Visible light communication based on space-division multiple access optical beamforming

We propose and demonstrate a visible light communication (VLC) scheme based on space-division multiple access (SDMA) optical beamforming to accommodate multiple user devices in the VLC based on optical beamforming. SDMA optical beamforming is a technique which separates light-emitting diode light spatially and focuses each part on different target devices simultaneously. We show the experimental results of the VLC signal amplitudes, the optical power densities, and the bit-error rate performance as a function of transmission distance before and after the SDMA optical beamforming. The results show that the VLC signal amplitudes and optical power densities are improved by 8–2 and 3.8–5 dB, respectively, with the help of SDMA optical beamforming. OCIS codes: 060.2605, 200.2605. doi: 10.3788/COL201412.120601.