Beyond 25 Gbps optical wireless communication using wavelength division multiplexed LEDs and micro-LEDs.

Area of Science:

• Optoelectronics and Communications

Background:

• Optical wireless communication (OWC) systems leverage light sources for data transmission.
• Wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) enhances data capacity by utilizing multiple wavelengths.
• Micro-light-emitting diodes (μLEDs) offer potential for high-performance communication.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and demonstrate a proof-of-concept wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) system for high-speed optical wireless communication (OWC).
• To evaluate the performance of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and micro-LEDs (μLEDs) in a WDM-OWC system covering deep ultraviolet (UV) to visible light spectrum.
• To investigate the potential of μLEDs for achieving unprecedented data rates in OWC.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a WDM system utilizing three LEDs and five μLEDs.
• Operation across a broad spectrum from deep UV to visible light.
• Free-space transmission experiments over a distance of 25 cm.

Main Results:

• Achieved an aggregated data rate of up to 25.20 Gbps over 25 cm free space, the highest reported for LED-based OWC.
• The five μLEDs individually achieved a data rate of up to 18.43 Gbps, the highest reported for μLED-based OWC.
• Demonstrated simultaneous visible light communication (VLC) and UV communication capabilities.
• A data rate of 20.11 Gbps was achieved specifically for VLC.

Conclusions:

• The proposed WDM-OWC system with LEDs and μLEDs successfully demonstrates high-speed data transmission.
• μLEDs exhibit significant superiority and potential for future high-capacity WDM-OWC applications.
• The system's ability to cover UV and visible light spectra opens possibilities for dual-mode communication.