Full Rank Solutions for the MIMO Gaussian Wiretap Channel with an Average Power Constraint

This paper considers a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) Gaussian wiretap channel model, where there exists a transmitter, a legitimate receiver and an eavesdropper, each equipped with multiple antennas. In this paper, we first revisit the rank property of the optimal input covariance matrix that achieves the secrecy capacity of the multiple antenna MIMO Gaussian wiretap channel under the average power constraint. Next, we obtain necessary and sufficient conditions on the MIMO wiretap channel parameters such that the optimal input covariance matrix is full-rank, and we fully characterize the resulting covariance matrix as well. Numerical results are presented to illustrate the proposed theoretical findings.