access icon free Flexible photoluminescent waveguide amplifiers to improve visible light communication platforms

Commercial light-emitting diodes are a low-cost and energy-efficient solution for the implementation of optical wireless communication, known as visible light communication (VLC). This technology has a huge growing interest, being recently a research spotlight in the scientific community, especially due to the increasing popularity and rapid development of self-sustainable smart houses and the Internet of Things. As the VLC link is free space, big challenges arise in its implementation. To improve the VLC performance, this work proposes an enhanced system solution integrating an optical amplifier. In this context, organic–inorganic hybrids incorporating a blue-emitting conjugated polymer with high quantum yield (>50%) were synthesised and processed as planar waveguides. The waveguides were tested in a testbed scenario, showing a signal amplitude improvement of 2.5 dB, establishing the proposed approach as a promising cost-effective solution for optical amplification in VLCs.

Inspec keywords: organic-inorganic hybrid materials; optical communication; light emitting diodes; photoluminescence

Other keywords: Internet of Things; high quantum yield; optical amplifier; free space; VLC link; self-sustainable smart houses; planar waveguides; optical wireless communication; optical amplification; organic–inorganic hybrids; blue-emitting conjugated polymer; noise figure 2.5 dB; signal amplitude improvement; promising cost-effective solution; visible light communication platforms; VLC performance; enhanced system solution; commercial light-emitting diodes; research spotlight; energy-efficient solution; scientific community; huge growing interest; flexible photoluminescent waveguide amplifiers

Subjects: Light emitting diodes; Optical communication; Optical communication

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