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Visible light communication system using an organic bulk heterojunction photodetector
Belén Arredondo1, Beatriz Romero, José Manuel Sánchez Pena
1Electronic Technology Department, University Rey Juan Carlos, Calle Tulipán s/n, Móstoles 28933, Madrid, Spain. belen.arredondo@urjc.es.
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)
|September 17, 2013
Summary
This study demonstrates a visible light communication system using an organic photodetector (OPD) for indoor audio transmission. The system successfully transmitted audio signals, showcasing the potential of organic electronics in communication technologies.
Area of Science:
- Optoelectronics
- Materials Science
- Communications Engineering
Background:
- Visible Light Communication (VLC) offers a potential wireless communication solution.
- Organic Photodetectors (OPDs) present a low-cost, flexible alternative to traditional photodetectors.
- Integrating OPDs into VLC systems requires understanding their optoelectronic performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and demonstrate a functional VLC system utilizing an organic bulk heterojunction photodetector.
- To evaluate the performance of an OPD in receiving and processing audio signals transmitted via visible light.
Main Methods:
- Constructed a VLC system with commercial white LEDs as the emitter.
- Fabricated an OPD using a blend of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) as the active layer.
- Opto-electrically characterized the OPD to determine its responsivity and modulation response.
Main Results:
- The VLC system successfully transmitted an audio signal indoors.
- The organic photodetector exhibited a responsivity of 0.18 A/W.
- The OPD demonstrated a modulation response of 790 kHz at -6 V.
Conclusions:
- The developed VLC system using an OPD is viable for indoor audio communication.
- The P3HT:PCBM based OPD shows promising optoelectronic characteristics for communication applications.
- Further research can explore higher data rates and longer-range VLC systems with OPDs.
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