Capacity analysis over fractional order Rayleigh fading channel under additive white generalized Gaussian noise

Abstract This study presents an innovative fractional order Rayleigh fading model that can be used for channel capacity estimation in the presence of additive white generalized Gaussian noise. The proposed model assumes that the real and imaginary parts of channel gains are generalized Gaussian random variables, which makes it possible to consider the traditional Rayleigh fading model as a special case of fractional order Rayleigh fading. Compared to the Rayleigh model, the fractional order Rayleigh fading model offers a more precise representation of new real‐world communication, such as integrating terrestrial and underwater networks in sixth‐generation communications channels. The probability density function of the channel gain with additive white generalized Gaussian noise is analyzed here. Furthermore, the ergodic and outage capacities of the channel are determined, taking into account the assumption that the channel state information is only available at the receiver. The ergodic capacity is calculated using Meijer's G‐functions, resulting in a closed‐form expression. Numerical simulations demonstrate the superiority of the fractional order Rayleigh fading model over the Rayleigh channel. Moreover, the impact of ergodic and outage capacities under diverse channel characteristics is assessed.