Techniques for aligning clustered reference signal tones in wireless communications

An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

• a transceiver;
• a memory configured to store instructions;
• and
• one or more processors communicatively coupled with the memory and the transceiver, wherein the one or more processors are configured to:
• receive a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) for an antenna port over a set of multiple DMRS frequency tones in a symbol of a slot based on a DMRS configuration;
• receive a phase tracking reference signal (PTRS) for the antenna port over a cluster of multiple PTRS frequency tones in the symbol or a different symbol of the slot, wherein the cluster of multiple PTRS frequency tones are adjacent to one another in frequency, and wherein at least one PTRS frequency tone in the cluster of multiple PTRS frequency tones is a non-zero power (NZP) PTRS frequency tone that overlaps, in frequency, at least one DMRS frequency tone in the set of multiple DMRS frequency tones;
• receive a second DMRS for a second antenna port over a second set of multiple DMRS frequency tones in the symbol of the slot based on the DMRS configuration;
• and
• receive a second PTRS for the second antenna port over a second cluster of multiple PTRS frequency tones in the symbol or a different symbol of the slot, wherein at least one PTRS frequency tone in the second cluster of multiple PTRS frequency tones overlaps, in frequency, at least one DMRS frequency tone in the second set of multiple DMRS frequency tones.

A method for wireless communication, comprising:

• transmitting a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) for an antenna port over a set of multiple DMRS frequency tones in a symbol of a slot based on a DMRS configuration;
• transmitting a phase tracking reference signal (PTRS) for the antenna port over a cluster of multiple PTRS frequency tones in the symbol or a different symbol of the slot, wherein the cluster of multiple PTRS frequency tones are adjacent to one another in frequency, and wherein at least one PTRS frequency tone in the cluster of multiple PTRS frequency tones is a non-zero power (NZP) PTRS frequency tone that overlaps, in frequency, at least one DMRS frequency tone in the set of multiple DMRS frequency tones;
• transmitting a second DMRS for a second antenna port over a second set of multiple DMRS frequency tones in the symbol of the slot based on the DMRS configuration;
• and
• transmitting a second PTRS for the second antenna port over a second cluster of multiple PTRS frequency tones in the symbol or a different symbol of the slot, wherein at least one PTRS frequency tone in the second cluster of multiple PTRS frequency tones overlaps, in frequency, at least one DMRS frequency tone in the second set of multiple DMRS frequency tones.

A method for wireless communication, comprising:

• receiving a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) for an antenna port over a set of multiple DMRS frequency tones in a symbol of a slot based on a DMRS configuration;
• receiving a phase tracking reference signal (PTRS) for the antenna port over a cluster of multiple PTRS frequency tones in the symbol or a different symbol of the slot, wherein the cluster of multiple PTRS frequency tones are adjacent to one another in frequency, and wherein at least one PTRS frequency tone in the cluster of multiple PTRS frequency tones is a non-zero power (NZP) PTRS frequency tone that overlaps, in frequency, at least one DMRS frequency tone in the set of multiple DMRS frequency tones;
• receiving a second DMRS for a second antenna port over a second set of multiple DMRS frequency tones in the symbol of the slot based on the DMRS configuration;
• and
• receiving a second PTRS for the second antenna port over a second cluster of multiple PTRS frequency tones in the symbol or a different symbol of the slot, wherein at least one PTRS frequency tone in the second cluster of multiple PTRS frequency tones overlaps, in frequency, at least one DMRS frequency tone in the second set of multiple DMRS frequency tones.