  Wireless networks with directional antennas, like millimeter wave (mmWave)
networks, have enhanced security. For a large-scale mmWave ad hoc network in
which eavesdroppers are randomly located, however, eavesdroppers can still
intercept the confidential messages, since they may reside in the signal beam.
This paper explores the potential of physical layer security in mmWave ad hoc
networks. Specifically, we characterize the impact of mmWave channel
characteristics, random blockages, and antenna gains on the secrecy
performance. For the special case of uniform linear array (ULA), a tractable
approach is proposed to evaluate the average achievable secrecy rate. We also
characterize the impact of artificial noise in such networks. Our results
reveal that in the low transmit powerregime, the use of low mmWave frequency
achieves better secrecy performance, and when increasing transmit power, a
transition from low mmWave frequency to high mmWave frequency is demanded for
obtaining a higher secrecy rate. More antennas at the transmitting nodes are
needed to decrease the antenna gain obtained by the eavesdroppers when using
ULA. Eavesdroppers can intercept more information by using a wide beam pattern.
Furthermore, the use of artificial noise may be ineffective for enhancing the
secrecy rate.
