Revolutionizing 6G: Experimental Validation of an Optical Integrated Communication, Sensing, and Power Transfer System

The evolution of communication network architectures is steering towards more sustainable, flexible, and lightweight designs, particularly with the advent of sixth-generation (6G) mobile communications. Spectrum-rich optical integrated systems are anticipated to play a crucial role in this transformation, offering significant advantages such as high data rates, reduced interference, and improved energy efficiency. This paper introduces and experimentally demonstrates a novel optical integrated communication, sensing, and power transfer (O-ICSPT) system. The proposed system integrates optical wireless communication, sensing, and wireless power transfer into a multifunctional framework, addressing the limitations of existing systems in terms of flexibility and resource utilization. The experimental setup investigates the effects of bias current, peak-to-peak voltage, and light source wavelength on the performance of each functional module. Experimental results indicate that the O-ICSPT system achieves a maximum data rate of approximately 632.58 Mbps, a best ranging root mean square error approaching 0 m, and a peak energy harvesting capability of about 10.02 mW. These findings underscore the potential of the O-ICSPT system in future 6G integrated communication networks, marking the first experimental validation of such a system.