On the Capacity-Achieving Input of Channels with Phase Quantization

Several information-theoretic studies on channels with output quantization have identified the capacity-achieving input distributions for different fading channels with 1-bit in-phase and quadrature (I/Q) output quantization. However, an exact characterization of the capacity-achieving input distribution for channels with multi-bit phase quantization has not been provided. In this paper, we consider four different channel models with multi-bit phase quantization at the output and identify the optimal input distribution for each channel model. We first consider a complex Gaussian channel with \(b\)-bit phase-quantized output and prove that the capacity-achieving distribution is a rotated \(2^b\)-phase shift keying (PSK). The analysis is then extended to multiple fading scenarios. We show that the optimality of rotated \(2^b\)-PSK continues to hold under noncoherent fast fading Rician channels with \(b\)-bit phase quantization when line-of-sight (LoS) is present. When channel state information (CSI) is available at the receiver, we identify \(\frac{2\pi}{2^b}\)-symmetry and constant amplitude as the necessary and sufficient conditions for the ergodic capacity-achieving input distribution; which a \(2^b\)-PSK satisfies. Finally, an optimum power control scheme is presented which achieves ergodic capacity when CSI is also available at the transmitter.