Optical communications in challenging environments

可见光通信是一个新兴的领域，很可能形成下一代通信协议的关键链，与射频（RF）通信相比，该通信协议提供增加的带宽、免许可操作，并且在某些情况下提供增加的安全性。微LED和可见激光二极管源的发展已经实现了视线和非视线架构的高数据速率演示，特别是当与现代单光子探测器的精密灵敏度和定时能力相结合时。该项目旨在利用光源和探测器以及光学设计的进步，开发出适用于具有挑战性环境的改进型光通信系统。这些环境可能会受到烟雾、灰尘、薄雾或浑浊水的阻碍。它们可能是复杂和杂乱的，或者具有高背景照明。地面和星载系统在尺寸、重量、功率和鲁棒性等方面面临特殊挑战，可以解决这些问题。Fraunhofer的原型设计专业知识将用于真实的世界部署和演示。在Fraunhofer应用光子学中心与研究人员、工程师和其他学生一起工作，工程学专业的学生还需要在学术界和工业界的项目联盟中的多学科团队中工作。自由空间光通信正处于真正成熟的尖端，从必要性（RF频谱分析）和硬件和协议的现代发展来看。然而，在各种场景中实际部署的系统方面仍然存在挑战，并且需要独创性来找到最佳平衡各种竞争因素（仅举几例，数据速率、范围、指向稳定性要求）的方法，使得系统可以是紧凑的和负担得起的。目标的精确用例将取决于学生开始该计划的研究阶段时的工业和商业优先级。

Visible light communication is an emerging field that is likely to form a key strand of the next generations of communications protocols offering increased bandwidth compared to radio frequency (RF) comms, license-free operation, and, in some situations, increased security.The development of micro-LED's and visible laser diode sources has enabled high data rate demonstrations of both line-of-sight and non-line-of-sight architectures, in particular when coupled with the exquisite sensitivity and timing capabilities of modern single-photon detectors. This project seeks to exploit advances in sources and detectors together with optical design to develop improved optical communications systems for challenging environments.These environments could be hampered by smoke, dust, mist, or turbid water. They could be complex and cluttered or have high background illumination. Terrestrial and space-borne systems may be addressed, with their particular challenges in size, weight, power, and robustness.Use will be made of Fraunhofer prototyping expertise with a view to real world deployment and demonstrations.Working within the Fraunhofer Centre for Applied Photonics alongside researchers, engineers, and other students, the EngD student shall also be required to work in multidisciplinary teams within project consortia spanning academia and industry.Free-space optical communication is on the cusp of really coming of age, both from necessity (RF spectral congestions) and modern developments in hardware and protocols. However, challenges remain in terms of systems practical for deployment in various scenarios, and ingenuity is required to find the approaches that best balance various competing factors (data rates, ranges, pointing stability requirements to name a few) such that systems can be compact and affordable. The precise use cases targeted will depend upon industrial and commercial priorities at the time the student begins the research phase of the programme.