodicalId":73294,"journal":{"name":"IEEE journal on selected areas in communications : a publication of the IEEE Communications Society","volume":"44 ","pages":"592-607"},"PeriodicalIF":17.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145077596","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ambiguity Function Analysis of AFDM Signals for Integrated Sensing and Communications","authors":"Haoran Yin;Yanqun Tang;Yuanhan Ni;Zulin Wang;Gaojie Chen;Jun Xiong;Kai Yang;Marios Kountouris;Yong Liang Guan;Yong Zeng","doi":"10.1109/JSAC.2025.3611936","DOIUrl":"10.1109/JSAC.2025.3611936","url":null,"abstract":"Affine frequency division multiplexing (AFDM) is a promising chirp-based waveform with great flexibility and resilience, making it well suited for next-generation wireless networks, particularly in high-mobility scenarios. In this paper, we investigate the ambiguity functions (AFs) of AFDM signals, which fundamentally characterize their range and velocity estimation capabilities in both monostatic and bistatic scenarios. Specifically, we first derive the auto-ambiguity function (AAF) of an AFDM chirp subcarrier, revealing its “spike-like” local and “periodic-like” global properties along the rotated delay and Doppler dimensions. This structure naturally forms a parallelogram for each localized pulse in the AAF of an AFDM chirp subcarrier, enabling unambiguous target sensing. Then, we study the cross-ambiguity function (CAF) between two different AFDM chirp subcarriers, which exhibits the same local and global properties as the AAF but with an additional shift along the Doppler dimension. We then extend our analysis to the AF of typical AFDM frames, considering both deterministic pilot symbols and random data symbols. In particular, we demonstrate that inserting guard symbols in AFDM facilitates interference-free sensing. Simulation results confirm our theoretical findings, highlighting AFDM’s strong potential for ISAC applications.","PeriodicalId":73294,"journal":{"name":"IEEE journal on selected areas in communications : a publication of the IEEE Communications Society","volume":"44 ","pages":"196-211"},"PeriodicalIF":17.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145089330","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"AI-Native 6G Physical Layer With Cross-Module Optimization and Cooperative Control Agents","authors":"Xufei Zheng;Han Xiao;Shi Jin;Zhiqin Wang;Wenqiang Tian;Wendong Liu;Jianfei Cao;Jia Shen;Zhihua Shi;Zhi Zhang;Ning Yang","doi":"10.1109/JSAC.2026.3652936","DOIUrl":"10.1109/JSAC.2026.3652936","url":null,"abstract":"In this article, a framework of artificial intelligence (AI)-native cross-module optimized physical layer with cooperative control agents is proposed, which involves optimization across global AI/machine learning (ML) modules of the physical layer with innovative design of multiple enhancement mechanisms and control strategies. Specifically, it achieves simultaneous optimization across global modules of uplink AI/ML-based joint source-channel coding with modulation, and downlink AI/ML-based modulation with precoding and corresponding data detection, reducing traditional inter-module information barriers to facilitate end-to-end optimization toward global objectives. Moreover, multiple enhancement mechanisms are also proposed, including 1) an AI/ML-based cross-layer modulation approach with theoretical analysis for downlink transmission that breaks the isolation of inter-layer features to expand the solution space for determining improved constellation, 2) a utility-oriented precoder construction method that shifts the role of the AI/ML-based CSI feedback decoder from recovering the original CSI to directly generating precoding matrices aiming to improve end-to-end performance, and 3) incorporating modulation into AI/ML-based CSI feedback to bypass bit-level bottlenecks that introduce quantization errors, non-differentiable gradients, and limitations in constellation solution spaces. Furthermore, AI/ML-based control agents for optimized transmission schemes are proposed that leverage AI/ML to perform model switching according to channel state, thereby enabling integrated control for global throughput optimization. Finally, simulation results demonstrate the superiority of the proposed solutions in terms of block error rate and throughput. These extensive simulations employ more practical assumptions that are aligned with the requirements of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), which hopefully provides valuable insights for future 3GPP standardization discussions.","PeriodicalId":73294,"journal":{"name":"IEEE journal on selected areas in communications : a publication of the IEEE Communications Society","volume":"44 ","pages":"3397-3411"},"PeriodicalIF":17.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145955558","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Covert Transmission for Active RIS-Aided Full-Duplex UAV Integrated Sensing, Communication, and Computation Systems","authors":"Qi Zhang;Wei Gao;Chuan Liu;Yu Yao;Shihao Yan;Feng Shu;Shi Jin","doi":"10.1109/JSAC.2025.3637785","DOIUrl":"10.1109/JSAC.2025.3637785","url":null,"abstract":"Next-generation wireless network should accomplish integrated sensing, communication, and computation (ISCC) capabilities. This paper proposes a novel covert transmission scheme based on active reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS)-enabled full-duplex (FD) uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV)-ISCC framework, where the multi-functional UAV realizes simultaneous target sensing and uplink (UL) covert communication, as well as performing edge computing (EC) for users. To maximize the minimum covert transmission rate (CTR) among all UL users, UAV transmit beamforming and trajectory, RIS weights, power allocation and signal processing in a FD UL transmission system are jointly devised. To tackle the intractable non-convex problem, we leverage second order cone programming (SOCP), penalty-dual-decomposition (PDD) and successive convex approximation (SCA), and propose a security solution that efficiently optimizes all variables by employing convex optimization approaches. Simulation results show that by incorporating the active RIS and UAV techniques into the optimization design, the covert transmission performance of ISCC systems are improved while ensuring a certain level of target sensing and EC performance.","PeriodicalId":73294,"journal":{"name":"IEEE journal on selected areas in communications : a publication of the IEEE Communications Society","volume":"44 ","pages":"1992-2007"},"PeriodicalIF":17.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145610960","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"QCLight: A Unified Quantum-Classical Optical Communication System via BB84 and Pulse Position Modulation","authors":"Ziyuan Shi;Shunyuan Shang;Mohamed-Slim Alouini","doi":"10.1109/JSAC.2026.3708625","DOIUrl":"10.1109/JSAC.2026.3708625","url":null,"abstract":"We propose QCLight (Quantum-Classical Light), a unified quantum-classical optical communication system that simultaneously supports classical data transmission and quantum key distribution (QKD) over a shared free-space optical (FSO) link. The system employs a novel Bennett–Brassard 1984 (BB84) with pulse position modulation scheme that embeds polarization-encoded qubits and time-bin-encoded classical symbols into a common symbol frame, enabling physical-layer integration and hardware reuse. A full transceiver architecture is developed, combining polarization-resolved encoding with time-multiplexed photon detection to jointly decode quantum and classical information using a shared single-photon detection chain. To assess system performance under realistic conditions, we develop a comprehensive analytical framework that captures key impairments including photon-counting noise, detector dead time, atmospheric turbulence (modeled via Gamma-Gamma fading), and pointing errors. Closed-form expressions are derived for critical metrics such as the symbol error rate (SER), achievable mutual information, quantum bit error rate (QBER), and secret key rate (SKR), incorporating dead-time-limited Poisson statistics and fading distributions via Meijer-<inline-formula> <tex-math>$G$ </tex-math></inline-formula> functions. Theoretical predictions are validated through Monte Carlo simulations, confirming that QCLight enables secure and efficient dual-purpose communication in photon-starved UAV and satellite-ground FSO scenarios.","PeriodicalId":73294,"journal":{"name":"IEEE journal on selected areas in communications : a publication of the IEEE Communications Society","volume":"44 ","pages":"5356-5371"},"PeriodicalIF":17.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148372167","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}