Safety analysis for laser-based optical wireless communications : a tutorial

Soltani, Mohammad Dehghani and Sarbazi, Elham and Bamiedakis, Nikolaos and de Souza, Priyanka and Kazemi, Hossein and Elmirghani, Jaafar M. H. and White, Ian H. and Penty, Richard V. and Haas, Harald and Safari, Majid (2022) Safety analysis for laser-based optical wireless communications : a tutorial. Proceedings of the IEEE, 110 (8). pp. 1045-1072. ISSN 0018-9219 (https://doi.org/10.1109/jproc.2022.3181968)

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Abstract

Light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation (laser) sources has many advantages for use in high-data-rate optical wireless communications (OWCs). In particular, the low-cost and high-bandwidth properties of laser sources, such as vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs), make them attractive for future indoor OWCs. In order to be integrated into future indoor networks, such lasers should conform to eye safety regulations determined by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards for laser safety. In this article, we provide a detailed study of beam propagation to evaluate the received power of various laser sources, based on which and the maximum permissible exposure (MPE) defined by the IEC 60825-1:2014 Standard, we establish a comprehensive framework for eye safety analyses. This framework allows us to calculate the maximum allowable transmit power, which is crucial in the design of a reliable and safe laser-based wireless communication system. Initially, we consider a single-mode Gaussian beam and calculate the maximum permissible transmit power. Subsequently, we generalize this approach for higher mode beams. It is shown that the M -squared-based approach for analysis of multimode lasers ensures the IEC eye safety limits; however, in some scenarios, it can be too conservative compared to the precise beam decomposition method. Laser safety analyses with consideration of optical elements, such as lens and diffuser, as well as for the VCSEL array, have been also presented. Skin safety, as another significant factor of laser safety, has also been investigated in this article. We have studied the impacts of various parameters, such as wavelength, exposure duration, and the divergence angle of laser sources on the safety analysis by presenting insightful results.

  • Item type:Article
    ID code:81352
    Dates:
    Date
    Event
    31 August 2022
    Published
    22 June 2022
    Published Online
    29 May 2022
    Accepted
    Notes:© 2022 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting /republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other works.
    Subjects:Science > Physics > Optics. Light
    Department:Faculty of Engineering > Electronic and Electrical Engineering
    Depositing user: Pure Administrator
    Date deposited:06 Jul 2022 09:58
    Last modified:11 Apr 2024 02:30
    Related URLs:
    URI:https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/id/eprint/81352
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