Multi-Gigabit RGB-VLC Transmission with Jointly Optimized Lighting and Communications

In response to the soaring demand for wireless internet due to the proliferation of mobile devices, the radio-frequency spectrum is severely congested. To address this issue, emerging optical transmission technologies, notably visible light communications (VLC), are gaining traction. VLC offers high bandwidth, immunity to electromagnetic interference, and combines lighting with wireless communication. This study delves into examining the performance of a high-capacity VLC system, using a setup that multiplexes and diffuses light from red, green, and blue (RGB) laser diodes (LDs) to generate white light. We achieved impressive bit rates of up to 38 Gbit/s over 1 meter in an unconstrained lighting environment. However, when meeting lighting requirements, the net bit rate ranged between 27-33 Gbit/s. By adjusting the bias current of the LDs, we optimized the color combination within a range of 2500-6500 K correlated color temperature, catering to various scenarios. Additionally, our experimental results demonstrated that the optimized RGB-VLC link effectively covers a wide 40 cm diameter area while sustaining multi-Gigabit data rates within a 30 $^\circ$ field-of-view.