Joint energy efficiency optimization with nonlinear precoding in multi-cell broadcast systems

In this paper, we focus on maximizing weighted sum energy efficiency (EE) for a multi-cell multi-user channel. In order to solve this non-convex problem, we first decompose the original problem into a sequence of parallel subproblems which can optimized separately. For each subproblem, a base station employs dirty paper coding to maximize the EE for users within a cell while regulating interference induced to other cells. Since each subproblem can be transformed to a convex multiple-access channel problem, the proposed method provides a closed-form solution for power allocation. Then, based on the derived optimal covariance matrix for each subproblem, a local optimal solution is obtained to maximize the sum EE. Finally, simulation results show that our algorithm based on non-linear precoding achieves about 20 percent performance gains over the conventional linear precoding method.