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In the Internet of Vehicles (IoV), Federated Learning (FL) provides a privacy-preserving solution by aggregating local models without sharing data. Traditional supervised learning requires image data with labels, but data labeling involves significant manual effort. Federated Self-Supervised Learning (FSSL) utilizes Self-Supervised Learning (SSL) for local training in FL, eliminating the need for labels while protecting privacy. Compared to other SSL methods, Momentum Contrast (MoCo) reduces the demand for computing resources and storage space by creating a dictionary. However, using MoCo in FSSL requires uploading the local dictionary from vehicles to Base Station (BS), which poses a risk of privacy leakage. Simplified Contrast (SimCo) addresses the privacy leakage issue in MoCo-based FSSL by using dual temperature instead of a dictionary to control sample distribution. Additionally, considering the negative impact of motion blur on model aggregation, and based on SimCo, we propose a motion blur-resistant FSSL method, referred to as BFSSL. Furthermore, we address energy consumption and delay in the BFSSL process by proposing a Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL)-based resource allocation scheme, called DRL-BFSSL. In this scheme, BS allocates the Central Processing Unit (CPU) frequency and transmission power of vehicles to minimize energy consumption and latency, while aggregating received models based on the motion blur level. Simulation results validate the effectiveness of our proposed aggregation and resource allocation methods., Comment: This paper has been submitted to IEEE Journal. The source code has been released at: https://github.com/qiongwu86/DRL-BFSSL

Radio map (RM) is a promising technology that can obtain pathloss based on only location, which is significant for 6G network applications to reduce the communication costs for pathloss estimation. However, the construction of RM in traditional is either computationally intensive or depends on costly sampling-based pathloss measurements. Although the neural network (NN)-based method can efficiently construct the RM without sampling, its performance is still suboptimal. This is primarily due to the misalignment between the generative characteristics of the RM construction problem and the discrimination modeling exploited by existing NN-based methods. Thus, to enhance RM construction performance, in this paper, the sampling-free RM construction is modeled as a conditional generative problem, where a denoised diffusion-based method, named RadioDiff, is proposed to achieve high-quality RM construction. In addition, to enhance the diffusion model's capability of extracting features from dynamic environments, an attention U-Net with an adaptive fast Fourier transform module is employed as the backbone network to improve the dynamic environmental features extracting capability. Meanwhile, the decoupled diffusion model is utilized to further enhance the construction performance of RMs. Moreover, a comprehensive theoretical analysis of why the RM construction is a generative problem is provided for the first time, from both perspectives of data features and NN training methods. Experimental results show that the proposed RadioDiff achieves state-of-the-art performance in all three metrics of accuracy, structural similarity, and peak signal-to-noise ratio. The code is available at https://github.com/UNIC-Lab/RadioDiff.

Vehicular edge computing (VEC) is an emerging technology with significant potential in the field of internet of vehicles (IoV), enabling vehicles to perform intensive computational tasks locally or offload them to nearby edge devices. However, the quality of communication links may be severely deteriorated due to obstacles such as buildings, impeding the offloading process. To address this challenge, we introduce the use of Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS), which provide alternative communication pathways to assist vehicular communication. By dynamically adjusting the phase-shift of the RIS, the performance of VEC systems can be substantially improved. In this work, we consider a RIS-assisted VEC system, and design an optimal scheme for local execution power, offloading power, and RIS phase-shift, where random task arrivals and channel variations are taken into account. To address the scheme, we propose an innovative deep reinforcement learning (DRL) framework that combines the Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient (DDPG) algorithm for optimizing RIS phase-shift coefficients and the Multi-Agent Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient (MADDPG) algorithm for optimizing the power allocation of vehicle user (VU). Simulation results show that our proposed scheme outperforms the traditional centralized DDPG, Twin Delayed Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient (TD3) and some typical stochastic schemes., Comment: This paper has been submitted to IEEE Journal. The source code has been released at https://github.com/qiongwu86/DDPG-RIS-MADDPG-POWER. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:2406.11318

This paper investigates a movable antenna (MA)-assisted multiuser integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) system, where the base station (BS) and communication users are all equipped with MA for improving both the sensing and communication performance. We employ the Cramer-Rao bound (CRB) as the performance metric of sensing, thus a joint beamforming design and MAs' position optimizing problem is formulated to minimize the CRB. However the resulting optimization problem is NP-hard and the variables are highly coupled. To tackle this problem, we propose an alternating optimization (AO) framework by adopting semidefinite relaxation (SDR) and successive convex approximation (SCA) technique. Numerical results reveal that the proposed MA-assisted ISAC system achieves lower estimation CRB compared to the fixed-position antenna (FPA) counterpart.

As a promising technology, vehicular edge computing (VEC) can provide computing and caching services by deploying VEC servers near vehicles. However, VEC networks still face challenges such as high vehicle mobility. Digital twin (DT), an emerging technology, can predict, estimate, and analyze real-time states by digitally modeling objects in the physical world. By integrating DT with VEC, a virtual vehicle DT can be created in the VEC server to monitor the real-time operating status of vehicles. However, maintaining the vehicle DT model requires ongoing attention from the VEC server, which also needs to offer computing services for the vehicles. Therefore, effective allocation and scheduling of VEC server resources are crucial. This study focuses on a general VEC network with a single VEC service and multiple vehicles, examining the two types of delays caused by twin maintenance and computational processing within the network. By transforming the problem using satisfaction functions, we propose an optimization problem aimed at maximizing each vehicle's resource utility to determine the optimal resource allocation strategy. Given the non-convex nature of the issue, we employ multi-agent Markov decision processes to reformulate the problem. Subsequently, we propose the twin maintenance and computing task processing resource collaborative scheduling (MADRL-CSTC) algorithm, which leverages multi-agent deep reinforcement learning. Through experimental comparisons with alternative algorithms, it demonstrates that our proposed approach is effective in terms of resource allocation., Comment: This paper has been submitted to IEEE Journal. The source code has been released at:https://github.com/qiongwu86/Resource-allocation-for-twin-maintenance-and-computing-tasks-in-digital-twin-mobile-edge-network

In this paper, we propose a novel transmissive reconfigurable intelligent surface transceiver-enhanced robust and secure integrated sensing and communication network. A time-division sensing communication mechanism is designed for the scenario, which enables communication and sensing to share wireless resources. To address the interference management problem and hinder eavesdropping, we implement rate-splitting multiple access (RSMA), where the common stream is designed as a useful signal and an artificial noise, while taking into account the imperfect channel state information and modeling the channel for the illegal users in a fine-grained manner as well as giving an upper bound on the error. We introduce the secrecy outage probability and construct an optimization problem with secrecy sum-rate as the objective functions to optimize the common stream beamforming matrix, the private stream beamforming matrix and the timeslot duration variable. Due to the coupling of the optimization variables and the infinity of the error set, the proposed problem is a nonconvex optimization problem that cannot be solved directly. In order to address the above challenges, the block coordinate descent-based second-order cone programming algorithm is used to decouple the optimization variables and solving the problem. Specifically, the problem is decoupled into two subproblems concerning the common stream beamforming matrix, the private stream beamforming matrix, and the timeslot duration variable, which are solved by alternating optimization until convergence is reached. To solve the problem, S-procedure, Bernstein's inequality and successive convex approximation are employed to deal with the objective function and non-convex constraints. Numerical simulation results verify the superiority of the proposed scheme in improving the secrecy energy efficiency and the Cram\'{e}r-Rao boundary.

In the rapidly evolving landscape of Internet of Vehicles (IoV) technology, Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) communication has attracted much attention due to its superior performance in coverage, latency, and throughput. Resource allocation within C-V2X is crucial for ensuring the transmission of safety information and meeting the stringent requirements for ultra-low latency and high reliability in Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) communication. This paper proposes a method that integrates Graph Neural Networks (GNN) with Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) to address this challenge. By constructing a dynamic graph with communication links as nodes and employing the Graph Sample and Aggregation (GraphSAGE) model to adapt to changes in graph structure, the model aims to ensure a high success rate for V2V communication while minimizing interference on Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) links, thereby ensuring the successful transmission of V2V link information and maintaining high transmission rates for V2I links. The proposed method retains the global feature learning capabilities of GNN and supports distributed network deployment, allowing vehicles to extract low-dimensional features that include structural information from the graph network based on local observations and to make independent resource allocation decisions. Simulation results indicate that the introduction of GNN, with a modest increase in computational load, effectively enhances the decision-making quality of agents, demonstrating superiority to other methods. This study not only provides a theoretically efficient resource allocation strategy for V2V and V2I communications but also paves a new technical path for resource management in practical IoV environments., Comment: 14 pages, 11 figures. This paper has been submitted to IEEE Journal. The source code has been released at: https://github.com/qiongwu86/GNN-and-DRL-Based-Resource-Allocation-for-V2X-Communications

To meet the growing demand for data traffic, spectrum-rich optical wireless communication (OWC) has emerged as a key technological driver for the development of 6G. The resonant beam communication (RBC) system, which employs spatially separated laser cavities as the transmitter and receiver, is a high-speed OWC technology capable of self-alignment without tracking. However, its transmission through the air is susceptible to losses caused by obstructions. In this paper, we propose an intelligent reflecting surface (IRS) assisted RBC system with the optical frequency doubling method, where the resonant beam in frequency-fundamental and frequency-doubled is transmitted through both direct line-of-sight (LoS) and IRS-assisted channels to maintain steady-state oscillation and enable communication without echo-interference, respectively. Then, we establish the channel model based on Fresnel diffraction theory under the near-field optical propagation to analyze the transmission loss and frequency-doubled power analytically. Furthermore, communication power can be maximized by dynamically controlling the beam-splitting ratio between the two channels according to the loss levels encountered over air. Numerical results validate that the IRS-assisted channel can compensate for the losses in the obstructed LoS channel and misaligned receivers, ensuring that communication performance reaches an optimal value with dynamic ratio adjustments.

In this paper, we investigate a special class of quadratic-constrained quadratic programming (QCQP) with semi-definite constraints. Traditionally, since such a problem is non-convex and N-hard, the neural network (NN) is regarded as a promising method to obtain a high-performing solution. However, due to the inherent prediction error, it is challenging to ensure all solution output by the NN is feasible. Although some existing methods propose some naive methods, they only focus on reducing the constraint violation probability, where not all solutions are feasibly guaranteed. To deal with the above challenge, in this paper a computing efficient and reliable projection is proposed, where all solution output by the NN are ensured to be feasible. Moreover, unsupervised learning is used, so the NN can be trained effectively and efficiently without labels. Theoretically, the solution of the NN after projection is proven to be feasible, and we also prove the projection method can enhance the convergence performance and speed of the NN. To evaluate our proposed method, the quality of service (QoS)-contained beamforming scenario is studied, where the simulation results show the proposed method can achieve high-performance which is competitive with the lower bound.

With the rapid development of intelligent vehicles and Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), the sensors such as cameras and LiDAR installed on intelligent vehicles provides higher capacity of executing computation-intensive and delay-sensitive tasks, thereby raising deployment costs. To address this issue, Vehicular Edge Computing (VEC) has been proposed to process data through Road Side Units (RSUs) to support real-time applications. This paper focuses on the Age of Information (AoI) as a key metric for data freshness and explores task offloading issues for vehicles under RSU communication resource constraints. We adopt a Multi-agent Deep Reinforcement Learning (MADRL) approach, allowing vehicles to autonomously make optimal data offloading decisions. However, MADRL poses risks of vehicle information leakage during communication learning and centralized training. To mitigate this, we employ a Federated Learning (FL) framework that shares model parameters instead of raw data to protect the privacy of vehicle users. Building on this, we propose an innovative distributed federated learning framework combining Graph Neural Networks (GNN), named Federated Graph Neural Network Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning (FGNN-MADRL), to optimize AoI across the system. For the first time, road scenarios are constructed as graph data structures, and a GNN-based federated learning framework is proposed, effectively combining distributed and centralized federated aggregation. Furthermore, we propose a new MADRL algorithm that simplifies decision making and enhances offloading efficiency, further reducing the decision complexity. Simulation results demonstrate the superiority of our proposed approach to other methods through simulations., Comment: This paper has been submitted to IEEE Journal. The source code has been released at: https://github.com/qiongwu86/Optimizing-AoI-in-VEC-with-Federated-Graph-Neural-Network-Multi-Agent-Reinforcement-Learning

With the rapid development of artificial intelligence technology, the field of reinforcement learning has continuously achieved breakthroughs in both theory and practice. However, traditional reinforcement learning algorithms often entail high energy consumption during interactions with the environment. Spiking Neural Network (SNN), with their low energy consumption characteristics and performance comparable to deep neural networks, have garnered widespread attention. To reduce the energy consumption of practical applications of reinforcement learning, researchers have successively proposed the Pop-SAN and MDC-SAN algorithms. Nonetheless, these algorithms use rectangular functions to approximate the spike network during the training process, resulting in low sensitivity, thus indicating room for improvement in the training effectiveness of SNN. Based on this, we propose a trapezoidal approximation gradient method to replace the spike network, which not only preserves the original stable learning state but also enhances the model's adaptability and response sensitivity under various signal dynamics. Simulation results show that the improved algorithm, using the trapezoidal approximation gradient to replace the spike network, achieves better convergence speed and performance compared to the original algorithm and demonstrates good training stability.

The development of Digital Twins (DTs) represents a transformative advance for simulating and optimizing complex systems in a controlled digital space. Despite their potential, the challenge of constructing DTs that accurately replicate and predict the dynamics of real-world systems remains substantial. This paper introduces an intelligent framework for the construction and evaluation of DTs, specifically designed to enhance the accuracy and utility of DTs in testing algorithmic performance. We propose a novel construction methodology that integrates deep learning-based policy gradient techniques to dynamically tune the DT parameters, ensuring high fidelity in the digital replication of physical systems. Moreover, the Mean STate Error (MSTE) is proposed as a robust metric for evaluating the performance of algorithms within these digital space. The efficacy of our framework is demonstrated through extensive simulations that show our DT not only accurately mirrors the physical reality but also provides a reliable platform for algorithm evaluation. This work lays a foundation for future research into DT technologies, highlighting pathways for both theoretical enhancements and practical implementations in various industries.

Vehicular edge computing (VEC) is an emerging technology that enables vehicles to perform high-intensity tasks by executing tasks locally or offloading them to nearby edge devices. However, obstacles such as buildings may degrade the communications and incur communication interruptions, and thus the vehicle may not meet the requirement for task offloading. Reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS) is introduced to support vehicle communication and provide an alternative communication path. The system performance can be improved by flexibly adjusting the phase-shift of the RIS. For RIS-assisted VEC system where tasks arrive randomly, we design a control scheme that considers offloading power, local power allocation and phase-shift optimization. To solve this non-convex problem, we propose a new deep reinforcement learning (DRL) framework that employs modified multi-agent deep deterministic policy gradient (MADDPG) approach to optimize the power allocation for vehicle users (VUs) and block coordinate descent (BCD) algorithm to optimize the phase-shift of the RIS. Simulation results show that our proposed scheme outperforms the centralized deep deterministic policy gradient (DDPG) scheme and random scheme., Comment: This paper has been submitted to IEEE Journal. The source code has been released at: https://github.com/qiongwu86/RIS-VEC-MARL.git

Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface (RIS) is a pivotal technology in communication, offering an alternative path that significantly enhances the link quality in wireless communication environments. In this paper, we propose a RIS-assisted internet of vehicles (IoV) network, considering the vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication method. In addition, in order to improve the timeliness of vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) links and the stability of vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) links, we introduce the age of information (AoI) model and the payload transmission probability model. Therefore, with the objective of minimizing the AoI of V2I links and prioritizing transmission of V2V links payload, we construct this optimization problem as an Markov decision process (MDP) problem in which the BS serves as an agent to allocate resources and control phase-shift for the vehicles using the soft actor-critic (SAC) algorithm, which gradually converges and maintains a high stability. A AoI-aware joint vehicular resource allocation and RIS phase-shift control scheme based on SAC algorithm is proposed and simulation results show that its convergence speed, cumulative reward, AoI performance, and payload transmission probability outperforms those of proximal policy optimization (PPO), deep deterministic policy gradient (DDPG), twin delayed deep deterministic policy gradient (TD3) and stochastic algorithms., Comment: This paper has been submitted to IEEE Journal. The source code has been released at https://github.com/qiongwu86/RIS-RB-AoI-V2X-DRL.git

This paper studies a multiple intelligent reflecting surfaces (IRSs) collaborative localization system where multiple semi-passive IRSs are deployed in the network to locate one or more targets based on time-of-arrival. It is assumed that each semi-passive IRS is equipped with reflective elements and sensors, which are used to establish the line-of-sight links from the base station (BS) to multiple targets and process echo signals, respectively. Based on the above model, we derive the Fisher information matrix of the echo signal with respect to the time delay. By employing the chain rule and exploiting the geometric relationship between time delay and position, the Cramer-Rao bound (CRB) for estimating the target's Cartesian coordinate position is derived. Then, we propose a two-stage algorithmic framework to minimize CRB in single- and multi-target localization systems by joint optimizing active beamforming at BS, passive beamforming at multiple IRSs and IRS selection. For the single-target case, we derive the optimal closed-form solution for multiple IRSs coefficients design and propose a lowcomplexity algorithm based on alternating direction method of multipliers to obtain the optimal solution for active beaming design. For the multi-target case, alternating optimization is used to transform the original problem into two subproblems where semi-definite relaxation and successive convex approximation are applied to tackle the quadraticity and indefiniteness in the CRB expression, respectively. Finally, numerical simulation results validate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm for multiple IRSs collaborative localization system compared to other benchmark schemes as well as the significant performance gains., Comment: 13 pages, 8 figures

This letter proposes a semantic-aware resource allocation (SARA) framework with flexible duty cycle (DC) coexistence mechanism (SARADC) for 5G-V2X Heterogeneous Network (HetNets) based on deep reinforcement learning (DRL) proximal policy optimization (PPO). Specifically, we investigate V2X networks within a two-tiered HetNets structure. In response to the needs of high-speed vehicular networking in urban environments, we design a semantic communication system and introduce two resource allocation metrics: high-speed semantic transmission rate (HSR) and semantic spectrum efficiency (HSSE). Our main goal is to maximize HSSE. Additionally, we address the coexistence of vehicular users and WiFi users in 5G New Radio Unlicensed (NR-U) networks. To tackle this complex challenge, we propose a novel approach that jointly optimizes flexible DC coexistence mechanism and the allocation of resources and base stations (BSs). Unlike traditional bit transmission methods, our approach integrates the semantic communication paradigm into the communication system. Experimental results demonstrate that our proposed solution outperforms traditional bit transmission methods with traditional DC coexistence mechanism in terms of HSSE and semantic throughput (ST) for both vehicular and WiFi users., Comment: This paper has been submitted to IEEE Letter.The source code has been released at: https://github.com/qiongwu86/Semantic-Aware-Resource-Allocation-Based-on-Deep-Reinforcement-Learning-for-5G-V2X-HetNets

This article presents a digital twin (DT)-enhanced reinforcement learning (RL) framework aimed at optimizing performance and reliability in network resource management, since the traditional RL methods face several unified challenges when applied to physical networks, including limited exploration efficiency, slow convergence, poor long-term performance, and safety concerns during the exploration phase. To deal with the above challenges, a comprehensive DT-based framework is proposed to enhance the convergence speed and performance for unified RL-based resource management. The proposed framework provides safe action exploration, more accurate estimates of long-term returns, faster training convergence, higher convergence performance, and real-time adaptation to varying network conditions. Then, two case studies on ultra-reliable and low-latency communication (URLLC) services and multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) network are presented, demonstrating improvements of the proposed framework in performance, convergence speed, and training cost reduction both on traditional RL and neural network based Deep RL (DRL). Finally, the article identifies and explores some of the research challenges and open issues in this rapidly evolving field., Comment: 7pages, 6figures

Radio Frequency (RF) fingerprinting is to identify a wireless device from its uniqueness of the analog circuitry or hardware imperfections. However, unlike the MAC address which can be modified, such hardware feature is inevitable for the signal emitted to air, which can possibly reveal device whereabouts, e.g., a sniffer can use a pre-trained model to identify a nearby device when receiving its signal. Such fingerprint may expose critical private information, e.g., the associated upper-layer applications or the end-user. In this paper, we propose to erase such RF feature for wireless devices, which can prevent fingerprinting by actively perturbation from the signal perspective. Specifically, we consider a common RF fingerprinting scenario, where machine learning models are trained from pilot signal data for identification. A novel adversarial attack solution is designed to generate proper perturbations, whereby the perturbed pilot signal can hide the hardware feature and misclassify the model. We theoretically show that the perturbation would not affect the communication function within a tolerable perturbation threshold. We also implement the pilot signal fingerprinting and the proposed perturbation process in a practical LTE system. Extensive experiment results demonstrate that the RF fingerprints can be effectively erased to protect the user privacy.

This work aims to investigate semantic communication in high-speed mobile Internet of vehicles (IoV) environments, with a focus on the spectrum sharing between vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communications. We specifically address spectrum scarcity and network traffic and then propose a semantic-aware spectrum sharing algorithm (SSS) based on the deep reinforcement learning (DRL) soft actor-critic (SAC) approach. Firstly, we delve into the extraction of semantic information. Secondly, we redefine metrics for semantic information in V2V and V2I spectrum sharing in IoV environments, introducing high-speed semantic spectrum efficiency (HSSE) and semantic transmission rate (HSR). Finally, we employ the SAC algorithm for decision optimization in V2V and V2I spectrum sharing based on semantic information. This optimization encompasses the optimal link of V2V and V2I sharing strategies, the transmission power for vehicles sending semantic information and the length of transmitted semantic symbols, aiming at maximizing HSSE of V2I and enhancing success rate of effective semantic information transmission (SRS) of V2V. Experimental results demonstrate that the SSS algorithm outperforms other baseline algorithms, including other traditional-communication-based spectrum sharing algorithms and spectrum sharing algorithm using other reinforcement learning approaches. The SSS algorithm exhibits a 15% increase in HSSE and approximately a 7% increase in SRS., Comment: This paper has been submitted to IEEE Journal. The source code has been released at: https://github.com/qiongwu86/Semantic-Aware-Spectrum-Sharing-in-Internet-of-Vehicles-Based-on-Deep-Reinforcement-Learning

This letter investigates a short-packet downlink transmission system using non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) enhanced via movable antenna (MA). We focuses on maximizing the effective throughput for a core user while ensuring reliable communication for an edge user by optimizing the MAs' coordinates and the power and rate allocations from the access point (AP). The optimization challenge is approached by decomposing it into two subproblems, utilizing successive convex approximation (SCA) to handle the highly non-concave nature of channel gains. Numerical results confirm that the proposed solution offers substantial improvements in effective throughput compared to NOMA short-packet communication with fixed position antennas (FPAs)., Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures

This paper investigates a novel communication paradigm employing movable antennas (MAs) within a multiple-input single-output (MISO) non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) downlink framework, where users are equipped with MAs. Initially, leveraging the far-field response, we delineate the channel characteristics concerning both the power allocation coefficient and positions of MAs. Subsequently, we endeavor to maximize the channel capacity by jointly optimizing power allocation and antenna positions. To tackle the resultant non-convex problem, we propose an alternating optimization (AO) scheme underpinned by successive convex approximation (SCA) to converge towards a stationary point. Through numerical simulations, our findings substantiate the superiority of the MA-assisted NOMA system over both orthogonal multiple access (OMA) and conventional NOMA configurations in terms of average sum rate and outage probability.

The high sensitivity of the spectrum and wavefunctions to boundary conditions, termed the non-Hermitian skin effect, represents a fundamental aspect of non-Hermitian systems. While it endows non-Hermitian systems with unprecedented physical properties, it presents notable obstacles in grasping universal properties that are robust against microscopic details and boundary conditions. In this Letter, we introduce a pivotal theorem: in the thermodynamic limit, for any non-Hermitian systems with finite-range interactions, all spectral moments are invariant quantities, independent of boundary conditions, posing strong constraints on the spectrum. Utilizing this invariance, we propose a new criterion for bulk dynamical phases based on experimentally observable features and applicable to any dimensions and any boundary conditions. Based on this criterion, we define the bulk dispersive-to-proliferative phase transition, which is distinct from the real-to-complex spectral transition and contrary to traditional expectations. We verify these findings in 1D and 2D lattice models., Comment: 8 Pages, 4 Figures

Task offloading is a potential solution to satisfy the strict requirements of computation-intensive and latency-sensitive vehicular applications due to the limited onboard computing resources. However, the overwhelming upload traffic may lead to unacceptable uploading time. To tackle this issue, for tasks taking environmental data as input, the data perceived by roadside units (RSU) equipped with several sensors can be directly exploited for computation, resulting in a novel task offloading paradigm with integrated communications, sensing and computing (I-CSC). With this paradigm, vehicles can select to upload their sensed data to RSUs or transmit computing instructions to RSUs during the offloading. By optimizing the computation mode and network resources, in this paper, we investigate an I-CSC-based task offloading problem to reduce the cost caused by resource consumption while guaranteeing the latency of each task. Although this non-convex problem can be handled by the alternating minimization (AM) algorithm that alternatively minimizes the divided four sub-problems, it leads to high computational complexity and local optimal solution. To tackle this challenge, we propose a creative structural knowledge-driven meta-learning (SKDML) method, involving both the model-based AM algorithm and neural networks. Specifically, borrowing the iterative structure of the AM algorithm, also referred to as structural knowledge, the proposed SKDML adopts long short-term memory (LSTM) network-based meta-learning to learn an adaptive optimizer for updating variables in each sub-problem, instead of the handcrafted counterpart in the AM algorithm.

In the sixth-generation (6G) networks, newly emerging diversified services of massive users in dynamic network environments are required to be satisfied by multi-dimensional heterogeneous resources. The resulting large-scale complicated network optimization problems are beyond the capability of model-based theoretical methods due to the overwhelming computational complexity and the long processing time. Although with fast online inference and universal approximation ability, data-driven deep learning (DL) heavily relies on abundant training data and lacks interpretability. To address these issues, a new paradigm called knowledge-driven DL has emerged, aiming to integrate proven domain knowledge into the construction of neural networks, thereby exploiting the strengths of both methods. This article provides a systematic review of knowledge-driven DL in wireless networks. Specifically, a holistic framework of knowledge-driven DL in wireless networks is proposed, where knowledge sources, knowledge representation, knowledge integration and knowledge application are forming as a closed loop. Then, a detailed taxonomy of knowledge integration approaches, including knowledge-assisted, knowledge-fused, and knowledge-embedded DL, is presented. Several open issues for future research are also discussed. The insights offered in this article provide a basic principle for the design of network optimization that incorporates communication-specific domain knowledge and DL, facilitating the realization of intelligent 6G networks., Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures

Edge-device collaboration has the potential to facilitate compute-intensive device pose tracking for resource-constrained mobile augmented reality (MAR) devices. In this paper, we devise a 3D map management scheme for edge-assisted MAR, wherein an edge server constructs and updates a 3D map of the physical environment by using the camera frames uploaded from an MAR device, to support local device pose tracking. Our objective is to minimize the uncertainty of device pose tracking by periodically selecting a proper set of uploaded camera frames and updating the 3D map. To cope with the dynamics of the uplink data rate and the user's pose, we formulate a Bayes-adaptive Markov decision process problem and propose a digital twin (DT)-based approach to solve the problem. First, a DT is designed as a data model to capture the time-varying uplink data rate, thereby supporting 3D map management. Second, utilizing extensive generated data provided by the DT, a model-based reinforcement learning algorithm is developed to manage the 3D map while adapting to these dynamics. Numerical results demonstrate that the designed DT outperforms Markov models in accurately capturing the time-varying uplink data rate, and our devised DT-based 3D map management scheme surpasses benchmark schemes in reducing device pose tracking uncertainty., Comment: Accepted by IEEE Internet of Things Journal

This paper investigates a multiple input single output (MISO) downlink communication system in which users are equipped with fluid antennas (FAs). First, we adopt a field-response based channel model to characterize the downlink channel with respect to FAs' positions. Then, we aim to minimize the total transmit power by jointly optimizing the FAs' positions and beamforming matrix. To solve the resulting non-convex problem, we employ an alternating optimization (AO) algorithm based on penalty method and successive convex approximation (SCA) to obtain a sub-optimal solution. Numerical results demonstrate that the FA-assisted communication system performs better than conventional fixed position antennas system.

Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) is widely used to optimize the performance of multi-UAV networks. However, the training of DRL relies on the frequent interactions between the UAVs and the environment, which consumes lots of energy due to the flying and communication of UAVs in practical experiments. Inspired by the growing digital twin (DT) technology, which can simulate the performance of algorithms in the digital space constructed by coping features of the physical space, the DT is introduced to reduce the costs of practical training, e.g., energy and hardware purchases. Different from previous DT-assisted works with an assumption of perfect reflecting real physics by virtual digital, we consider an imperfect DT model with deviations for assisting the training of multi-UAV networks. Remarkably, to trade off the training cost, DT construction cost, and the impact of deviations of DT on training, the natural and virtually generated UAV mixing deployment method is proposed. Two cascade neural networks (NN) are used to optimize the joint number of virtually generated UAVs, the DT construction cost, and the performance of multi-UAV networks. These two NNs are trained by unsupervised and reinforcement learning, both low-cost label-free training methods. Simulation results show the training cost can significantly decrease while guaranteeing the training performance. This implies that an efficient decision can be made with imperfect DTs in multi-UAV networks.

In this paper, we investigate a practical structure of reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS)-based double spatial scattering modulation (DSSM) for millimeter-wave (mmWave) multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems. A suboptimal detector is proposed, in which the beam direction is first demodulated according to the received beam strength, and then the remaining information is demodulated by adopting the maximum likelihood algorithm. Based on the proposed suboptimal detector, we derive the conditional pairwise error probability expression. Further, the exact numerical integral and closed-form expressions of unconditional pairwise error probability (UPEP) are derived via two different approaches. To provide more insights, we derive the upper bound and asymptotic expressions of UPEP. In addition, the diversity gain of the RIS-DSSM scheme was also given. Furthermore, the union upper bound of average bit error probability (ABEP) is obtained by combining the UPEP and the number of error bits. Simulation results are provided to validate the derived upper bound and asymptotic expressions of ABEP. We found an interesting phenomenon that the ABEP performance of the proposed system-based phase shift keying is better than that of the quadrature amplitude modulation. Additionally, the performance advantage of ABEP is more significant with the increase in the number of RIS elements.

With the rapid development of communication technologies and extended reality (XR), the services and applications of the Metaverse are gradually entering our lives. However, the current development of the Metaverse provides users with services that are homogeneous with the user experience that the Internet has brought in the past, making them more like an extension of the Internet. In addition, as a mobile application carrier for the Metaverse, it is also worth considering how vehicles with diverse onboard components can develop in synergy with the Metaverse. In this article, we focus on the core of the Metaverse, namely user experience, and provide a road map from Metaverse to Metaverse vehicles (Metavehicles). Specifically, we first elaborate on six features of the Metaverse from the perspective of user experience and propose a hierarchical framework for the Metaverse based on the evolutionary logic of the features. Under the guidance of this framework, we discuss the empowerment of onboard components of Metavehicles on the development of the Metaverse, and analyze the service experience that Metavehicles can bring to two types of users, namely drivers and passengers. Finally, considering the differentiated development levels of Metaverse and autonomous driving, we further establish a hierarchical framework for Metavehicles from three aspects (i.e., enhance Metaverse, enhance driving experience, and enhance entertainment experience), providing an evolutionary path for the development of Metavehicles., Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures

In Space-air-ground integrated networks (SAGIN), the inherent openness and extensive broadcast coverage expose these networks to significant eavesdropping threats. Considering the inherent co-channel interference due to spectrum sharing among multi-tier access networks in SAGIN, it can be leveraged to assist the physical layer security among heterogeneous transmissions. However, it is challenging to conduct a secrecy-oriented access strategy due to both heterogeneous resources and different eavesdropping models. In this paper, we explore secure access selection for a scenario involving multi-mode users capable of accessing satellites, unmanned aerial vehicles, or base stations in the presence of eavesdroppers. Particularly, we propose a Q-network approximation based deep learning approach for selecting the optimal access strategy for maximizing the sum secrecy rate. Meanwhile, the power optimization is also carried out by an unsupervised learning approach to improve the secrecy performance. Remarkably, two neural networks are trained by unsupervised learning and Q-network approximation which are both label-free methods without knowing the optimal solution as labels. Numerical results verify the efficiency of our proposed power optimization approach and access strategy, leading to enhanced secure transmission performance.

As a promising paradigm federated Learning (FL) is widely used in privacy-preserving machine learning, which allows distributed devices to collaboratively train a model while avoiding data transmission among clients. Despite its immense potential, the FL suffers from bottlenecks in training speed due to client heterogeneity, leading to escalated training latency and straggling server aggregation. To deal with this challenge, a novel split federated learning (SFL) framework that pairs clients with different computational resources is proposed, where clients are paired based on computing resources and communication rates among clients, meanwhile the neural network model is split into two parts at the logical level, and each client only computes the part assigned to it by using the SL to achieve forward inference and backward training. Moreover, to effectively deal with the client pairing problem, a heuristic greedy algorithm is proposed by reconstructing the optimization of training latency as a graph edge selection problem. Simulation results show the proposed method can significantly improve the FL training speed and achieve high performance both in independent identical distribution (IID) and Non-IID data distribution.

As a fundamental problem, numerous methods are dedicated to the optimization of signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR), in a multi-user setting. Although traditional model-based optimization methods achieve strong performance, the high complexity raises the research of neural network (NN) based approaches to trade-off the performance and complexity. To fully leverage the high performance of traditional model-based methods and the low complexity of the NN-based method, a knowledge distillation (KD) based algorithm distillation (AD) method is proposed in this paper to improve the performance and convergence speed of the NN-based method, where traditional SINR optimization methods are employed as ``teachers" to assist the training of NNs, which are ``students", thus enhancing the performance of unsupervised and reinforcement learning techniques. This approach aims to alleviate common issues encountered in each of these training paradigms, including the infeasibility of obtaining optimal solutions as labels and overfitting in supervised learning, ensuring higher convergence performance in unsupervised learning, and improving training efficiency in reinforcement learning. Simulation results demonstrate the enhanced performance of the proposed AD-based methods compared to traditional learning methods. Remarkably, this research paves the way for the integration of traditional optimization insights and emerging NN techniques in wireless communication system optimization.

By offloading computation-intensive tasks of vehicles to roadside units (RSUs), mobile edge computing (MEC) in the Internet of Vehicles (IoV) can relieve the onboard computation burden. However, existing model-based task offloading methods suffer from heavy computational complexity with the increase of vehicles and data-driven methods lack interpretability. To address these challenges, in this paper, we propose a knowledge-driven multi-agent reinforcement learning (KMARL) approach to reduce the latency of task offloading in cybertwin-enabled IoV. Specifically, in the considered scenario, the cybertwin serves as a communication agent for each vehicle to exchange information and make offloading decisions in the virtual space. To reduce the latency of task offloading, a KMARL approach is proposed to select the optimal offloading option for each vehicle, where graph neural networks are employed by leveraging domain knowledge concerning graph-structure communication topology and permutation invariance into neural networks. Numerical results show that our proposed KMARL yields higher rewards and demonstrates improved scalability compared with other methods, benefitting from the integration of domain knowledge.

Due to the low power consumption and low cost nature of transmissive reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS),in this paper, we propose a downlink multi-user rate-splitting multiple access (RSMA) architecture based on the transmissive RIS transmitter, where the channel state information (CSI) is only accquired partially. We investigate the weighted sum-rate maximization problem by jointly optimizing the power, RIS transmissive coefficients and common rate allocated to each user. Due to the coupling of optimization variables, the problem is nonconvex, and it is difficult to directly obtain the optimal solution. Hence, a block coordinate descent (BCD) algorithm based on sample average approximation (SAA) and weighted minimum mean square error (WMMSE) is proposed to tackle it. Numerical results illustrate that the transmissive RIS transmitter with ratesplitting architecture has advantages over conventional space division multiple access (SDMA) and non-orthgonal multiple access (NOMA).

This paper proposes an novel knowledge-driven approach for resource allocation in device-to-device (D2D) networks using a graph neural network (GNN) architecture. To meet the millisecond-level timeliness and scalability required for the dynamic network environment, our proposed approach incorporates the deep unrolling of the weighted minimum mean square error (WMMSE) algorithm, referred to as domain knowledge, into GNN, thereby reducing computational delay and sample complexity while adapting to various data distributions. Specifically, the aggregation and update functions in the GNN architecture are designed by utilizing the summation and power calculation components of the WMMSE algorithm, which leads to improved model generalization and interpretabiliy. Theoretical analysis of the proposed approach reveals its capability to simplify intricate end-to-end mappings and diminish the model exploration space, resulting in increased network expressiveness and enhanced optimization performance. Simulation results demonstrate the robustness, scalability, and strong performance of the proposed knowledge-driven resource allocation approach across diverse communication topologies without retraining. Our findings contribute to the development of efficient and scalable wireless resource management solutions for distributed and dynamic networks with strict latency requirements.

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have gained popularity due to their flexible mobility, on-demand deployment, and the ability to establish high probability line-of-sight wireless communication. As a result, UAVs have been extensively used as aerial base stations (ABSs) to supplement ground-based cellular networks for various applications. However, existing UAV-assisted communication schemes mainly focus on trajectory optimization and power allocation, while ignoring the issue of collision avoidance during UAV flight. To address this issue, this paper proposes an interpretable UAV-assisted communication scheme that decomposes reliable UAV services into two sub-problems. The first is the constrained UAV coordinates and power allocation problem, which is solved using the Dueling Double DQN (D3QN) method. The second is the constrained UAV collision avoidance and trajectory optimization problem, which is addressed through the Monte Carlo tree search (MCTS) method. This approach ensures both reliable and efficient operation of UAVs. Moreover, we propose a scalable interpretable artificial intelligence (XAI) framework that enables more transparent and reliable system decisions. The proposed scheme's interpretability generates explainable and trustworthy results, making it easier to comprehend, validate, and control UAV-assisted communication solutions. Through extensive experiments, we demonstrate that our proposed algorithm outperforms existing techniques in terms of performance and generalization. The proposed model improves the reliability, efficiency, and safety of UAV-assisted communication systems, making it a promising solution for future UAV-assisted communication applications

Deep learning has been successfully adopted in mobile edge computing (MEC) to optimize task offloading and resource allocation. However, the dynamics of edge networks raise two challenges in neural network (NN)-based optimization methods: low scalability and high training costs. Although conventional node-output graph neural networks (GNN) can extract features of edge nodes when the network scales, they fail to handle a new scalability issue whereas the dimension of the decision space may change as the network scales. To address the issue, in this paper, a novel link-output GNN (LOGNN)-based resource management approach is proposed to flexibly optimize the resource allocation in MEC for an arbitrary number of edge nodes with extremely low algorithm inference delay. Moreover, a label-free unsupervised method is applied to train the LOGNN efficiently, where the gradient of edge tasks processing delay with respect to the LOGNN parameters is derived explicitly. In addition, a theoretical analysis of the scalability of the node-output GNN and link-output GNN is performed. Simulation results show that the proposed LOGNN can efficiently optimize the MEC resource allocation problem in a scalable way, with an arbitrary number of servers and users. In addition, the proposed unsupervised training method has better convergence performance and speed than supervised learning and reinforcement learning-based training methods. The code is available at \url{https://github.com/UNIC-Lab/LOGNN}.

Unidirectional and backscattering-free propagation of sound waves is of fundamental interest in physics, and highly sought-after in engineering. Current strategies utilize topologically protected chiral edge modes in bandgaps, or complex mechanisms involving active constituents or nonlinearity. Here we propose a new class of passive, linear, one-way edge states based on spin-momentum locking of Rayleigh waves in two-dimensional media in the limit of vanishing bulk modulus, which provides $100\%$ unidirectional and backscattering-free edge propagation at a broad range of frequencies instead of residing in gaps between bulk bands. We further show that such modes are characterized by a new topological winding number that is analogous to discrete angular momentum eigenvalues in quantum mechanics. These passive and backscattering-free edge waves have the potential to enable a new class of phononic devices in the form of lattices or continua that work in previously inaccessible frequency ranges.

Geometric frustration is a fundamental concept in various areas of physics, and its role in self-assembly processes has recently been recognized as a source of intricate self-limited structures. Here we present an analytic theory of the geometrically frustrated self-assembly of regular icosahedral nanoparticle based on the non-Euclidean crystal {3, 5, 3} formed by icosahedra in hyperbolic space. By considering the minimization of elastic and repulsion energies, we characterize prestressed morphologies in this self-assembly system. Notably, the morphology exhibits a transition that is controlled by the size of the assembled cluster, leading to the spontaneous breaking of rotational symmetry., Comment: 10 Pages, 7 Figures

In this paper, we design a 3D map management scheme for edge-assisted mobile augmented reality (MAR) to support the pose estimation of individual MAR device, which uploads camera frames to an edge server. Our objective is to minimize the pose estimation uncertainty of the MAR device by periodically selecting a proper set of camera frames for uploading to update the 3D map. To address the challenges of the dynamic uplink data rate and the time-varying pose of the MAR device, we propose a digital twin (DT)-based approach to 3D map management. First, a DT is created for the MAR device, which emulates 3D map management based on predicting subsequent camera frames. Second, a model-based reinforcement learning (MBRL) algorithm is developed, utilizing the data collected from both the actual and the emulated data to manage the 3D map. With extensive emulated data provided by the DT, the MBRL algorithm can quickly provide an adaptive map management policy in a highly dynamic environment. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed DT-based 3D map management outperforms benchmark schemes by achieving lower pose estimation uncertainty and higher data efficiency in dynamic environments., Comment: submitted to IEEE ICCC

In this paper, to deal with the heterogeneity in federated learning (FL) systems, a knowledge distillation (KD) driven training framework for FL is proposed, where each user can select its neural network model on demand and distill knowledge from a big teacher model using its own private dataset. To overcome the challenge of train the big teacher model in resource limited user devices, the digital twin (DT) is exploit in the way that the teacher model can be trained at DT located in the server with enough computing resources. Then, during model distillation, each user can update the parameters of its model at either the physical entity or the digital agent. The joint problem of model selection and training offloading and resource allocation for users is formulated as a mixed integer programming (MIP) problem. To solve the problem, Q-learning and optimization are jointly used, where Q-learning selects models for users and determines whether to train locally or on the server, and optimization is used to allocate resources for users based on the output of Q-learning. Simulation results show the proposed DT-assisted KD framework and joint optimization method can significantly improve the average accuracy of users while reducing the total delay.

This work studies optimal solar charging for solar-powered self-sustainable UAV communication networks, considering the day-scale time-variability of solar radiation and user service demand. The objective is to optimally trade off between the user coverage performance and the net energy loss of the network by proactively assigning UAVs to serve, charge, or land. Specifically, the studied problem is first formulated into a time-coupled mixed-integer non-convex optimization problem, and further decoupled into two sub-problems for tractability. To solve the challenge caused by time-coupling, deep reinforcement learning (DRL) algorithms are respectively designed for the two sub-problems. Particularly, a relaxation mechanism is put forward to overcome the "dimension curse" incurred by the large discrete action space in the second sub-problem. At last, simulation results demonstrate the efficacy of our designed DRL algorithms in trading off the communication performance against the net energy loss, and the impact of different parameters on the tradeoff performance., Comment: 6 pages, accepted by ICC 2023

Beamforming (BF) training is crucial to establishing reliable millimeter-wave communication connections between stations (STAs) and an access point. In IEEE 802.11ad BF training protocol, all STAs contend for limited BF training opportunities, i.e., associated BF training (A-BFT) slots, which results in severe collisions and significant BF training latency, especially in dense user scenarios. In this paper, we first develop an analytical model to evaluate the BF training protocol performance. Our analytical model accounts for various protocol components, including user density, the number of A-BFT slots, and protocol parameters, i.e., retry limit and contention window size. We then derive the average successful BF training probability, the BF training efficiency and latency. Since the derived BF training efficiency is an implicit function, to reveal the relationship between system parameters and BF training performance, we also derive an approximate expression of BF training efficiency. Theoretical analysis indicates that the BF training efficiency degrades drastically in dense user scenarios. To address this issue, we propose an enhancement scheme which adaptively adjusts the protocol parameters in tune with user density, to improve the BF training performance in dense user scenarios. Extensive simulations are carried out to validate the accuracy of the developed analytical model. In addition, simulation results show that the proposed enhancement scheme can improve the BF training efficiency by 35% in dense user scenarios., Comment: The paper is accepted by IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology (TVT)

Edge caching is emerging as the most promising solution to reduce the content retrieval delay and relieve the huge burden on the backhaul links in the ultra-dense networks by proactive caching popular contents in the small base station (SBS). However, constraint cache resource of individual SBSs significantly throttles the performance of edge caching. In this paper, we propose a device-to-device (D2D) assisted cooperative edge caching (DCEC) policy for millimeter (mmWave) dense networks, which cooperatively utilizes the cache resource of users and SBSs in proximity. In the proposed DCEC policy, a content can be cached in either users' devices or SBSs according to the content popularity, and a user can retrieve the requested content from neighboring users via D2D links or the neighboring SBSs via cellular links to efficiently exploit the cache diversity. Unlike existing cooperative caching policies in the lower frequency bands that require complex interference management techniques to suppress interference, we take advantage of directional antenna in mmWave systems to ensure high transmission rate whereas mitigating interference footprint. Taking the practical directional antenna model and the network density into consideration, we derive closed-form expressions of the backhaul offloading performance and content retrieval delay based on the stochastic information of network topology. In addition, analytical results indicate that, with the increase of the network density, the content retrieval delay via D2D links increases significantly while that via cellular links increases slightly. Comprehensive simulations validate our theoretical analysis and demonstrate that the proposed policy can achieve higher performance in offloading the backhaul traffic and reducing the content retrieval delay compared with the state-of-the-art most popular caching (MPC) policy., Comment: The paper is accepted by IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology (TVT)

Multiple-input multiple-output and orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (MIMO-OFDM) are the key technologies in 4G and subsequent wireless communication systems. Conventionally, the MIMO-OFDM receiver is performed by multiple cascaded blocks with different functions and the algorithm in each block is designed based on ideal assumptions of wireless channel distributions. However, these assumptions may fail in practical complex wireless environments. The deep learning (DL) method has the ability to capture key features from complex and huge data. In this paper, a novel end-to-end MIMO-OFDM receiver framework based on \textit{transformer}, named SigT, is proposed. By regarding the signal received from each antenna as a token of the transformer, the spatial correlation of different antennas can be learned and the critical zero-shot problem can be mitigated. Furthermore, the proposed SigT framework can work well without the inserted pilots, which improves the useful data transmission efficiency. Experiment results show that SigT achieves much higher performance in terms of signal recovery accuracy than benchmark methods, even in a low SNR environment or with a small number of training samples. Code is available at https://github.com/SigTransformer/SigT.