About this Research Topic
Visible light communication (VLC) has gained enormous popularity across numerous domains including; short- and long-range communications, positioning and intelligent transport systems, among others. In general, it has been positioned as an emerging access network technology that has become an ever-increasing topic of interest over the last two decades. VLC often makes use of solid-state lighting-emitting diode (LED) infrastructure to provide simultaneous room illumination and data communication functionality. Data is communicated via intensity modulation and direct detection of visible wavelengths and offers 3-400 THz of unlicensed, unregulated bandwidth, making it an extremely attractive solution to the upcoming capacity crunch and for 5G and beyond access technologies.
Several key research challenges have emerged within the VLC domain, including multi-technology network tenancy, high data rates, physical layer security, resource allocation, co-design of high-speed data rates and dimming capabilities, amongst others. VLC technology is of interest to the wider communications systems community due to its flexibility of deployment and capability to provide low-cost infrastructure that will easily integrate into a multi-technology network ecosystem, enabling new internet services and high-speed connectivity. It is envisaged that VLC will not replace radio frequency (RF) technologies, but complement them, adding inherent functionalities such as high bandwidth, low latency connectivity for media/gaming applications in homes, or individual attocell connectivity with a high level of security in indoor environments. In terms of global development, the standards have been developed that define the minimum operation of VLC networks in IEEE802.15.7 as well as the recently formed IEEE802.11bb VLC standard.
The field of VLC, therefore, promises substantial opportunities for basic and applied research and development. The proposed research topic will provide an opportunity for a thorough assessment of the current state of VLC across numerous applications, helping to develop the state-of-the-art.
High quality technical papers reporting on original theoretical results or applications of indoor or outdoor optical wireless systems are solicited. Exceptional survey/tutorial-like papers (review) may also be considered. Of particular interest is the following, nonexclusive, list of principal topics:
• Multi-technology VLC/x integration and transceiver design
• High data rate links, channel modelling and digital signal processing
• Conventional and non-orthogonal modulation, coding and multiple access
• Optical camera communication
• Underwater VLC
• Intelligent transport systems
• Mobility and integration of VLC into wider heterogeneous networks
• Applications of neural networks and new architectures
• VLC in healthcare sensing applications
• Co-illumination/dimming and communication system design
• Software-defined VLC, resource allocation and multi-user system design
Keywords: Visible light communication, optical wireless communication, digital signal processing, access networks, beyond 5G
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
