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arxiv: 2605.26750 · v1 · pith:FB6VIVNJ · submitted 2026-05-26 · eess.SP

RIS-Assisted Secure Transmission with Artificial Noise: Element Allocation and Measurements

Mustafa Furkan Beker , Ahmet Muaz Aktas , Sefa Kayraklik , Sultangali Arzykulov This is my paper

Reviewed by Pith T0 review T1 audit T2 compute T3 formal T4 kernel 2026-06-29 16:00 UTCgrok-4.3pith:FB6VIVNJrecord.jsonopen to challenge →

classification eess.SP
keywords reconfigurable intelligent surfaceartificial noisephysical layer securitysecrecy capacityelement allocationphase optimizationwireless communications
0
0 comments X

The pith

Dividing RIS elements between signal boosting and artificial noise raises secrecy capacity.

A machine-rendered reading of the paper's core claim, the machinery that carries it, and where it could break.

The paper establishes that partitioning the reconfigurable intelligent surface into separate groups—one set of elements to reflect the communication signal toward the legitimate receiver and the remaining elements to direct artificial noise toward an eavesdropper—combined with a power split between signal and noise, produces higher secrecy capacity. An iterative optimization sets the phases of the elements to strengthen the desired link while weakening the eavesdropper link. Both computer simulations and hardware measurements are used to show the gains from this joint allocation. The design treats the element allocation ratio and the power allocation factor as the two main tunable parameters.

Core claim

The authors claim that simultaneous transmission of the communication signal and artificial noise, with the RIS partitioned according to an element allocation ratio and phases set by iterative binary optimization, yields a measurable increase in achievable secrecy capacity when the power allocation factor is also tuned appropriately.

What carries the argument

The RIS element allocation ratio that divides the reflecting elements into one group for communication-signal enhancement and one group for artificial-noise transmission, paired with a transmit power allocation factor between the two signals.

If this is right

  • Secrecy capacity rises when the element allocation ratio and power split are jointly optimized for the prevailing channels.
  • Iterative binary phase adjustment increases signal strength at the legitimate receiver while reducing it at the eavesdropper.
  • Hardware measurements confirm the secrecy-capacity gains predicted by simulation under the joint design.
  • The approach works for single-antenna base stations transmitting both signal and noise in the presence of one eavesdropper.

Where Pith is reading between the lines

These are editorial extensions of the paper, not claims the author makes directly.

  • The same partitioning logic could be tested in multi-antenna or multi-user settings by extending the allocation variables.
  • Performance under imperfect channel estimates would indicate how sensitive the secrecy gains are to real-world estimation error.
  • Dynamic reallocation of elements during operation could be examined to track changing eavesdropper locations.

Load-bearing premise

Accurate channel knowledge to both the legitimate receiver and the eavesdropper is available and the RIS elements can be partitioned and controlled independently.

What would settle it

An experiment in which measured secrecy capacity fails to rise or falls when the proposed element allocation ratio and power allocation factor are applied, relative to a baseline that does not partition the surface, would falsify the claim.

Figures

Figures reproduced from arXiv: 2605.26750 by Ahmet Muaz Aktas, Mustafa Furkan Beker, Sefa Kayraklik, Sultangali Arzykulov.

Figure 1
Figure 1. Figure 1: System model of the RIS-assisted secure transmission [PITH_FULL_IMAGE:figures/full_fig_p001_1.png] view at source ↗
Figure 2
Figure 2. Figure 2: Capacity comparison: (a) Cb and Ce vs. β; (b) Cs vs. β; (c) Cb and Ce vs. α; (d) Cs vs. α. allocation. Accordingly, the optimal RIS phase configuration is obtained by maximizing Cs as (α ∗ , β∗ , θ ∗ ) = arg max α,β,θ Cs(α, β, θ) s.t. 0 ≤ α ≤ 1, 0 ≤ β ≤ 1, θn ∈ {0, π}, ∀n. (7) F. Iterative Binary RIS Phase Optimization In the proposed approach, α and β are swept over predefined ranges, and for each (α, β) … view at source ↗
Figure 4
Figure 4. Figure 4: Experimental results showing Cb, Ce, and Cs versus RIS element allocation ratio β for different α values. increases with α, reaches a maximum at an intermediate value, and then decreases sharply as α approaches 1. This behavior is due to the near elimination of AN at high α, which significantly improves Eve’s reception and degrades secrecy performance. In addition, a random binary phase configuration is co… view at source ↗
read the original abstract

Physical layer security in reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS)-assisted wireless systems can be improved through coordinated control of signal transmission and RIS configuration. In this work, the base station simultaneously transmits the communication signal (CS) and artificial noise (AN) in the presence of a potential eavesdropper. The RIS is partitioned into two groups of reflecting elements, where a portion enhances the desired CS toward the legitimate receiver, while the remaining elements contribute to AN transmission. Two key parameters govern the system design: a transmit power allocation factor between CS and AN, and an RIS element allocation ratio controlling the partitioning of the reflecting elements. An iterative binary phase optimization strategy is employed to enhance the received signal power at Bob while degrading Eve's reception. Simulation and experimental results demonstrate that proper joint design significantly improves the achievable secrecy capacity.

Editorial analysis

A structured set of objections, weighed in public.

Desk editor's note, referee report, simulated authors' rebuttal, and a circularity audit. Tearing a paper down is the easy half of reading it; the pith above is the substance, this is the friction.

Referee Report

2 major / 0 minor

Summary. The manuscript proposes a RIS-assisted physical-layer security scheme in which the base station transmits both a communication signal and artificial noise while the RIS is partitioned into two groups of reflecting elements. One group is configured to enhance the signal at the legitimate receiver (Bob) and the other to degrade reception at the eavesdropper (Eve). The design is governed by a transmit power allocation factor between the signal and noise and an RIS element allocation ratio; an iterative binary phase optimization is applied after these ratios are fixed. Simulation and experimental results are presented to show that the joint design yields higher secrecy capacity than baseline schemes.

Significance. If the reported gains survive realistic channel acquisition, the work supplies a concrete, experimentally validated method for trading off power and element allocation in RIS-secured links. The presence of both simulation and over-the-air measurements is a positive feature relative to purely numerical studies in the same area.

major comments (2)
  1. [Abstract] Abstract: the iterative binary phase optimization is stated to simultaneously boost Bob while harming Eve, yet this step presupposes exact knowledge of the cascaded channels to both terminals. No analysis of channel estimation error, feedback delay, or mutual coupling is supplied, which directly affects whether the claimed secrecy-capacity gains transfer to the experimental setting.
  2. [Abstract] Abstract: the central claim that 'proper joint design significantly improves the achievable secrecy capacity' is supported only by the statement that simulation and experimental results demonstrate the improvement; no equations for the secrecy capacity, no error bars, and no quantitative comparison tables are referenced, preventing assessment of effect size or statistical reliability.

Simulated Author's Rebuttal

2 responses · 0 unresolved

We thank the referee for the constructive comments on our manuscript. We address each major comment point by point below.

read point-by-point responses

  1. Referee: [Abstract] Abstract: the iterative binary phase optimization is stated to simultaneously boost Bob while harming Eve, yet this step presupposes exact knowledge of the cascaded channels to both terminals. No analysis of channel estimation error, feedback delay, or mutual coupling is supplied, which directly affects whether the claimed secrecy-capacity gains transfer to the experimental setting.

    Authors: We agree that the iterative binary phase optimization assumes perfect knowledge of the cascaded channels to Bob and Eve. The experimental results rely on direct over-the-air channel measurements obtained in the testbed, which capture the actual propagation environment. However, the manuscript does not include a dedicated robustness analysis against channel estimation errors, feedback delay, or mutual coupling. We will add a discussion paragraph in the revised version addressing these assumptions and their implications for the measured secrecy capacity gains. revision: partial

  2. Referee: [Abstract] Abstract: the central claim that 'proper joint design significantly improves the achievable secrecy capacity' is supported only by the statement that simulation and experimental results demonstrate the improvement; no equations for the secrecy capacity, no error bars, and no quantitative comparison tables are referenced, preventing assessment of effect size or statistical reliability.

    Authors: The secrecy capacity is defined in Equation (8) of Section II. Sections IV and V present simulation and experimental results, respectively, with direct comparisons to baseline schemes and error bars on the experimental plots to indicate measurement variability. We will revise the abstract to reference Equation (8) and the relevant result sections to better support the central claim. revision: yes

Circularity Check

0 steps flagged

No significant circularity; design parameters are free choices validated empirically.

full rationale

The paper describes a joint design using transmit power allocation factor and RIS element allocation ratio as tunable parameters, followed by an iterative binary phase optimization to improve secrecy capacity. These are presented as design choices whose effectiveness is shown via simulation and experimental results, not derived by construction or reduced to fitted inputs. No equations, self-citations, or uniqueness theorems are invoked in the provided text to force the outcome. The derivation chain is self-contained against external benchmarks (simulations and measurements), with no load-bearing step that equates the claimed improvement to its own inputs.

Axiom & Free-Parameter Ledger

0 free parameters · 0 axioms · 0 invented entities

Abstract alone supplies no explicit free parameters, axioms, or invented entities; all quantities are described at the level of design choices.

pith-pipeline@v0.9.1-grok · 5679 in / 966 out tokens · 32869 ms · 2026-06-29T16:00:32.765042+00:00 · methodology

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Reference graph

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