Visible light communication (VLC) is an advanced, highly developed optical wireless communication (OWC) technology that can simultaneously provide lighting and high-speed wireless data transmission. A VLC system has several key advantages: ultra-high data rate, secure communication channels, and a lack of interference from electromagnetic (EM) waves, which enable a wide range of applications. Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have been considered the optimal choice for VLC systems since they can provide excellent illumination performance. However, the quantum confinement Stark effect (QCSE), crystal orientation, carrier lifetime, and recombination factor will influence the modulation bandwidth, and the transmission performance is severely limited. To solve the insufficient modulation bandwidth, micro-LEDs (μ-LEDs) and laser diodes (LDs) are considered as new ideal light sources. Additionally, the development of modulation technology has dramatically increased the transmission capacity of the system. The performance of the VLC system is briefly discussed in this review article, as well as some of its prospective applications in the realms of the industrial Internet of Things (IoT), vehicle communications, and underwater wireless network applications.

In this study, high − 3 dB bandwidth yellow-green InGaN/GaN micro-LEDs grown on polar c-plane GaN substrates are realized by using nanoporous distributed Bragg reflectors, which can increase light extraction efficiency and serve as strain-relaxed buffers to mitigate the quantum-confined Stark effect, resulting in improved external quantum efficiency. Moreover, atomic layer deposition technology is introduced for surface defect passivation, thereby reducing the leakage current. As a result, the device exhibits the highest − 3 dB bandwidth up to 442 MHz and a data transmission rate of 800 Mbit/s at a current density of 2.5 kA / cm 2 with on–off keying modulation, and holds great promise for future high-speed visible light communication applications.

Quantum dot (QD)-based RGB micro light-emitting diode (μ-LED) technology shows immense potential for achieving full-color displays. In this study, we propose a novel structural design that combines blue and quantum well (QW)-intermixing ultraviolet (UV)-hybrid μ-LEDs to achieve high color-conversion efficiency (CCE). For the first time, the impact of various combinations of QD and TiO₂ concentrations, as well as thickness variations on photoluminescence efficiency (PLQY), has been systematically examined through simulation. High-efficiency color-conversion layer (CCL) have been successfully fabricated as a result of these simulations, leading to significant savings in time and material costs. By incorporating scattering particles of TiO₂ in the CCL, we successfully scatter light and disperse QDs, effectively reducing self-aggregation and greatly improving illumination uniformity. Additionally, this design significantly enhances light absorption within the QD films. To enhance device reliability, we introduce a passivation protection layer using low-temperature atomic layer deposition (ALD) technology on the CCL surface. Moreover, we achieve impressive CCE values of 96.25% and 92.91% for the red and green CCLs, respectively, by integrating a modified distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) to suppress light leakage. Our hybrid structure design, in combination with an optical simulation system, not only facilitates rapid acquisition of optimal parameters for highly uniform and efficient color conversion in μ-LED displays but also expands the color gamut to achieve 128.2% in the National Television Standards Committee (NTSC) space and 95.8% in the Rec. 2020 standard. In essence, this research outlines a promising avenue towards the development of bespoke, high-performance μ-LED displays.

In this research, we compared the performance of commercial μ-LEDs and three-layered staggered QW μ-LED arrays. We also investigated the self-heating effect. We proposed a green micro-resonant cavity light-emitting diode (µ-RCLED) that consists of a three-layer staggered InGaN with multiple quantum wells (MQWs), a bottom layer of nanoporous n-GaN distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs), and a top layer of Ta₂O₅/SiO₂ DBRs. We systematically performed simulations of the proposed µ-RCLEDs. For the InGaN MQWs with an input current of 300 mA, the calculated wavefunction overlaps are 8.8% and 18.1% for the regular and staggered structures, respectively. Furthermore, the staggered MQWs can reduce the blue-shift of electroluminescence from 10.25 nm, obtained with regular MQWs, to 2.25 nm. Due to less blue-shift, the output power can be maintained even at a high input current. Conversely, by employing 6.5 pairs of Ta₂O₅/SiO₂ DBRs stacks, the full width at half maximum (FWHM) can be significantly reduced from 40 nm, obtained with ordinary µ-LEDs, to 0.3 nm, and a divergence angle smaller than 60° can be obtained. Our simulation results suggest that the µ-RCLEDs can effectively resolve the wavelength instability and color purity issues of conventional µ-LEDs.

In this paper, we demonstrate the design and fabrication of a high-power, high-speed flip-chip vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) for light detection and ranging (LiDAR) systems. The optoelectronic characteristics and modulation speeds of vertical and flip-chip VCSELs were investigated numerically and experimentally. The thermal transport properties of the two samples were also numerically investigated. The measured maximum output power, slope efficiency (SE) and power conversion efficiency (PCE) of a fabricated flip-chip VCSEL array operated at room-temperature were 6.2 W, 1.11 W/A and 46.1%, respectively. The measured L-I-V curves demonstrated that the flip-chip architecture offers better thermal characteristics than the conventional vertical structure, especially for high-temperature operation. The rise time of the flip-chip VCSEL array was 218.5 ps, and the architecture of the flip-chip VCSEL with tunnel junction was chosen to accommodate the application of long-range LiDAR. The calculated PCE of such a flip-chip VCSEL was further improved from 51% to 57.8%. The device design concept and forecasting laser characteristics are suitable for LiDAR systems.

Visible light communication (VLC), which will primarily support high-speed internet connectivity in the contemporary world, has progressively come to be recognized as a significant alternative and reinforcement in the wireless communication area. VLC has become more popular recently because of its many advantages over conventional radio frequencies, including a higher transmission rate, high bandwidth, low power consumption, fewer health risks, and reduced interference. Due to its high-bandwidth characteristics and potential to be used for both illumination and communications, micro-light-emitting diodes (micro-LEDs) have drawn a lot of attention for their use in VLC applications. In this review, a detailed overview of micro-LEDs that have long emission wavelengths for VLC is presented, along with their related challenges and future prospects. The VLC performance of micro-LEDs is influenced by a number of factors, including the quantum-confined Stark effect (QCSE), size-dependent effect, and droop effect, which are discussed in the following sections. When these elements are combined, it has a major impact on the performance of micro-LEDs in terms of their modulation bandwidth, wavelength shift, full-width at half maximum (FWHM), light output power, and efficiency. The possible challenges faced in the use of micro-LEDs were analyzed through a simulation conducted using Crosslight Apsys software and the results were compared with the previous reported results. We also provide a brief overview of the phenomena, underlying theories, and potential possible solutions to these issues. Furthermore, we provide a brief discussion regarding micro-LEDs that have emission wavelengths ranging from yellow–green to red colors. We highlight the notable bandwidth enhancement for this paradigm and anticipate some exciting new research directions. Overall, this review paper provides a brief overview of the performance of VLC-based systems based on micro-LEDs and some of their possible applications.