Abstract

We introduce recently developed space division multiplexing (SDM)-associated technologies into optical wireless communications (OWC) and propose to use incoherent and low-coherence spatial modes to realize optical broadcasting with reliable performance by mitigating coherent interference. We experimentally demonstrate reconfigurable optical beam steering using a programmable multi-plane light conversion (MPLC)-based mode multiplexer (MMUX) and realize point-to-multi-point optical wireless communications with low-loss up-link optical beam combining and reach extension using multimode fiber (MMF). Both incoherent and low-coherence spatial modes can be generated employing cost-efficient components such as a multimode vertical cavity surface emitting laser (MM-VCSEL) and broadband amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) noise source.

Wide field-of-view optical broadcasting for bi-directional indoor optical wireless communications employing PAM-4 modulation

Feng Feng, Paramin Sangwongngam, Grahame Faulkner, and Dominic O’Brien
Opt. Lett. 44(24) 6009-6012 (2019)

2D optical wireless broadcasting system enabled by a liquid crystal on silicon and rotated-splitting-SLM algorithm

Quan You, Ming Luo, Xi Xiao, and Shaohua Yu
Opt. Express 28(21) 30851-30860 (2020)

Programmable 1.47 Tb/s (92 Gb/s x 16) optical wireless broadcasting system empowered by a single spatial light modulator and a modified RSS algorithm

Quan You, Chao Li, Xi Xiao, and Shaohua Yu
Opt. Express 29(13) 19373-19383 (2021)

12 Gbit/s indoor optical wireless communication system with ultrafast beam-steering using tunable VCSEL

Lican Wu, Yaqi Han, Zhi Li, Yuan Zhang, and H. Y. Fu
Opt. Express 30(9) 15049-15059 (2022)

Multi-user accessible indoor infrared optical wireless communication systems employing VIPA-based 2D optical beam-steering technique

Zhi Li, Zihan Zang, Zixian Wei, Yaqi Han, Lican Wu, Zhenquan Zhao, Mutong Li, and H. Y. Fu
Opt. Express 29(13) 20175-20189 (2021)