A Polarization-Based Interference-Tolerant VLC Link for Low Data Rate Applications

One of the main challenges in establishing a robust visible light communication (VLC) link is to prevent optical interference produced by other light sources from corrupting the signal. Previous solutions catering for this issue assume that optical interference and the signal operate in nonoverlapping frequency bands. This paper presents an innovative transceiver architecture for establishing a frequency-independent interference-tolerant VLC link. The transmitter exploits the polarization property of light to transmit differential signals over adjacent channels, and the receiver utilizes differential amplification in conjunction with polarization to implement a common noise rejection technique. The implemented system demonstrated a 32.6% more robust VLC link compared to the conventional transceiver under severe optical interference.