  In this paper, we address the classical problem of maximum-likelihood (ML)
detection of data in the presence of random phase noise. We consider a system,
where the random phase noise affecting the received signal is first compensated
by a tracker/estimator. Then the phase error and its statistics are used for
deriving the ML detector. Specifically, we derive an ML detector based on a
Gaussian assumption for the phase error probability density function (PDF).
Further without making any assumptions on the phase error PDF, we show that the
actual ML detector can be reformulated as a weighted sum of central moments of
the phase error PDF. We present a simple approximation of this new ML rule
assuming that the phase error distribution is unknown. The ML detectors derived
are also the aposteriori probabilities of the transmitted symbols, and are
referred to as soft metrics. Then, using the detector developed based on
Gaussian phase error assumption, we derive the symbol error probability (SEP)
performance and error floor analytically for arbitrary constellations. Finally
we compare SEP performance of the various detectors/metrics in this work and
those from literature for different signal constellations, phase noise
scenarios and SNR values.
