High-Reliable LED Visible Light Communications and Positioning

现有的用于无线通信和导航的射频(RF)无线技术遇到了技术挑战，例如，由于有限的频率带宽和室内定位的限制，不适合大数据流。通过对发光二极管(LED)发出的可见光进行调制，实现无线可见光通信(VLC)和定位(VLP)。在节能LED灯泡的基础上，VLC/VLP技术可能成为现有射频无线和导航的革命性替代方案。加州大学河滨分校的阿尔伯特·王博士将于2016年至2018年带着15名美国本科生到中国进行LED VLC/VLP研究。这些美国学生将在中国度过两个暑期，首先在北京清华大学微电子研究所，这是最好的大学级半导体制造设施之一，然后在中国的光谷武汉，华中科技大学光学与电子信息学院，与当地的中国学生一起进行VLC/VLP研究。华中科技大学和华中科技大学分别在纳米器件制造和光电子集成方面提供了世界级和互补性的研究优势和设施。TU的任天玲教授和华中科技大学的邹学成教授是该领域的知名学者，他们多年来一直与王博士合作，包括之前接待过的美国REU学生。这一美国-中国IRES项目将使美国学生接触到光电无线通信和测距研究的全球前沿。预计至少50%的参与者将来自未被充分代表的少数群体。这项为期三年的美国-中国IRES项目将让美国本科生开发基于发光二极管的新型无线可见光通信和定位系统。在加州大学泛在光通信中心(UC-Light)正在进行的研究的基础上，IRES的学生将被指导与他们的中国同行一起进行以下研究任务：(1)开发基于LED的VLC测试台系统，(2)设计用于VLC/VLP系统的集成电路(IC)，(3)开发基于LED的实时跟踪系统，(4)研究用于VLC系统的基于石墨烯的宽带光调制器，以及(5)为高可靠的LED VLC/VLP系统设计静电放电(ESD)防护。开发的LED VLC/VLP技术可能是现有基于射频的无线通信和导航技术的革命性替代方案，解决了其技术限制。参与培训的美国学生将接受培训，使他们在技术上具有竞争力，并为他们未来的职业生涯在全球范围内提供支持。

Existing radio-frequency (RF) wireless technology for wireless communication and navigation has encountered technical challenges, e.g., unsuitable for big data streaming due to limited frequency bandwidth and limitation on indoor positioning. Visible light emitted by light-emitting diodes (LED) may be modulated to realize wireless visible light communication (VLC) and positioning (VLP). Building on energy-efficiency LED lighting bulbs, VLC/VLP technology may potentially be a revolutionary alternative to existing RF wireless and navigation. Dr. Albert Wang of University of California-Riverside will bring 15 American undergraduate students to conduct LED VLC/VLP research in China during 2016 to 2018. The American students will spend two summer months in China, first in Beijing, at the Institute of Microelectronics of Tsinghua University (TU), one of the best university-based facilities for advance semiconductor fabrication, then in Wuhan, China's optical valley, at the School of Optics and Electronics Information of Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) to perform VLC/VLP research in pair with local Chinese students. TU and HUST offer world-class and complementary research strengths and facilities for nano device fabrication and opto-electronic integration, respectively. The two Chinese co-investigators Prof. Tianling Ren at TU and Prof. Xuecheng Zou at HUST are well known scholars in the field who have been collaborating with Dr. Wang for years, including hosting American REU students before. This US-China IRES program will expose the American students to the global frontiers of opto-electronic wireless communications and ranging research. At least 50% of participants will be expected from the underrepresented minority groups.This three-year US-China IRES program will involve American undergraduate students in developing novel LED-based wireless visible light communication (VLC) and positioning (VLP) systems. Building upon the on-going research at the University of California Center for Ubiquitous Communications by Light (UC-Light), the IRES students will be directed to conduct the following research tasks in team with their Chinese counterparts: (1) develop an LED-based VLC testbed systems, (2) design integrated circuit (ICs) for VLC/VLP systems, (3) develop LED-based real-time tracking systems, (4) investigate broadband graphene-based optical modulators for VLC systems, and (5) design electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection for high-reliable LED VLC/VLP systems. The LED VLC/VLP technologies developed is potentially a revolutionary alternative to existing RF-based wireless communication and navigation technologies, addressing its technical limitations. The participating American students will be trained to be technically competitive and globally enabled for their future careers.