Optical GFDM for indoor visible light communication: a comprehensive review and future outlook

Visible light communication (VLC) gains significant attention from researchers due to its broad optical spectrum and numerous advantages. VLC is considered a potential alternative wireless communication solution that meets the high demand for devices and service types, particularly in indoor environments, leveraging existing light-emitting diode (LED) infrastructure. However, limitations associated with conventional modulation schemes and LED characteristics necessitate alternative approaches. Mainly, there are two main modulation techniques commonly used in VLC: single-carrier and multi-carrier. Multi-carrier modulations, such as orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), are particularly interesting due to their immunity to inter-symbol interference (ISI) at high data rates. Indeed, OFDM produces a high peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR), which can affect the LED's lifespan and produce clipping distortion. Generalized frequency division multiplexing (GFDM) can be an alternative, providing better performance. This paper explores the potential of optical GFDM (OGFDM) for indoor VLC due to its flexibility and high efficiency. Despite its promising capabilities, OGFDM in VLC systems still faces challenges, including complexity and practical implementation considerations. This paper concludes by outlining these challenges and emphasizing the need for further research to unlock the full potential of OGFDM for future VLC advancements.