Joint resource allocation involving optimization of subcarrier allocation, subcarrier pairing (SCP), and power allocation in a cooperative secure orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) communication system with untrusted users is considered. Both amplify and forward (AF), and decode and forward (DF) modes of operations are considered with individual power budget constraints for source and relay. After finding optimal subcarrier allocation for an AF relayed system, we prove the joint power allocation as a generalized convex problem, and solve it optimally. Compared to the conventional channel gain matching view, the optimal SCP is emphasized as a novel concept of channel gain tailoring. We prove that the optimal SCP pairs subcarriers such that the variance among the effective channel gains is minimized. For a DF relayed system, we show that depending on the power budgets of source and relay, SCP can either be in a subordinate role where it improves the energy efficiency, or in a main role where it improves the spectral efficiency of the system. In an AF relayed system we confirm that SCP plays a crucial role, and improves the spectral efficiency of the system. The channel gain tailoring property of SCP, various roles of SCP in improving the spectral and energy efficiency of a cooperative communication system are validated with the help of simulation results. ✩ A preliminary version of this work was presented at the IEEE GLOBECOM Wkshp, Trusted Commun., Physical layer security, Dec. 2017, Singapore [1].Mobile communication providing freedom from a tethered connection has led to an era of personalized world where users use network infrastructure at their will and comfort. With increasing usage of mobile applications for online transactions, the need of having strong security system to protect important information is increasing. In comparison to cryptographic techniques, physical layer security appears as a less-complex cost-effective solution [2]. For providing secure communication to all users, physical layer security has recently gathered much interest in cooperative communication [3].The concept of information theoretic security was introduced in a landmark paper by Wyner [4], where the author proved the feasibility of sending a message reliably to a destination, keeping it secret from an eavesdropper. Physical layer security utilizes the inherent independence of subcarriers in an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) system. It has been investigated recently for OFDMA-based broadcast and cooperative communication for next generation communication systems, such as, fourth-generation (4G) LTE and fifth-generation (5G) systems. An exhaustive survey on recent cooperative relaying and jamming strategies for physical layer security has been provided in [5]. Below, we survey the related works on secure OFDMA systems.
Prior Art
Resource Allocation without Subcarrier PairingIn physical layer security, the system models are generally classified in two broad categories -one having external e...