Optical wireless communications: enabling the next generation network of networks

Aravindh Krishnamoorthy; Hossein Safi; Othman Younus; Hossein Kazemi; Isaac N. O. Osahon; Mingqing Liu; Yi Liu; Sina Babadi; Rizwana Ahmad; Asim Ihsan; Behnaz Majlesein; Yifan Huang; Johannes Herrnsdorf; Sujan Rajbhandari; Jonathan McKendry; Iman Tavakkolnia; Humeyra Caglayan; Henning Helmers; Graham A. Turnbull; Ifor Samuel; Martin Dawson; Robert Schober; Harald Haas

doi:10.1109/MVT.2025.3555366

Optical wireless communications: enabling the next generation network of networks

Aravindh Krishnamoorthy, Hossein Safi, Othman Younus, Hossein Kazemi, Isaac N. O. Osahon, Mingqing Liu, Yi Liu, Sina Babadi, Rizwana Ahmad, Asim Ihsan, Behnaz Majlesein, Yifan Huang, Johannes Herrnsdorf, Sujan Rajbhandari, Jonathan McKendry, Iman Tavakkolnia, Humeyra Caglayan, Henning Helmers, Graham A. Turnbull, Ifor SamuelMartin Dawson, Robert Schober, Harald Haas

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Optical wireless communication (OWC) is a promising technology anticipated to play a key role in the next-generation network of networks (NoNs), especially as a complementary technology to traditional radio-frequency (RF) communications, for enhancing networking capabilities beyond conventional terrestrial networks. OWC is already a mature technology with diverse usage scenarios and can enable integrated applications via wireless access and backhaul networks, dynamic drone and satellite networks, underwater networks, inter- and intrasystem interconnecting networks, and vehicular communication networks. Furthermore, novel and emerging technological opportunities such as photovoltaic cells, orbital angular momentum-based modulation, optical reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, organic light-emitting and photo diodes, and recent advances in ultraviolet communications can help to enhance future OWC capabilities even further. Moreover, OWC networks can also support value-added services such as enhanced positioning and gesture recognition. Hence, OWC provides unique functionalities that can play a crucial role in building convergent and resilient future NoNs alongside RF and optical fiber technologies.

Original language	English
Journal	IEEE Vehicular Technology Magazine
Early online date	23 Apr 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/MVT.2025.3555366
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 23 Apr 2025

Keywords

terahertz communications
vertical cavity surface emitting laser
optical fibers
fiber optics
optical transmitters

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10.1109/MVT.2025.3555366

Krishnamoorthy-etal-2025-Optical-wireless-communicationsAccepted author manuscript, 3.12 MBLicence: CC BY 4.0

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Krishnamoorthy, A., Safi, H., Younus, O., Kazemi, H., Osahon, I. N. O., Liu, M., Liu, Y., Babadi, S., Ahmad, R., Ihsan, A., Majlesein, B., Huang, Y., Herrnsdorf, J., Rajbhandari, S., McKendry, J., Tavakkolnia, I., Caglayan, H., Helmers, H., Turnbull, G. A., ... Haas, H. (2025). Optical wireless communications: enabling the next generation network of networks. IEEE Vehicular Technology Magazine. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1109/MVT.2025.3555366

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title = "Optical wireless communications: enabling the next generation network of networks",

abstract = "Optical wireless communication (OWC) is a promising technology anticipated to play a key role in the next-generation network of networks (NoNs), especially as a complementary technology to traditional radio-frequency (RF) communications, for enhancing networking capabilities beyond conventional terrestrial networks. OWC is already a mature technology with diverse usage scenarios and can enable integrated applications via wireless access and backhaul networks, dynamic drone and satellite networks, underwater networks, inter- and intrasystem interconnecting networks, and vehicular communication networks. Furthermore, novel and emerging technological opportunities such as photovoltaic cells, orbital angular momentum-based modulation, optical reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, organic light-emitting and photo diodes, and recent advances in ultraviolet communications can help to enhance future OWC capabilities even further. Moreover, OWC networks can also support value-added services such as enhanced positioning and gesture recognition. Hence, OWC provides unique functionalities that can play a crucial role in building convergent and resilient future NoNs alongside RF and optical fiber technologies.",

keywords = "terahertz communications, vertical cavity surface emitting laser, optical fibers, fiber optics, optical transmitters",

author = "Aravindh Krishnamoorthy and Hossein Safi and Othman Younus and Hossein Kazemi and Osahon, {Isaac N. O.} and Mingqing Liu and Yi Liu and Sina Babadi and Rizwana Ahmad and Asim Ihsan and Behnaz Majlesein and Yifan Huang and Johannes Herrnsdorf and Sujan Rajbhandari and Jonathan McKendry and Iman Tavakkolnia and Humeyra Caglayan and Henning Helmers and Turnbull, {Graham A.} and Ifor Samuel and Martin Dawson and Robert Schober and Harald Haas",

year = "2025",

month = apr,

day = "23",

doi = "10.1109/MVT.2025.3555366",

language = "English",

journal = "IEEE Vehicular Technology Magazine",

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Krishnamoorthy, A, Safi, H, Younus, O, Kazemi, H, Osahon, INO, Liu, M, Liu, Y, Babadi, S, Ahmad, R, Ihsan, A, Majlesein, B, Huang, Y, Herrnsdorf, J , Rajbhandari, S , McKendry, J, Tavakkolnia, I, Caglayan, H, Helmers, H, Turnbull, GA, Samuel, I, Dawson, M, Schober, R & Haas, H 2025, 'Optical wireless communications: enabling the next generation network of networks', IEEE Vehicular Technology Magazine. https://doi.org/10.1109/MVT.2025.3555366

TY - JOUR

T1 - Optical wireless communications

T2 - enabling the next generation network of networks

AU - Krishnamoorthy, Aravindh

AU - Safi, Hossein

AU - Younus, Othman

AU - Kazemi, Hossein

AU - Osahon, Isaac N. O.

AU - Liu, Mingqing

AU - Liu, Yi

AU - Babadi, Sina

AU - Ahmad, Rizwana

AU - Ihsan, Asim

AU - Majlesein, Behnaz

AU - Huang, Yifan

AU - Herrnsdorf, Johannes

AU - Rajbhandari, Sujan

AU - McKendry, Jonathan

AU - Tavakkolnia, Iman

AU - Caglayan, Humeyra

AU - Helmers, Henning

AU - Turnbull, Graham A.

AU - Samuel, Ifor

AU - Dawson, Martin

AU - Schober, Robert

AU - Haas, Harald

PY - 2025/4/23

Y1 - 2025/4/23

N2 - Optical wireless communication (OWC) is a promising technology anticipated to play a key role in the next-generation network of networks (NoNs), especially as a complementary technology to traditional radio-frequency (RF) communications, for enhancing networking capabilities beyond conventional terrestrial networks. OWC is already a mature technology with diverse usage scenarios and can enable integrated applications via wireless access and backhaul networks, dynamic drone and satellite networks, underwater networks, inter- and intrasystem interconnecting networks, and vehicular communication networks. Furthermore, novel and emerging technological opportunities such as photovoltaic cells, orbital angular momentum-based modulation, optical reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, organic light-emitting and photo diodes, and recent advances in ultraviolet communications can help to enhance future OWC capabilities even further. Moreover, OWC networks can also support value-added services such as enhanced positioning and gesture recognition. Hence, OWC provides unique functionalities that can play a crucial role in building convergent and resilient future NoNs alongside RF and optical fiber technologies.

AB - Optical wireless communication (OWC) is a promising technology anticipated to play a key role in the next-generation network of networks (NoNs), especially as a complementary technology to traditional radio-frequency (RF) communications, for enhancing networking capabilities beyond conventional terrestrial networks. OWC is already a mature technology with diverse usage scenarios and can enable integrated applications via wireless access and backhaul networks, dynamic drone and satellite networks, underwater networks, inter- and intrasystem interconnecting networks, and vehicular communication networks. Furthermore, novel and emerging technological opportunities such as photovoltaic cells, orbital angular momentum-based modulation, optical reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, organic light-emitting and photo diodes, and recent advances in ultraviolet communications can help to enhance future OWC capabilities even further. Moreover, OWC networks can also support value-added services such as enhanced positioning and gesture recognition. Hence, OWC provides unique functionalities that can play a crucial role in building convergent and resilient future NoNs alongside RF and optical fiber technologies.

KW - terahertz communications

KW - vertical cavity surface emitting laser

KW - optical fibers

KW - fiber optics

KW - optical transmitters

UR - https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/RecentIssue.jsp?punumber=10209

U2 - 10.1109/MVT.2025.3555366

DO - 10.1109/MVT.2025.3555366

M3 - Article

SN - 1556-6072

JO - IEEE Vehicular Technology Magazine

JF - IEEE Vehicular Technology Magazine

ER -

Optical wireless communications: enabling the next generation network of networks

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Keywords

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