5 Gbps optical wireless communication using commercial SPAD array receivers

Photon counting detectors such as single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) arrays can be used to improve the sensitivity of optical wireless communication (OWC) systems. However, the achievable data rate of SPAD-based OWC systems is strongly limited by the nonlinearity induced by the SPAD dead time. In this work, the performance of a SPAD-based OWC system with orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) is investigated and compared with that of on–off keying (OOK). We employ nonlinear equalization, peak-to-average power ratio optimization by adjusting the OFDM clipping level, and adaptive bit and energy loading to achieve a record experimental data rate of 5 Gbps. The contrasting optimal regimes of operation of the two modulation schemes are also demonstrated.