Communications of the ACM
Wireless Optical Transmission Key to Better Indoor Communications
"The optical system we have . . . can send one gigabit per second or more over a gigahertz band," says Jarir Fadlullah, a graduate student in electrical engineering at Penn State University.
Credit: Jarir Fadlullah
Penn State University (PSU) researchers have developed a wireless optical communications system that could provide faster, more secure communications with a wider bandwidth. The optical system is more secure than radio frequency transmission because radio waves can pass through some substances.
The system uses a high-powered laser diode as a wireless optical transmitter and an avalanche photo diode as the receiver. The researchers used infrared light, but the system also will work with visible and ultraviolet light. The system provides a bandwidth of one gigabit per second or more over a gigahertz band, says PSU graduate student Jarir Fadlullah.
The optical system can operate in places where radio frequency transmission is problematic due to interference. Wireless optical transmissions also can transfer sensor data and high resolution images, unlike radio frequency communications. One possible application suggested by researchers is wireless projection of high definition TV.
From Penn State Live
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