Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communications are described. A first device and a second device may communicate via a channel. The first device may generate and transmit a reference signal, which may be a distortion probing reference signal with a high peak to average power ratio. In one implementation, the first device may use the reference signal as an input for a neural network model to learn a nonlinear response of the second device transmission components. In another implementation, the second device may sample the generated reference signal, and use the samples as inputs for a neural network model to learn the nonlinear response. The first device and the second device may exchange signaling based on learning the nonlinear response, and each device may compensate for the nonlinear response when communicating via the channel.