Simultaneous reception of visible light communication and optical energy using a solar cell receiver

We propose and demonstrate a technique to use a solar cell as a simultaneous receiver of visible light communication (VLC) and optical energy. We investigate the characteristic of a solar cell and demonstrate that a solar cell can receive low-frequency VLC signals and optical energy from sunlight simultaneously. We also investigate the effect of sunlight interference on the VLC performance. By using these results, a VLC using a solar cell as a receiver can be implemented without a photodiode receiver and power supplies. This technique enables us to implement an eco-friendly VLC system.