User equipment (UE) includes processing circuitry, where to configure the UE for New Radio (NR) communications in an unlicensed spectrum, the processing circuitry is to decode radio resource control (RRC) signaling including configuration information identifying a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) search space set. The configuration information includes a PDCCH monitoring periodicity, a PDCCH monitoring offset, and a PDCCH monitoring duration associated with the PDCCH search space set. The PDCCH search space set is monitored for downlink control information (DCI) using the PDCCH monitoring periodicity, the PDCCH monitoring offset, and the PDCCH monitoring duration. Upon detecting the DCI within the monitored PDCCH search space set, a DCI format within the DCI is decoded.