Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communications are described. A user equipment (UE) may receive, via a first component carrier, control information that triggers transmission of an aperiodic reference signal in a second component carrier. The UE may identify a quasi co-location (QCL) assumption for reception of the aperiodic reference signal in the second component carrier based at least in part on a control resource set not being configured for the second component carrier. The UE may then monitor for the aperiodic reference signal of the second component carrier based on the QCL assumption. In some cases, the UE may transmit a measurement report to a base station based on a measurement of the reference signal.