Techniques for serving cell activation and deactivation using reference signals

An apparatus for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), comprising:

• a processor,
• memory coupled with the processor;
• and
• instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
• receive, while the UE is in wireless communications with a first serving cell supported by a base station, an indication to activate or deactivate a second serving cell supported by the base station;
• receive a reference signal from the base station via the first serving cell, the reference signal received a duration of time after receipt of the indication, wherein the duration of time is an interruption period for the wireless communications with the first serving cell;
• and
• resume the wireless communications with the first serving cell based at least in part on the interruption period ending at receipt of the reference signal.

An apparatus for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), comprising:

• means for receiving, while the UE is in wireless communications with a first serving cell supported by a base station, an indication to activate or deactivate a second serving cell supported by the base station;
• means for receiving a reference signal from the base station via the first serving cell, the reference signal received a duration of time after receipt of the indication, wherein the duration of time is an interruption period for the wireless communications with the first serving cell;
• and
• means for resuming the wireless communications with the first serving cell based at least in part on the interruption period ending at receipt of the reference signal.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), the code comprising instructions executable by a processor to:

• receive, while the UE is in wireless communications with a first serving cell supported by a base station, an indication to activate or deactivate a second serving cell supported by the base station;
• receive a reference signal from the base station via the first serving cell, the reference signal received a duration of time after receipt of the indication, wherein the duration of time is an interruption period for the wireless communications with the first serving cell;
• and
• resume the wireless communications with the first serving cell based at least in part on the interruption period ending at receipt of the reference signal.