On q-Steiner systems from rank metric codes

In this paper we prove that rank metric codes with special properties imply the existence of $q$-analogs of suitable designs. More precisely, we show that the minimum weight vectors of a $2d,d,d]$ dually almost MRD code $C\le {\mathbb{F}}_{q^m}^{2d}$$(2d\le m)$ which has no code words of rank weight $d+1$ form a $q$-Steiner system $S{(d?1,d,2d)}_q$. This is the q-analog of a result in classical coding theory and it may be seen as a first step to prove a q-analog of the famous Assmus–Mattson Theorem.