Capacity of multiple-antenna fading channels: spatial fading correlation, double scattering, and keyhole

The capacity of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) wireless channels is limited by both the spatial fading correlation and rank deficiency of the channel. While spatial fading correlation reduces the diversity gains, rank deficiency due to double scattering or keyhole effects decreases the spatial multiplexing gains of multiple-antenna channels. In this paper, taking into account realistic propagation environments in the presence of spatial fading correlation, double scattering, and keyhole effects, we analyze the ergodic (or mean) MIMO capacity for an arbitrary finite number of transmit and receive antennas. We assume that the channel is unknown at the transmitter and perfectly known at the receiver so that equal power is allocated to each of the transmit antennas. Using some statistical properties of complex random matrices such as Gaussian matrices, Wishart (1928) matrices, and quadratic forms in the Gaussian matrix, we present a closed-form expression for the ergodic capacity of independent Rayleigh-fading MIMO channels and a tight upper bound for spatially correlated/double scattering MIMO channels. We also derive a closed-form capacity formula for keyhole MIMO channels. This analytic formula explicitly shows that the use of multiple antennas in keyhole channels only offers the diversity advantage, but provides no spatial multiplexing gains. Numerical results demonstrate the accuracy of our analytical expressions and the tightness of upper bounds.