Secrecy analysis for IoT relaying networks deploying NOMA with energy harvesting

In this paper, we investigate the physical-layer security for an Internet of Things (IoT) relaying network employing non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) in the context of non-linear energy harvesting. In particular, a power-constrained source transmits its confidential information to a destination via an IoT device, which first decodes the received signal and then forwards the decoded data together with its own information using the NOMA technique to their respective destinations, while an eavesdropper is overhearing this transmission. Considering the scenario that both the power-constrained source and the IoT device are assumed to work under non-linear energy harvesting modes, and are capable of harvesting energy from a power beacon with a time switching protocol, both analytical and asymptotic expressions for secrecy outage probability as well as the analytical expression for the probability of strictly positive secrecy capacity are derived. In addition, those expressions are also verified with (c) 2021 The Franklin Institute. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.