Liang Liu     刘亮

Fellow of The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (FIEEE)
Young Member of The Hong Kong Academy of Engineering (YMHKEng)

Associate Professor
Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Office: DE605
Tel: +852 2766 3542     Fax: +852 2362 8439
Email: liang-eie.liu (at) polyu.edu.hk

About

Bio

Prof. Liang LIU received the Ph.D. degree from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at National University of Singapore (NUS) in 2014. He was a postdoctoral fellow at University of Toronto from 2015 to 2017, a research fellow at NUS from 2017 to 2019, and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) from 2019 to 2024. Currently, he is an Associate Professor in the Department of EEE at PolyU. His research interests include wireless communications and networking, advanced signal processing and optimization techniques, and Internet-of-Things (IoT).

Prof. Liang LIU is an IEEE ComSoc Distinguished Lecturer for the class of 2025-2026. He is the recipient of the 2021 IEEE Signal Processing Society Best Paper Award, the 2017 IEEE Signal Processing Society Young Author Best Paper Award, the Best Student Paper Award for 2022 IEEE International Conference on Acoustics, Speech and Signal Processing (ICASSP), and the Best Paper Award for 2011 International Conference on Wireless Communications and Signal Processing (WCSP). He was listed in Highly Cited Researchers, also known as World's Most Influential Scientific Minds, by Clarivate Analytics (Thomson Reuters) in 2018. He is a member of Signal Processing for Communications and Networking (SPCOM) Technical Committee in IEEE Signal Processing Society. He is an Editor for IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications and an Associate Editor for IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing, and was a leading guest editor for IEEE Wireless Communications special issue on "Massive Machine-Type Communications for IoT". He is a co-author of the book "Next Generation Multiple Access" published at Wiley-IEEE Press.

Prof. Liang LIU is a Fellow of IEEE and young member of The Hong Kong Academy of Engineering.


Prof. Liang LIU' CV and research profiles can be found at: My CV, ResearcherID, ORCID, Scopus, Google Scholar Citations, ResearchGate Profile



News

News About Our Group

• News about Prof. Liang Liu can be found here.

• News about our group members can be found here.


News About Openings

• I am always passionate in working with self-motivated Ph.D. students on solving challenging but crucial research problems. More information about Ph.D. student admission can be found here

• I am looking for postdocs for conducting research on 6G-based sensing and AI-empowered communication. More information can be found here

Research

Research Interests


* Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC) (Publications)

* AI for Radio Access Network (RAN) (Publications)

* Massive Connectivity for Internet-of-Things (IoT) (Publications)

* Intelligent Reflecting Surface Assisted Communications (Publications)

* Ultra-Reliable and Low Latency Communications (URLLC) (Publications)

* Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) Communications (Publications)

* Cloud Radio Access Network (C-RAN) (Publications)

* Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) (Publications)

* MIMO (Publications)

Publications

Book


  • Y. Liu, L. Liu, Z. Ding, and X. Shen, Next generation multiple access, Wiley-IEEE Press, Feb. 2024. Book URL

Book Chapters


  • L. Liu, W. Yu, and O. Simone, "Fronthaul-aware design for cloud radio access networks," in the chapter of Key Technologies for 5G Wireless Systems, Cambridge University Press, 2017. (Book URL)
  • L. Liu, J. Xu, and R. Zhang, "Transmit beamforming for simultaneous wireless information and energy transfer," in the chapter of Academic Press Library in Signal Processing, Volume 7, Array, Radar and Communications Engineering, Academic Press, 2018. (Book URL)

Journal Papers (ArXiv Public Identifier)


• L. Zhu, W. Zhu, S. Zhang, G. Caire, and L. Liu, "DF-3DRME: A data-friendly learning framework for 3D radio map estimation based on super-resolution technique," submitted to IEEE Trans. Wireless Commun., 2026. (Available: arXiv)

• Y. Hu, W. Zhu, C. Wu, S. Zhang, J. Zhang, and L. Liu, "Networked tracking of multiple moving targets in 6G network," submitted to IEEE Trans. Wireless Commun., 2026. (Available: arXiv)

• Y. Hu, S. Zhang, S. Murch, and L. Liu, "SAR/ISAR imaging in 6G cellular network," submitted to IEEE Trans. Wireless Commun., 2026. (Available: arXiv)

• R. Wang, S. Zhang, B. Clerckx, and L. Liu, "Low-overhead channel estimation framework for beyond diagonal reconfigurable intelligent surface assisted multi-user MIMO communication," IEEE Trans. Signal Process., vol. 73, pp. 4700-4717, 2025. (Available: arXiv)

• W. Zhu, J. Gao, S. Zhang, M. Tao, and L. Liu, "Joint multi-user tracking and signal detection in reconfigurable intelligent surface-assisted cell-free ISAC systems," submitted to IEEE Tran. Wireless Commun., 2026. (Available: arXiv)

• J. Gao, S. Zhang, and L. Liu, "Channel estimation for double-BD-RIS-assisted multi-user MIMO communication," submitted to IEEE Tran. Signal Process., 2026. (Available: arXiv)

• T. Li, W. Zhu, S. Zhang, J. Cao, S. Cui, and L. Liu, "m³TrackFormer: Transformer-based mmWave multi-target tracking with lost target re-acquisition capability," under major revision, IEEE Tran. Wireless Commun., 2026. (Available: arXiv)

• J. Gao, S. Chen, Y. Wu, L. Liu, G. Caire, H. V. Poor, and W. Zhang, "Finite-blocklength information theory," to appear in Fundamental Research, 2026. (Available: arXiv)

• J. Gao, W. Zhu, Y. Hu, S. Zhang, J. Cao, Y. Wu, G. Caire, and L. Liu, "Multi-view imaging in networked sensing systems: A covariance-based approach," IEEE Trans. Wireless Commun., vol. 25, pp. 16761-16777, 2026. (Available: arXiv)

• J. Gao, W. Zhu, S. Zhang, Y. Wu, J. Cao, G. Caire, and L. Liu, "Integrated massive communication and target localization in 6G cell-free networks," IEEE Trans. Wireless Commun., vol. 26, pp. 8498-8515, 2026. (Available: arXiv)

• H. Huang, W, Yuan, C. Liu, L. Liu, F. Liu, W. Xiang, and D. W. K. Ng, "LLM in V2I: A data-driven predictive beamforming framework for vehicle tracking in near-field ISAC systems," IEEE J. Sel. Areas Commun., vol. 44, pp. 2510-2527, 2026.

• Z. Zhao, Z. Wang, L. Zhou, C. Sun, S. Zhang, N. Al-Dhahir, and L. Liu, "Over-the-air diagnosis of defective elements in intelligent reflecting surface," IEEE Trans. Wireless Commun., vol. 25, pp. 16947-16063, 2026. (Available: arXiv)

• L. Zhu, W. Zhu, S. Zhang, S. Cui, and L. Liu, "Scalable transceiver design for multi-user communication in FDD massive MIMO systems via deep learning," IEEE Trans. Wireless Commun., vol. 25, pp. 7682-7697, 2026. (Available: arXiv)

• L. Liu, S. Zhang, and S. Cui, "Leveraging a variety of anchors in cellular network for ubiquitous sensing," IEEE Commun. Mag., vol. 62, no. 9, pp. 98-104, Sep. 2024. (Available: arXiv)

• W. Zhu, Q. Wang, S. Zhang, B. Di, L. Liu, and Y. C. Eldar, "Intelligent reflecting surface based localization of mixed near-field and far-field targets," IEEE Trans. Wireless Commun., vol. 25, pp. 10145-10160, 2026. (Available: arXiv)

• W. Zhu, S. Zhang, and L. Liu, "Joint transmission and compression optimization for networked sensing with limited-capacity fronthaul links," IEEE Trans. Wireless Commun., vol. 24, no. 8, pp. 6643-6657, Aug. 2025. (Available: arXiv) (Code at Github)

• X. Guo, Q. Shi, S. Zhang, C. Xing, and L. Liu, "User equipment assisted localization for 6G integrated sensing and communication," IEEE Trans. Commun., vol. 73, no. 11, pp. 12593-12607, Nov. 2025. (Available: arXiv)

• R. Wang, Z. Wang, L. Liu, S. Zhang, and S. Jin, "Reducing channel estimation and feedback overhead in IRS-aided downlink system: A quantize-then-estimate approach," IEEE Trans. Wireless Commun., vol. 24, no. 2, pp. 1325-1338, Feb. 2025. (Available: arXiv) (Code at Github)

• X. Fan, Y-F. Liu, L. Liu, and T-H. Chang, "QoS-based beamforming and compression design for cooperative cellular networks via Lagrangian duality," IEEE Trans. Signal Process., vol. 73, pp. 2070-2086, 2025. (Available: arXiv)

• S. Gong, Y. Ju, H. Liu, L. Liu, and C. Xing, "Hybrid active-passive RIS empowered secure communications: Joint architecture design and beamforming optimization," IEEE Trans. Commun., vol. 73, no. 7, pp. 5094-5110, Jul. 2025.

• H. Yang, S. Gong, X. Ju, C. Xing, N. Zhao, and L. Liu, "Beamforming optimization and capacity scaling analysis for double hybrid active-passive RISs aided wireless communications," IEEE Trans. Veh. Technol., vol. 74, no. 4, pp. 6003-6020, Apr. 2025.

• B. Clerckx, et al., "Multiple access techniques for intelligent and multi-functional 6G: Tutorial, survey, and outlook," Proc. IEEE, vol. 112, no. 7, pp. 832-879, July, 2024. (Available: arXiv)

• S. Yue, L. Liu, and B. Di, "Directivity-aware degrees of freedom analysis for extremely large-scale MIMO," IEEE Trans. Veh. Technol., vol. 74, no. 6, pp. 9950-9954, June, 2025.

• S. Yue, S. Zeng, L. Liu, Y. C. Eldar, and B. Di, "Hybrid near-far field channel estimation for holographic MIMO communications," IEEE Trans. Wireless Commun., vol. 23, no. 11, pp. 15798-15813, Nov. 2024. (Available: arXiv)

• Q. Shi and L. Liu, "Joint LOS identification and data association for 6G-enabled networked device-free sensing," IEEE Trans. Commun., vol. 72, no. 8, pp. 5117-5129, Aug. 2024. (Available: arXiv) (Code at Github)

• X. Zhang, H. Zhang, L. Liu, Z. Han, H. V. Poor, and B. Di, "Target detection and positioning aided by reconfigurable surfaces: reflective or holographic?" IEEE Trans. Wireless Commun., vol. 23, no. 12, pp. 19215-19230, Dec. 2024.

• Z. Wang, Y-F. Liu, Z. Wang, L. Liu, H. Pan, and S. Cui, "Device activity detection in mMTC with low-resolution ADCs: A new protocol," IEEE Trans. Wireless Commun., vol. 23, no. 6, pp. 5847-5862, June 2024. (Available: arXiv)

• Q. Wang, L. Liu, S. Zhang, B. Di, and C. M. Lau, "A heterogeneous 6G networked sensing architecture with active and passive anchors," IEEE Trans. Wireless Commun., vol. 23, no. 8, pp. 9502-9517, Aug. 2024. (Available: arXiv) (Code at Github)

• Z. Ren, Y. Peng, X. Song, Y. Fang, L. Qiu, L. Liu, D. W. K. Ng, and J. Xu, "Fundamental CRB-rate tradeoff in multi-antenna ISAC systems with information multicasting and multi-target sensing," IEEE Trans. Wireless Commun., vol. 23, no. 4, pp. 3870-3885, Apr. 2024. (Available: arXiv)

• R. Liu, L. Liu, D. He, W. Zhang, and E. G. Larsson, "Detecting abrupt change in channel covariance matrix for MIMO communication," IEEE Trans. Wireless Commun., vol. 22, no. 11, pp. 7834-7847, Nov. 2023. (Available: arXiv) (Code at Github)

• S. Yue, S. Zeng, H. Zhang, F. Lin, L. Liu, and B. Di, "Intelligent omni-surfaces aided wireless communications: Does the reciprocity hold?," IEEE Trans. Veh. Technol., vol. 72, no. 6, pp. 8181-8185, June 2023. (Available: arXiv)

• Z. Wang, L. Liu, S. Zhang, and S. Cui, "Massive MIMO communication with intelligent reflecting surface," IEEE Trans. Wireless Commun., vol. 22, no. 4, pp. 2566-2582, Apr. 2023. (Available: arXiv)

• Q. Wang, L. Liu, S. Zhang, and C. M. Lau, "Exploiting temporal side information in massive IoT connectivity," IEEE Trans. Wireless Commun., vol. 22, no. 2, pp. 1432-1447, Feb. 2023. (Available: arXiv) (Code at Github)

• Q. Shi, L. Liu, S. Zhang, and S. Cui, "Device-free sensing in OFDM cellular network," IEEE J. Sel. Areas Commun., vol. 40, no. 6, pp. 1838-1853, Jun. 2022. (Available: arXiv) (Code at Github)

• L. Liu, Y-F. Liu, P. Patil, and W. Yu, "Uplink-downlink duality between multiple-access and broadcast channels with compressing relays," IEEE Trans. Inf. Theory, vol. 67, no. 11, pp. 7304-7337, Nov. 2021. (Available: arXiv) (Code at Github)

• Y. Han, L. Liu, L. Duan, and R. Zhang, "Towards reliable UAV swarm communication in D2D-enhanced cellular network," IEEE Trans. Wireless Commun., vol. 20, no. 3, pp. 1567-1581, Mar. 2021. (Available: arXiv)

• Z. Wang, L. Liu, and S. Cui, "Channel estimation for intelligent reflecting surface assisted multiuser communications: Framework, algorithms, and analysis," IEEE Trans. Wireless Commun., vol. 19, no. 10, pp. 6607-6620, Oct. 2020. (Available: arXiv) (Code at Github)

• Z. Wang, L. Liu, H. Li, and S. Cui, "Intelligent reflecting surface design for 6G-assisted Internet of Things," Chinese Journal on Internet of Things, vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 84-95, Jun. 2020.

• L. Liu, S. Zhang, and R. Zhang, "Multi-beam UAV communication in cellular uplink: Cooperative interference cancellation and sum-rate maximization," IEEE Trans. Wireless Commun., vol. 18, no. 10, pp. 4679-4691, Oct. 2019. (Available: arXiv)

• L. Liu, S. Zhang, and R. Zhang, "CoMP in the sky: UAV placement and movement optimization for multi-user communications," IEEE Trans. Commun., vol. 67, no. 8, pp. 5645-5658, Aug. 2019. (Available: arXiv)

• Q. Wu, L. Liu, and R. Zhang, "Fundamental trade-offs in communication and trajectory design for UAV-enabled wireless network," IEEE Wireless Commun., vol. 26, no. 1, pp. 36-44, Feb. 2019. (Available: arXiv)

• L. Liu, E. G. Larsson, W. Yu, P. Popovski, C. Stefanovic, and E. de Carvalho, "Sparse signal processing for grant-free massive connectivity: A future paradigm for random access protocols in the Internet of Things," IEEE Signal Process. Mag., vol. 35, no. 5, pp. 88-99, Sep. 2018. (Available: arXiv)

• L. Liu and W. Yu, "A D2D-based protocol for ultra-reliable wireless communications for industrial automation," IEEE Trans. Wireless Commun., vol. 17, no. 8, pp. 5045-5058, Aug. 2018. (Available: arXiv)

• L. Liu and W. Yu, "Massive connectivity with massive MIMO-Part II: Achievable rate characterization," IEEE Trans. Signal Process., vol. 66, no. 11, pp. 2947-2959, Jun. 2018. (Available: arXiv)

• L. Liu and W. Yu, "Massive connectivity with massive MIMO-Part I: Device activity detection and channel estimation," IEEE Trans. Signal Process., vol. 66, no. 11, pp. 2933-2946, Jun. 2018. 2021 IEEE Signal Processing Society Best Paper Award (Available: arXiv) (Code at Github)

• L. Liu and W. Yu, "Cross-layer design for downlink multihop cloud radio access networks with network coding," IEEE Trans. Signal Process., vol. 65, no. 7, pp. 1728-1740, Apr. 2017. (Available: arXiv)

• H. Xing, L. Liu, and R. Zhang, "Secrecy wireless information and power transfer in fading wiretap channel," IEEE Trans. Veh. Technol., vol. 65, no. 1, pp. 180-190, Jan. 2016. (Available: arXiv)

• L. Liu, S. Bi, and R. Zhang, "Joint power control and fronthaul rate allocation for throughput maximization in OFDMA-based cloud radio access network," IEEE Trans. Commun., vol. 63, no. 11, pp. 4097-4110, Nov. 2015. (Available: arXiv)

• L. Liu, and R. Zhang, "Optimized uplink transmission in multi-antenna C-RAN with spatial compression and forward," IEEE Trans. Signal Process., vol. 63, no. 19, pp. 5083-5095, Oct. 2015. (Available: arXiv)

• S. Lee, L. Liu, and R. Zhang, "Collaborative wireless energy and information transfer in interference channel," IEEE Trans. Wireless Commun., vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 545-557, Jan. 2015. (Available: arXiv)

• L. Liu, R. Zhang, and K. C. Chua, "Multi-antenna wireless powered communication with energy beamforming," IEEE Trans. Commun., vol. 62, no. 12, pp. 4349-4361, Dec. 2014. (Available: arXiv)

• J. Xu, L. Liu, and R. Zhang, "Multiuser MISO beamforming for simultaneous wireless information and power transfer," IEEE Trans. Signal Process., vol. 62, no. 18, pp. 4798-4810, Aug. 2014. 2017 IEEE Signal Processing Society Young Author Best Paper Award (Available: arXiv)

• Q. Shi, L. Liu, W. Xu, and R. Zhang, "Joint transmit beamforming and receive power splitting for MISO SWIPT systems," IEEE Trans. Wireless Commun., vol. 13, no. 6, pp. 3269-3280, Jun. 2014. (Available: arXiv)

• L. Liu, R. Zhang, and K. C. Chua, "Secrecy wireless information and power transfer with MISO beamforming," IEEE Trans. Signal Process., vol. 62, no. 7, pp. 1850-1863, Apr. 2014. (Available: arXiv)

• L. Liu, R. Zhang, and K. C. Chua, "Wireless information and power transfer: a dynamic power splitting approach," IEEE Trans. Commun., vol. 61, no. 9, pp. 3990-4001, Sep. 2013. (Available: arXiv)

• L. Liu, R. Zhang, and K. C. Chua, "Wireless information transfer with opportunistic energy harvesting," IEEE Trans. Wireless Commun., vol. 12, no. 1, pp. 288-300, Jan. 2013. (Available: arXiv)

• L. Liu, R. Zhang, and K. C. Chua, "Achieving global optimality for weighted sum-rate maximization in the K-user Gaussian interference channel with multiple antennas," IEEE Trans. Wireless Commun., vol. 11, no. 5, pp. 1933-1945, May 2012. (Available: arXiv)

Letters


• R. Wang, J. Gao, S. Zhang, B. Clerckx, and L. Liu, "On channel estimation for group-connected beyond diagonal RIS assisted multi-user MIMO communication," IEEE Wireless Commun. Lett., vol. 15, pp. 2055-2059, 2026. (Available: arXiv)

• X. Zhang, L. Liu, S. Zhang, and H. Zhang, "Beyond diagonal reconfigurable intelligent surface enabled sensing: Cramer-Rao bound optimization," IEEE Wireless Commun. Lett., vol. 14, no. 2, pp. 3852-3856, Dec. 2025. (Available: arXiv)

• X. Zhang, L. Liu, S. Zhang, W. Zhu, and H. Zhang, "Optimizing rate-CRB performance for beyond diagonal reconfigurable intelligent surface enabled ISAC," IEEE Commun. Lett., vol. 29, no. 11, pp. 2506-2510, Nov. 2025. (Available: arXiv)

• Y. Zhang, Z. Yang, S. Yue, L. Liu, and B. Di, "Hybrid near-field and far-field XL-MIMO: How many users can be supported?," IEEE Commun. Lett., vol. 28, no. 10, pp. 2402-2406, Oct. 2024.

• R. Liu, L. Liu, Y. Xu, D. He, W. Zhang, and C. W. Chen, "Detecting abrupt change of channel covariance matrix in IRS-assisted communication," IEEE Wireless Commun. Lett., vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 318-322, Feb. 2024. (Available: arXiv)

• Z. Wang, Y-F. Liu, and L. Liu, "Covariance-based joint device activity and delay detection in asynchronous mMTC," IEEE Signal Process. Lett., vol. 29, pp.538-542, 2022.

• H. Xie, J. Xu, Y-F. Liu, L. Liu, and D. W. K. Ng, "User grouping and reflective beamforming for IRS-aided URLLC," IEEE Wireless Commun. Lett., vol. 10, no. 11, pp. 2533-2537, Nov. 2021. (Available: arXiv)

• L. Liu, P. Patil, and W. Yu, "Channel diagonalization for cloud radio access," IEEE Wireless Commun. Lett., vol. 7, no. 4, pp. 622-625, Aug. 2018. (Available: arXiv)

• L. Liu and R. Zhang, "How to diagonalize a MIMO channel with arbitrary transmit covariance?," IEEE Wireless Commun. Lett., vol. 5, no. 4, pp. 352-355, Aug. 2016. (Available: arXiv)

Conference Papers


• L. Zhu, W. Zhu, S. Zhang, G. Caire, and L. Liu, "A data-friendly deep learning architecture for high-resolution radio map construction," in Proc. IEEE International Conference on Communications (ICC), 2026.

• T. Li, W. Zhu, S. Zhang, J. Cao, S. Cui, and L. Liu, "m²TrackFormer: Transformer-based mmWave tracking with lost target re-acquisition capacity," in Proc. IEEE International Conference on Acoustics, Speech, and Signal Processing (ICASSP), 2026.

• Y. Hu, S. Zhang, R. Murch, and L. Liu, "Bandwidth-independent imaging in 6G integrated sensing and communication systems," in Proc. IEEE International Conference on Communications (ICC), 2026.

• Z. Zhao, J. Gao, Y-F. Liu, S. Zhang, and L. Liu, "Covariance-based signal processing approach for over-the-air diagnosis of intelligent reflecting surface," in Proc. IEEE International Conference on Communications (ICC), 2026.

• X. Guo, S. Zhang, and L. Liu, "Robust UE-assisted sensing with anchor position uncertainty for 6G ISAC," in Proc. IEEE Wireless Communications and Networking Conference (WCNC), 2026.

• Y. Zhang, Y. Hu, S. Zhang, J. Cao, and L. Liu, "Transmit antenna selection for preserving 6G localization privacy," in Proc. IEEE Global Communications Conference (Globecom) Workshop on Positioning and Sensing Over Wireless Networks, 2025.

• J. Wang, Q. Shi, M. Liu, S. Zhang, P. T. Lau, L. Liu, and C. Lu, "First demonstration of integrated 3-D multi-modal sensing and PS-4096QAM-OFDM communication via mm-wave Ka-band fiber-wireless radio access network," in 29th International Conference on Optical Fiber Sensors (OFS29), 2025. (Post-Deadline Paper)

• L. Zhu, W. Zhu, S. Zhang, L. Liu, and S. Cui, "Scalable pilot, feedback and precoding design for FDD multi-user MIMO via deep learning," in Proc. IEEE International Conference on Communications (ICC), 2025.

• Q. Shi, S. Zhang, and L. Liu, "A 6G-based multi-view reconstruction approach," in Proc. IEEE Wireless Communications and Networking Conference (WCNC), 2025.

• W. Zhu, S. Zhang, and L. Liu, "Joint transmission and compression design for 6G networked sensing with limited-capacity backhaul," in Proc. IEEE Global Communications Conference (Globecom), 2024. (Available: arXiv)

• Z. Zhao, Z. Wang, S. Zhang, and L. Liu, "Finding defective elements in intelligent reflecting surface via over-the-air measurements," in Proc. IEEE Global Communications Conference (Globecom), 2024. (Available: arXiv)

• R. Wang, S. Zhang, and L. Liu, "Low-overhead channel estimation for beyond diagonal reconfigurable intelligent surface aided single-user communication," in Proc. International Conference on Wireless Communications and Signal Processing (WCSP), 2024.

• X. Guo, Q. Shi, L. Liu, and S. Zhang, "User-assisted networked sensing in OFDM cellular network with erroneous anchor position information," in Proc. IEEE International Conference on Acoustics, Speech, and Signal Processing (ICASSP), 2024. (Available: arXiv)

• Q. Wang, L. Liu, and S. Zhang, "MUSIC algorithm for IRS-assisted AOA estimation," in Proc. IEEE Vehicular Technology Conference (VTC) Fall, 2023. (Available: arXiv) (Code at Github)

• R. Wang, Z. Wang, L. Liu, S. Zhang, and S. Jin, "A quantize-then-estimate protocol for CSI acquisition in IRS-aided downlink communication," in Proc. IEEE Global Communications Conference (Globecom), 2023. (Available: arXiv)

• S. Yue, S. Zeng, L. Liu, B. Di, "Channel estimation for holographic communications in hybrid near-far field," in Proc. IEEE Global Communications Conference (Globecom), 2023.

• X. Zhang, H. Zhang, R. Deng, L. Liu, B. Di, "Multi-target detection for reconfigurable holographic surfaces enabled radar," in Proc. IEEE Global Communications Conference (Globecom), 2023.

• Q. Shi, L. Liu, and S. Zhang, "Joint data association, NLOS mitigation, and clutter suppression for networked device-free sensing in 6G cellular network," in Proc. IEEE International Conference on Acoustics, Speech, and Signal Processing (ICASSP), 2023. (Available: arXiv)

• X. Zhang, H. Zhang, H. Zhang, L. Liu, and B. Di, "Parameter estimation for reconfigurable holographic surfaces enabled radars," in Proc. International Symposium on Wireless Communication Systems (ISWCS), 2022.

• Q. Wang, L. Liu, S. Zhang, and C. M. Lau, "Trilateration-based device-free sensing: Two base stations and one passive IRS are sufficient," in Proc. IEEE Global Communications Conference (Globecom), 2022. (Available: arXiv)

• X. Guo, S. Zhang, and L. Liu, "Trajectory optimization of cellular-connected UAV for information collection and transmission," in Proc. IEEE Global Communications Conference (Globecom), 2022. (Available: arXiv)

• X. Fan, Y-F. Liu, and L. Liu, "Efficiently and globally solving joint beamforming and compression problem in the cooperative cellular network via Lagrangian duality," in Proc. IEEE International Conference on Acoustics, Speech, and Signal Processing (ICASSP), 2022. Best Student Paper Award (Available: arXiv)

• R. Wang, L. Liu, S. Zhang, and C. Yu, "A new channel estimation strategy in intelligent reflecting surface assisted networks," in Proc. IEEE Global Communications Conference (Globecom), 2021. (Available: arXiv)

• R. Liu, L. Liu, D. He, W. Zhang, and E. G. Larsson, "Detection of abrupt change in channel covariance matrix for multi-antenna communication," in Proc. IEEE Global Communications Conference (Globecom), 2021. (Available: arXiv)

• Q. Wang, L. Liu, S. Zhang, and C. M. Lau, "On massive IoT connectivity with temporally-correlated user activity," in Proc. IEEE International Symposium on Information Theory (ISIT), 2021. (Available: arXiv) (Code at Github)

• L. Liu and Y.-F. Liu, "An efficient algorithm for device detection and channel estimation in asynchronous IoT systems," in Proc. IEEE International Conference on Acoustics, Speech, and Signal Processing (ICASSP), 2021. (Available: arXiv)

• L. Liu and S. Zhang, "A two-stage radar sensing approach based on MIMO-OFDM technology," in Proc. IEEE Global Communications Conference (Globecom) Workshop on Integrated Sensing and Communication, 2020. (Available: arXiv)

• Z. Wang, L. Liu, and S. Cui, "Intelligent reflecting surface assisted massive MIMO communications," in Proc. IEEE International Workshop on Signal Processing Advances in Wireless Communications (SPAWC), 2020. (Available: arXiv)

• L. Cheng, L. Liu, and S. Cui, "A covariance-based user activity detection and channel estimation approach with novel pilot design," in Proc. IEEE International Workshop on Signal Processing Advances in Wireless Communications (SPAWC), 2020. (Available: arXiv)

• Z. Wang, L. Liu, and S. Cui, "Channel estimation for intelligent reflecting surface assisted multiuser communications," in Proc. IEEE Wireless Communications and Networking Conference (WCNC), 2020. (Available: arXiv)

• L. Liu, S. Zhang, and R. Zhang, "Exploiting NOMA for multi-beam UAV communication in cellular uplink," in Proc. IEEE International Conference on Communications (ICC), Shanghai, China, 2019.

• L. Liu, S. Zhang, and R. Zhang, "Cooperative interference cancellation for multi-beam UAV uplink communication: A DoF analysis," in Proc. IEEE Global Communications Conference (Globecom) Workshops, Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, 2018.

• H. Xing, L. Liu, J. Xu, and A. Nallanathan, "Joint task assignment and wireless resource allocation for cooperative mobile-edge computing," in Proc. IEEE International Conference on Communications (ICC), Kansas, America, 2018.

• L. Liu and W. Yu, "Massive device connectivity with massive MIMO," in Proc. IEEE International Symposium on Information Theory (ISIT), Aachen, Germany, 2017.

• L. Liu and W. Yu, "Joint sparse beamforming and network coding for downlink multi-hop cloud radio access networks," in Proc. IEEE Global Communications Conference (Globecom), Washington D.C., America, 2016.

• L. Liu, P. Patil, and W. Yu, "An uplink-downlink duality for cloud radio access network," in Proc. IEEE International Symposium on Information Theory (ISIT), Barcelona, Spain, 2016.

• L. Liu and R. Zhang, "Downlink SINR balancing in C-RAN under limited fronthaul capacity," in Proc. IEEE International Conference on Acoustics, Speech, and Signal Processing (ICASSP), Shanghai, China, 2016.

• H. Xing, L. Liu, and R. Zhang, "Secrecy wireless information and power transfer in fading wiretap channel," in Proc. IEEE International Conference on Communications (ICC), Sydney, Australia, 2014.

• J. Xu, L. Liu, and R. Zhang, "Multiuser MISO beamforming for simultaneous wireless information and power transfer," in Proc. IEEE International Conference on Acoustics, Speech, and Signal Processing (ICASSP), Vancouver, BC, Canada, 2013.

• L. Liu, R. Zhang, and K. C. Chua, "Secrecy wireless information and power transfer with MISO beamforming," in Proc. IEEE Global Communications Conference (Globecom), Atlanta, America, 2013.

• L. Liu, R. Zhang, and K. C. Chua, "Wireless information transfer with opportunistic energy harvesting," in Proc. IEEE International Symposium on Information Theory (ISIT), Cambridge, MA, America, 2012.

• L. Liu, R. Zhang, and K. C. Chua, "A new approach to weighted sum-rate maximization for the K-user Gaussian interference channel," in Proc. International Conference on Wireless Communications and Signal Processing (WCSP), Nanjing, China, 2011. Best Paper Award




Hardware and Sofeware

Hardware Demons


We have built several demonstrations about advanced wireless technologies. We are very happy to share these demons on our YouTube Channel and Bilibili Channel.


Public Software Packages


We will share the codes for the new algorithms investigated in our research group on Github. Interested readers may find the codes below.


1. Code for Standard AMP: MMV-AMP for massive connectivity with massive MIMO

• L. Liu and W. Yu, "Massive connectivity with massive MIMO-Part I: Device activity detection and channel estimation," IEEE Trans. Signal Process., vol. 66, no. 11, pp. 2933-2946, Jun. 2018. (Available: arXiv)


2. Code for SI-aided AMP: MMV-AMP for massive connectivity with temporal side information

• Q. Wang, L. Liu, S. Zhang, and C. M. Lau, "Exploiting temporal side information in massive IoT connectivity," IEEE Trans. Wireless Commun., vol. 22, no. 2, pp. 1432-1447, Feb. 2023. (Available: arXiv)


3. Code for CSI Acquisition in IRS-Assisted Communication: Exploiting special channel properties for low-overhead IRS-assisted communication

• Z. Wang, L. Liu, and S. Cui, "Channel estimation for intelligent reflecting surface assisted multiuser communications: framework, algorithms, and analysis," IEEE Trans. Wireless Commun., vol. 19, no. 10, pp. 6607-6620, Oct. 2020. (Available: arXiv)


4. Code for Uplink-Downlink Duality: Power minimization in cooperative network with compressing relays

• L. Liu, Y-F. Liu, P. Patil, and W. Yu, "Uplink-downlink duality between multiple-access and broadcast channels with compressing relays," IEEE Trans. Inf. Theory, vol. 67, no. 11, pp. 7304-7337, Nov. 2021. (Available: arXiv)


5. Code for Change Detection in Wireless Communication: Framework for detecting change in channel covariance matrix

• R. Liu, L. Liu, D. He, W. Zhang, and E. G. Larsson, "Detecting abrupt change in channel covariance matrix for MIMO communication," IEEE Trans. Wireless Commun., vol. 22, no. 11, pp. 7834-7847, Nov. 2023. (Available: arXiv)


6. Code for Networked Sensing: Data association and NLOS mitigation in networked sensing

• Q. Shi, L. Liu, S. Zhang, and S. Cui, "Device-free sensing in OFDM cellular network," IEEE J. Sel. Areas Commun., vol. 40, no. 6, pp. 1838-1853, Jun. 2022. (Available: arXiv)
• Q. Shi and L. Liu, "Joint LOS identification and data association for 6G-enabled networked device-free sensing," to appear in IEEE Trans. Commun.


7. Code for IRS-assisted Sensing: Utilization of IRS as passive anchor for localization

• Q. Wang, L. Liu, S. Zhang, B. Di, and C. M. Lau, "A heterogeneous 6G networked sensing architecture with active and passive anchors," to appear in IEEE Trans. Wireless Commun.. (Available: arXiv)

• Q. Wang, L. Liu, and S. Zhang, "MUSIC algorithm for IRS-assisted AOA estimation," in Proc. IEEE Vehicular Technology Conference (VTC) Fall, 2023. (Available: arXiv)




Team

Some photos of group gathering can be found here.

Current Ph.D. Student


• Xianzhen Guo (Winner of Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme)
        Ph.D. student since 2022/08
        Degree: M.S. and B.S., Northwestern Polytechnical University
        Research interests: integrated sensing and communication
        Google Scholar

• Ziyi Zhao
        Ph.D. student since 2023/08
        Degree: M. S. and B.S., Harbin Institute of Technology
        Research interests: intelligent reflecting surface assisted wireless communication

• Lin Zhu
        Ph.D. student since 2023/08
        Degree: M. S. and B.S., The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen
        Research interests: radio map in wireless communication

• Yiyang Zhang (Winner of Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme)
        Ph.D. student since 2024/08
        Degree: M.S. and B.S., Southeast University

• Tongkai Li (Winner of PolyU Presidential PhD Fellowship Scheme)
        Ph.D. student since 2024/08
        Degree: M.S., Imperial College London
                      B.S., South China University of Technology

• Jishan Yan
        Ph.D. student since 2024/08
        Degree: M.S., Beijing Institute of Technology
                      B.S., Xidian University

• Qin Cheng
        Ph.D. student since 2025/08
        Degree: B.S., University of Electronic Science and Technology of China

• Pan Pan
        Ph.D. student since 2025/08
        Degree: M.S., Tianjin University
                      B.S., Tianjin University

• Hao Xu
        Ph.D. student since 2026/08
        Degree: M.S., Wuhan University
                      B.S., Chongqing University

Current Postdoctoral Fellow


• Weifeng Zhu Google Scholar
        Postdoc since 2023/10
        Degree: Ph.D., Shanghai Jiao Tong University

• Junyuan Gao Google Scholar
        Postdoc since 2024/06
        Degree: Ph.D., Shanghai Jiao Tong University

• Yanmo Hu
        Postdoc since 2025/01
        Degree: Ph.D., Harbin Institute of Technology

• Hu Zhou Google Scholar
        Postdoc since 2026/04
        Degree: Ph.D., University of Electronic Science and Technology of China

• Yi Yang Google Scholar
        Postdoc since 2026/05
        Degree: Ph.D., Northwestern Polytechnical University

• Zhentian Zhang Google Scholar
        Postdoc since 2026/07
        Degree: Ph.D., Southeast University


Graduated Ph.D. Students


• Qipeng Wang Google Scholar
        Ph.D. student from 2020/08 to 2024/11
        Thesis: Exploiting Intelligent Reflecting Surfaces as Passive Anchors for Ubiquitous Sensing in 6G
        Cellular Networks
        Now with Huawei, Singapore

• Qin Shi Google Scholar
        Ph.D. student from 2021/01 to 2025/04
        Thesis: Networked Sensing Technique for 6G Integrated Sensing and Communication
        Now with Huawei, Singapore

• Hongjia Huang (joint programme with SUSTech, co-supervised with Dr. Weijie Yuan)
        Ph.D. student from 2021/08 to 2026/05
        Thesis: Integrated Sensing and Communication Systems: From Analytical Resource Allocation to
        Data-Driven Sensing and Beamforming

• Rui Wang
        Ph.D. student from 2021/08 to 2026/05
        Thesis: Channel Acquisition in Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface Assisted Wireless Communication
        Now with China Mobile, Hong Kong


Previous Postdocs


• Zhaorui Wang Google Scholar
        Postdoc from 2019/09 to 2020/09
        Now Assistant Professor in Great Bay University

• Xiangming Cai Google Scholar
        Postdoc from 2023/04 to 2024/04
        Now Associate Professor in Fuzhou University

• Xiaoqi Zhang
        Postdoc from 2024/08 to 2025/10
        Now Associate Professor in University of Science and Technology Beijing

• Min Fu Google Scholar
        Postdoc from 2025/12 to 2026/05
        Now Professor in University of Electronic Science and Technology of China as a Professor


Current and Past Visiting Scholars and Students


• Runnan Liu Google Scholar
        Visiting Ph.D. student from 2021/05 to 2023/04
        Ph.D. student in Shanghai Jiao Tong University
        Research interests: change detection in wireless communication

• Yue Ju
        Visiting Ph.D. student from 2023/08 to 2024/02
        Ph.D. student in Beijing Institute of Technology
        Research interests: intelligent reflecting surface aided wireless communication


Teaching

• ENG 2003 Information Technology, 2019-2022

• EIE 4113 Wireless and Mobile Systems, 2023-present

• EIE 579 Advanced Telecommunication Systems, 2021-present

• EIE 589 Wireless Data Network, 2022-present

Activities

Distinguished Lecturer


[1] IEEE ComSoc, 2025-2026


Editorial Board


[1] Editor, IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications, 2021/12 to present

[2] Associate Editor, IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing, 2025/10 to present


Guest Editor


[1] IEEE Wireless Communications Special Issue on Massive Machine-Type Communications for IoT


Committee Member


[1] Signal Processing for Communications and Networking (SPCOM) Technical Committee in IEEE Signal Processing Society, 2026-Present

[2] Tutorial and Best Reading Officer, IEEE ComSoc Emerging Technologies Initiatives (ETI) on Next Generation Multiple Access (NGMA), 2022-2025

[3] Founding Member, IEEE WTC Special Interest Group (SIG) on Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC), 2020


Symposium Co-Chair


[1] International Conference on Wireless Communications and Signal Processing (IC-WCSP) 2024, Wireless Channel, Transmission, and Access Symposium


Awards