Innovative and multifunctional materials as optical amplifiers for cooperative visible light communications

Abstract

Recent advances in light-emitting diode (LED) technology have created a new generation of energy-efficient light sources that is revolutionizing the lighting market. Due to the LED faster response, these devices can be used for illumination and for optical wireless communications, simultaneously, making visible light communication (VLC) a hot research topic worldwide. As the VLC link is free space, big challenges arise in its implementation. To improve the VLC performance, this work addresses cooperative communications by employing an optical amplifier. In this context, conjugated polymer incorporated into organic-inorganic hybrids with high quantum yield (>50%) were synthetized and processed as planar waveguides. The maximum gain efficiency values observed were 0.73±0.01cm $\mu \mathrm{J}^{-1}$, which is among the best ones known for conjugated polymers and hybrid materials. The waveguides were tested in a VLC test-in-bed scenario, showing a signal amplitude improvement of 1 dB, establishing the proposed approach as a promising cost-effective solution for optical amplification in VLCs.