Optical wireless communication front-ends

Infrared wireless communication possesses two main attractive advantages over its radio frequency counterpart, namely the abundance of unregulated spectrum in the 700 nm 1500 nm region and the ease with which the IR radiation can be confined. Integrating microwave electronics and optics, it is possible to provide wideband communication services but it is well known that the signal level in an optical wireless receiver is weakest at the front end. Therefore, this paper identifies the technical obstacles and limitations in indoor infrared optical wireless front-ends, in addition to techniques for mitigating these effects, showing that infrared is a viable alternative to radio for certain applications.