235 nm and 255 nm light-emitting diode based Gbps optical wireless communications up to 30 meters

The rapid development of AlGaN-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs) has led to increasing interest in optical wireless communication (OWC) utilizing the unique properties of deep-ultraviolet (DUV) light. Ultraviolet-C (UVC) light, which spans wavelengths from 100 nm to 280 nm, is particularly interesting because shorter wavelengths scatter more strongly, making them potentially useful for non-line-of-sight (NLOS) OWC. Furthermore, the UVC region of the electromagnetic spectrum is 'solar blind', meaning there is little to no ambient interference . However, only limited research has explored OWC at wavelengths below 275 nm. In this study, we report OWC using AlGaN LEDs with peak emission wavelengths of 235 nm and 255 nm, respectively, achieving transmission distances ranging from 0.5 to 30 m and data rates of up to 2 Gbps. To the best of our knowledge, these results represent the first demonstrations of OWC using UVC LEDs with peak emission wavelengths below 260 nm.