Optical wireless: 6G and beyond

Overview

Abstract

Over the past four decades or so optical wireless has made rapid progress, with data-rates of Tb/s being shown in lab- demonstrations, and a growing commercial sector. At the same time quantum communications is maturing, with plans for global satellite networks using free-space optical links to enable secure communications. There are also a number of new technologies, such as single photon detectors, that are becoming low-cost, and offer the potential for new levels of performance. At the same time, the demand for wireless communications grows exponentially. The move of RF communications to ever-higher carrier frequencies brings the same challenges that light experiences, and a model that uses bands of frequencies to provide reliable channels, combined with those to provide capacity is evolving.
This talk will survey the capabilities of optical wireless, both classical and quantum, present some of the challenges, and opportunities in what is an increasingly complex and diverse wireless communications landscape.

Brief Biography

Professor Dominic O’Brien is a Professor of Engineering Science at Oxford and leads the optical wireless communications group. He is also the Director for the Oxford Led Hub in Quantum Computing and Simulation. He has a range of experience in optoelectronics research in industry and academia, and has authored or co-authored more than 300 publications in this area.