Low-complexity maximum-likelihood decoder for four-transmit-antenna quasi-orthogonal space-time block code

This letter proposes a very low-complexity maximum-likelihood (ML) detection algorithm based on QR decomposition for the quasi-orthogonal space-time block code (QSTBC) with four transmit antennas, called the LC-ML decoder. The proposed algorithm enables the QSTBC to achieve ML performance with significant reduction in computational load for any high-level modulation scheme.