Deep ultraviolet (DUV) optical wireless communications have seen increased interest in recent years due to the unique properties of light in this spectral region. However, the reported DUV data rates remain significantly lower than comparable demonstrations at visible wavelengths due to lower modulation bandwidths and/or output power of the sources. Here, we present a wavelength division multiplexing demonstration using three UV micro-light-emitting diodes emitting at nominal peak wavelengths of 285, 317, and 375 nm, respectively, each with an emitting area of approximately 1369μm2 (equivalent to circular device pixels of diameter ∼40μm). Using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing, data rates of 4.17, 3.02, and 3.13 Gbps were achieved from the 285, 317, and 375 nm devices, respectively, for a combined data rate of 10.32 Gbps transmitted over a distance of 0.5 m.

Hybrid perovskite materials are widely researched due to their high absorptivity, inexpensive synthesis, and promise in photovoltaic devices. These materials are also of interest as highly sensitive photodetectors. In this study, their potential for use in visible light communication is explored in a configuration that allows for simultaneous energy and data harvesting. Using a triple-cation material and appropriate device design, a new record data rate for perovskite photodetectors of 56 Mbps and power conversion efficiencies above 20% under white LED illumination are achieved. With this device design, the ?3dB bandwidth is increased by minimizing the dominating time constant of the system. This correlation between the bandwidth and time constant is proved using measurements of time-resolved photoluminescence, transient photovoltage, and device resistance.

The low modulation bandwidth of deep-ultraviolet (UV) light sources is considered as the main reason limiting the data transmission rate of deep-UV communications. Here, we present high-bandwidth III-nitride micro-light-emitting diodes (μLEDs) emitting in the UV-C region and their applications in deep-UV communication systems. The fabricated UV-C μLEDs with 566μm2 emission area produce an optical power of 196 μW at the 3400A/cm2 current density. The measured 3 dB modulation bandwidth of these μLEDs initially increases linearly with the driving current density and then saturates as 438 MHz at a current density of 71A/cm2, which is limited by the cutoff frequency of the commercial avalanche photodiode used for the measurement. A deep-UV communication system is further demonstrated. By using the UV-C μLED, up to 800 Mbps and 1.1 Gbps data transmission rates at bit error ratio of 3.8×10 3 are achieved assuming on-off keying and orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing modulation schemes, respectively.

Visible light communication (VLC) is a promising solution to the increasing demands for wireless connectivity. Gallium nitride micro-sized light emitting diodes (micro-LEDs) are strong candidates for VLC due to their high bandwidths. Segmented violet micro-LEDs are reported in this work with electrical-to-optical bandwidths up to 655 MHz. An orthogonal frequency division multiplexing-based VLC system with adaptive bit and energy loading is demonstrated, and a data transmission rate of 11.95 Gb/s is achieved with a violet micro-LED, when the nonlinear distortion of the micro-LED is the dominant noise source of the VLC system. A record 7.91 Gb/s data transmission rate is reported below the forward error correction threshold using a single pixel of the segmented array when all the noise sources of the VLC system are present.

In this paper, a new approach for wireless data transmission within an aircraft cabin is presented. The proposed application enables the transmission of data to a passenger’s user device. As wireless in-flight applications are subject to strict frequency and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) regulations, the data is transferred by optical wireless transmission, specifically by two-dimensional visual codes. To this end, black-and-white or colored visual code sequences are displayed on the in-flight entertainment screen. These visual codes are captured by the built-in camera of the passenger’s mobile device and are decoded to reconstruct the transmitted data. In order to compensate for frame losses caused by effects like occlusion and motion blur, a temporal forward error correction coding scheme is applied. Transmission experiments within an Airbus A330 cabin mock-up demonstrate the functionality of the implemented system under realistic conditions such as ambient illumination and geometric configuration. Representative user devices are used for evaluation; specifically, a low-cost and a high-end smartphone are employed as receivers. Performance evaluations show that the proposed transmission system achieves data rates of up to 120 kbit/s per individual passenger seat with these user devices. As the user device has no physical connection to the sensitive on-board system, the proposed transmission system provides an intrinsic safety feature.