Enhancing Physical Layer Key Generation in 5G TDD Systems with Asymmetric Channels

Enhancing Physical Layer Key Generation in 5G TDD Systems with Asymmetric Channels

IEEE 102nd Vehicular Technology Conference (VTC2025-Fall)

https://10.1109.VTC2025-Fall

Peng Hui Tan, Boonkajay Amnart, Min Li Huang

19 October 2025

P. H. Tan, B. Amnart and M. L. Huang, Enhancing Physical Layer Key Generation in 5G TDD Systems with Asymmetric Channels, IEEE VTC2025-Fall, Chengdu

We introduce a lightweight, multi-stage framework called Correlation-Enhanced CSI Sampling (CESS) to address this challenge. CESS combines full-slot channel interpolation, inter-slot CSI processing to close the temporal measurement gap, and intra-slot subcarrier processing to mitigate frequencydomain correlation issues. Through simulations, we compare CESS to a conventional PLKG baseline, showing that CESS substantially lowers the Key Disagreement Rate (KDR) and boosts the effective Key Generation Rate (KGR), with a minimum KGR of 3.5 kbps. These results underscore CESS’s potential for secure and reliable PLKG in real-world 5G TDD systems.

Publisher Copyright

This research / project is supported by the FCP1 - Feasibility Study on 6G Communications Confidentiality and Physical Layer Security
Grant Reference no. : NA

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https://oar.a-star.edu.sg/communities-collections/articles/22431

2577-2465

Institute for Infocomm Research