Fluorescent antenna based on Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) for optical wireless communications

Area of Science:

• Photonics
• Optical Wireless Communications
• Materials Science

Background:

• Fluorescent antennas improve optical wireless communication (OWC) receiver performance by increasing signal gain and field of view (FoV).
• Key fluorophore properties for efficient OWC include high photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY), spectral separation, and short photoluminescence (PL) lifetime for high modulation bandwidth.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and evaluate a new fluorescent antenna architecture for OWC based on Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET).
• To demonstrate that FRET can simultaneously enhance PLQY, reduce PL lifetime, and increase Stokes shift for improved OWC performance.

Main Methods:

• Development of a novel fluorescent antenna utilizing FRET between energy donor and acceptor molecules.
• Characterization of photophysical properties including PLQY, PL lifetime, and spectral characteristics.
• Experimental evaluation of the FRET-based antenna in an OWC system to assess concentration gain and transmission bandwidth.

Main Results:

• The FRET-based antenna demonstrated simultaneous increases in PLQY and reductions in PL lifetime.
• An increased Stokes shift was observed, reducing self-absorption and enhancing detection efficiency by silicon photodetectors.
• The FRET antenna achieved significantly higher concentration gain and wider transmission bandwidth compared to non-FRET antennas.

Conclusions:

• FRET is an effective mechanism for designing advanced fluorescent antennas for OWC.
• The proposed FRET-based antenna architecture offers superior performance, leading to substantially higher data rates in OWC systems.