mlsanityData to 7 Oct 2026

Diffusion-based Generative Prior for Low-Complexity MIMO Channel Estimation

arXiv 2403.03545 ↗First posted 6 Mar 2024eess.SP cs.LGcited by 25

On the map: Diffusion models → Diffusion for compression and wireless

Abstract (arXiv)

This work proposes a novel channel estimator based on diffusion models (DMs), one of the currently top-rated generative models. Contrary to related works utilizing generative priors, a lightweight convolutional neural network (CNN) with positional embedding of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) information is designed by learning the channel distribution in the sparse angular domain. Combined with an estimation strategy that avoids stochastic resampling and truncates reverse diffusion steps that account for lower SNR than the given pilot observation, the resulting DM estimator has both low complexity and memory overhead. Numerical results exhibit better performance than state-of-the-art channel estimators utilizing generative priors.

Key facts. Cited by 25 papers in the map (data through 7 Oct 2026). Placed in Diffusion for compression and wireless, one of 14 directions in Diffusion models. Builds on 11 of its 17 references that are in the map. First posted on arXiv 6 Mar 2024.

Builds on

11 of 17 references.

Closest ancestors · 3

Same direction, newest first

  1. 2023Diffusion Models for Accurate Channel Distribution Generation19 Sep
  2. 2023CDDM: Channel Denoising Diffusion Models for Wireless Communications16 May
  3. 2022MIMO Channel Estimation using Score-Based Generative Models14 Apr

Other references · 8

  1. 2017Attention Is All You Needcited by 59,932
  2. 2020Denoising Diffusion Probabilistic Modelscited by 20,851
  3. 2015Deep Unsupervised Learning using Nonequilibrium Thermodynamicscited by 7,005
  4. 2019Generative Modeling by Estimating Gradients of the Data Distributioncited by 4,067
  5. 2020High Dimensional Channel Estimation Using Deep Generative Networkscited by 33
  6. 2021An Asymptotically MSE-Optimal Estimator based on Gaussian Mixture Modelscited by 13
  7. 2022Channel Estimation based on Gaussian Mixture Models with Structured Covariancescited by 5
  8. 2023Low-Rank Structured MMSE Channel Estimation with Mixtures of Factor Analyzerscited by 2

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Cited by year (2026 to 7 Oct)

Citing papers per year: 2024: 4; 2025: 12; 2026: 9.

25 papers.

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  1. 2024Generative Diffusion Models for High Dimensional Channel Estimationcited by 26
  2. 2025Generative Diffusion Models for Wireless Networks: Fundamental, Architecture, and State-of-the-Artcited by 13
  3. 2024GDM4MMIMO: Generative Diffusion Models for Massive MIMO Communicationscited by 6
  4. 2025Diffusion Models for Future Networks and Communications: A Comprehensive Surveycited by 6
  5. 2025Successive Interference Cancellation-aided Diffusion Models for Joint Channel Estimation and Data Detection in Low Rank Channel Scenarioscited by 4
  6. 2025Generative Diffusion Receivers: Achieving Pilot-Efficient MIMO-OFDM Communicationscited by 3
  7. 2025Channel Estimation for RIS-Assisted mmWave Systems via Diffusion Modelscited by 2
  8. 2025Enhancements in Score-based Channel Estimation for Real-Time Wireless Systemscited by 2
  9. 2024Maximum-Likelihood Estimation Based on Diffusion Model For Wireless Communicationscited by 1
  10. 2025Non-Identical Diffusion Models in MIMO-OFDM Channel Generationcited by 1
  11. 2025Denoising and Augmentation: A Dual Use of Diffusion Model for Enhanced CSI Recoverycited by 1
  12. 2025Robust MIMO Channel Estimation Using Energy-Based Generative Diffusion Modelscited by 1
13 more
  1. 2024Enhancing Channel Estimation in Quantized Systems with a Generative Priorcited by 0
  2. 2025Generative Diffusion Model Driven Massive Random Access in Massive MIMO Systemscited by 0
  3. 2025Conditional Diffusion Model-Enabled Scenario-Specific Neural Receivers for Superimposed Pilot Schemescited by 0
  4. 2025DiffPace: Diffusion-based Plug-and-play Augmented Channel Estimation in mmWave and Terahertz Ultra-Massive MIMO Systemscited by 0
  5. 2026Learning Successive Interference Cancellation for Low-Complexity Soft-Output MIMO Detectioncited by 0
  6. 2026Hybrid Mamba-Attention Neural Architecture for Channel Estimationcited by 0
  7. 2026Sampling-Free Diffusion Transformers for Low-Complexity MIMO Channel Estimationcited by 0
  8. 2026Improving Channel Estimation via Multimodal Diffusion Models with Flow Matchingcited by 0
  9. 2026A Tensor-Train Framework for Bayesian Inference in High-Dimensional Systems: Applications to MIMO Detection and Channel Decodingcited by 0
  10. 2026Diffusion-Based Generative Priors for Efficient Beam Alignment in Directional Networkscited by 0
  11. 2026Mixture-of-Experts Diffusion Models for Adaptive Massive MIMO Channel Estimation via Variational Bayesian Inferencecited by 0
  12. 2026Condition-Wise Sinkhorn Drifting for One-Shot Learned Channel Simulationcited by 0
  13. 2026Restoration Flow Matching-Based Channel Refinement and Equalization Correction for MIMO Semantic Communicationscited by 0

Similar, not cited

Close in wording, no citation either way

  1. 2025Flow matching-based generative models for MIMO channel estimation
  2. 2026Channel Estimation in MIMO Systems Using Flow Matching Models
  3. 2026SNR-Gated LSTM-Conditioned Diffusion Model for MIMO Channel Estimation
  4. 2025Near-Field Channel Estimation for XL-MIMO: A Deep Generative Model Guided by Side Information
  5. 2023Generative Diffusion Models for Radio Wireless Channel Modelling and Sampling
  6. 2026Environment-Aware Diffusion Model for Massive MIMO-OFDM Channel Estimation ↗
  7. 2024Generating High Dimensional User-Specific Wireless Channels using Diffusion Models
  8. 2021Score-Based Generative Models for Robust Channel Estimation