A game-theoretical modelling approach for enhancing the physical layer security of non-orthogonal multiple access system

Abstract

This paper investigates the physical layer security of a downlink non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) communication system, wherein a base station is communicating with two paired active users in the presence of an eavesdropper and multiple idle nodes (helpers). In order to enhance the secrecy performance, a two-phase harvest-and-jam null-steering jamming technique is deployed. In the first phase, the base station provides the helper with power in addition to active users and eavesdropper's information via simultaneous wireless information and power transfer technique. The helpers exploit the harvested energy and the information received in the first phase to build a null-steering beamformer and jam the eavesdropper, during the information exchange between the base station and the legitimate users in the second phase. A game theory is introduced to the proposed scheme, and the base station-helpers interactions are modeled as a Stackelberg game, where the helpers play the leader role and the base station is the follower. The utility functions of both the leader and follower are formed, and the Stackelberg equilibrium is reached by means of the backward induction technique. The proposed scheme demonstrates better secrecy performance when compared with the artificial noise-aided secure NOMA system.