  In this paper, we present a low-complexity algorithm for detection in
high-rate, non-orthogonal space-time block coded (STBC) large-MIMO systems that
achieve high spectral efficiencies of the order of tens of bps/Hz. We also
present a training-based iterative detection/channel estimation scheme for such
large STBC MIMO systems. Our simulation results show that excellent bit error
rate and nearness-to-capacity performance are achieved by the proposed
multistage likelihood ascent search (M-LAS) detector in conjunction with the
proposed iterative detection/channel estimation scheme at low complexities. The
fact that we could show such good results for large STBCs like 16x16 and 32x32
STBCs from Cyclic Division Algebras (CDA) operating at spectral efficiencies in
excess of 20 bps/Hz (even after accounting for the overheads meant for pilot
based training for channel estimation and turbo coding) establishes the
effectiveness of the proposed detector and channel estimator. We decode perfect
codes of large dimensions using the proposed detector. With the feasibility of
such a low-complexity detection/channel estimation scheme, large-MIMO systems
with tens of antennas operating at several tens of bps/Hz spectral efficiencies
can become practical, enabling interesting high data rate wireless
applications.
