CDMA Transmission with Complex OFDM/OQAM

Abstract We propose an alternative to the well-known multicarrier code-division multiple access (MC-CDMA) technique for downlink transmission by replacing the conventional cyclic-prefix orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) modulation by an advanced filterbank-based multicarrier system (OFDM/OQAM). Indeed, on one hand, MC-CDMA has already proved its ability to fight against frequency-selective channels thanks to the use of the OFDM modulation and its high flexibility in multiple access thanks to the CDMA component. On the other hand, OFDM/OQAM modulation confers a theoretically optimal spectral efficiency as it operates without guard interval. However, its orthogonality is limited to the real field. In this paper, we propose an orthogonally multiplex quadrature amplitude modulation (OQAM-) CDMA combination that permits a perfect reconstruction of the complex symbols transmitted over a distortion-free channel. The validity and efficiency of our theoretical scheme are illustrated by means of a comparison, using realistic channel models, with conventional MC-CDMA and also with an OQAM-CDMA combination conveying real symbols.