Multiple-subcarrier modulation in optical wireless communications

This article overviews multiple-subcarrier modulation techniques in optical wireless communications. The basic principles and characteristics of MSM techniques in optical wireless communications are presented. MSM optical wireless systems are explained where some block codes that convert information bits to be transmitted to the symbol amplitudes of subcarriers are used to increase the minimum value of the MS electrical waveform. MSM optical communications systems using subcarrier signal point sequences (SSPS) that can improve the power efficiency of MSM systems are also explained. The performance of MSM optical communications systems is presented in the intensity modulation with direct detection (IM/DD) channel without dispersion and in atmospheric optical communications where the effects of scintillation exist.