Polarization Differential Visible Light Communication: Theory and Experimental Evaluation.

Area of Science:

• Optical Communications
• Wireless Technology
• Photonics

Background:

• Visible Light Communication (VLC) typically modulates light intensity for data transmission.
• Existing VLC systems face challenges with signal quality and receiver orientation sensitivity.
• Polarization as an information carrier in VLC remains underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate polarization modulation for Visible Light Communication (VLC).
• To develop and analyze a receiver system that is robust to orientation changes.
• To demonstrate the feasibility of polarization-based VLC with improved signal stability.

Main Methods:

• Constant light intensity transmission with polarization modulation.
• Utilizing a differential receiver pair with orthogonal polarizers for demodulation.
• Deriving an analytical Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) expression considering receiver rotation.
• Experimental verification using two distinct receiver setups, including a quadrant photodiode.

Main Results:

• Signal quality is sensitive to receiver orientation with single differential receivers.
• A dual-receiver pair configuration significantly improves robustness against rotation.
• Analytical SNR predictions are experimentally validated.
• A dedicated quadrant photodiode receiver achieves rotation robustness.

Conclusions:

• Polarization modulation offers a viable alternative for Visible Light Communication (VLC).
• The proposed receiver design effectively mitigates orientation-dependent signal degradation.
• This approach enhances the practical applicability of VLC systems in dynamic environments.