Optical Wireless Communications and Applications
A special issue of Photonics (ISSN 2304-6732). This special issue belongs to the section "Optical Communication and Network".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 June 2023) | Viewed by 6365
Special Issue Editors
Interests: optical wireless networks; satellite/vehicular communications; cross-layer design; quantum cryptography; machine learning
Interests: optical wireless communications; network security; communications networks; communication theory
Interests: free space optical communication; underwater/outdoor visible light communications; performance analysis over fading channels and time-varying channels; channel estimation and equalization; channel modeling
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The rapid development of various emerging applications, such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), the Internet of Vehicles (IoVs), or smart applications with the aid of artificial intelligence/machine learning (AIML), has produced a massive volume of data traffic that requires extremely high-speed wireless connectivity. This poses a significant challenge for the design of current fifth-generation (5G) and future sixth-generation (6G) wireless communication networks. It is well established that current communications based on radio frequency (RF) are becoming more restricted due to limited spectrum resources and may not satisfy this growing demand. In such a scenario, optical wireless communication (OWC) gains importance, as it can leverage the unique benefits of light propagation media as opposed to RF technologies, such as an enormous available unlicensed bandwidth, the capability of transmitting at very high data rates over long distances, the possibility to communicate wirelessly through water, high level of security, low power consumption, and an immunity to electromagnetic interference. Moreover, combining OWC with RF technology creates a synergy yielding hybrid systems, which can function in a complementary manner, with superior properties than the individual technologies could offer. Thanks to the numerous operational and technical advantages offered by OWC, recent years have witnessed a rapid development in research activities, covering underwater OWC, visible-light communication (VLC), and free-space optical (FSO) communication for various indoor and outdoor applications. In addition, the space–air–ground-integrated networks (SAGINs), which consist of satellites, high-altitude platforms (HAP), and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), using OWC, have received much attention in both academia and industry for global high-speed connectivity. As a result, OWC can be considered for a wide range of applications, such as quantum key distribution (QKD) and high-speed IoVs, postdisaster emergency communications, and vertical fronthaul/backhaul solutions for mobile cellular networks. Nevertheless, the uncertainty of OWC channels and several technical challenges need to be carefully taken into account before the widespread deployment of OWC. This Special Issue intends to showcase the latest developments in all research areas related to OWC with both theoretical contributions (including novel techniques, concepts, designs, analyses, and optimizations) and practical contributions (including system experiments and prototypes). We cordially invite original contributions in, but not limited to, the following topical areas:
- Optical wireless communication (OWC);
- Free-space-optical (FSO) communication;
- Ultraviolet communication (UVC);
- Visible-light communication (VLC);
- Underwater OWC networks and systems;
- Satellite/vehicular FSO networks;
- Space-air-ground-integrated FSO networks;
- 5G OWC networks and beyond;
- OWC for the Internet of Things (IoT);
- Applications of artificial intelligence/machine learning (AIML) for OWC networks;
- Quantum key distribution (QKD);
- Hybrid Wi-Fi/mm wave/THz/OWC links;
- Intelligent reflecting surface (IRS)-aided OWC;
- Energy-efficient OWC networks;
- OWC network security;
- OWC testbeds and experiments;
- Cross-layer design for OWC networks;
- Error-control protocol design for OWC networks;
- Coding, modulation, and signal processing for OWC;
- OFDM and MIMO for OWC;
- OWC channel modeling;
- Energy harvesting for OWC;
- UAV-based optical wireless communication.
Dr. Hoang D. Le
Dr. Thanh V. Pham
Dr. Mohammed Elamassie
Dr. Muhammad Jawad Mirza
Guest Editors
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