# Intelligent Reflecting Surface Assisted Secrecy Communication: Is Artificial Noise Helpful or Not?

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/1907.12839 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/1907.12839/

## Key facts

- Cited by 3 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 30 Jul 2019.

## Built on by (most cited first, 3 of 3)

- [A Robust Deep Learning-Based Beamforming Design for RIS-assisted Multiuser MISO Communications with Practical Constraints](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2111.06555/) (2021)
- [RIS-Assisted Downlink Pinching-Antenna Systems: GNN-Enabled Optimization Approaches](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2511.20305/) (2025)
- [Spectral- and Energy-efficient Multi-BS Multi-RIS Pinching-antenna Systems: A GNN-based Approach](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2605.01307/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

In this letter, we investigate whether the use of artificial noise (AN) is helpful to enhance the secrecy rate of an intelligent reflecting surface (IRS) assisted wireless communication system. Specifically, an IRS is deployed nearby a single-antenna receiver to assist in the transmission from a multi-antenna transmitter, in the presence of multiple single-antenna eavesdroppers. Aiming to maximize the achievable secrecy rate, a design problem for jointly optimizing transmit beamforming with AN or jamming and IRS reflect beamforming is formulated, which is however difficult to solve due to its non-convexity and coupled variables. We thus propose an efficient algorithm based on alternating optimization to solve the problem sub-optimally. Simulation results show that incorporating AN in transmit beamforming is beneficial under the new setup with IRS reflect beamforming. In particular, it is unveiled that the IRS-aided design without AN even performs worse than the AN-aided design without IRS as the number of eavesdroppers near the IRS increases.