RGB OLEDs for high data rate visible light communication by wavelength division multiplexing

There is great interest in developing applications of OLEDs beyond displays. We show that OLEDs are promising for visible light communication (or Li-Fi). One approach to increasing data rate is to make very fast individual OLEDs. Another is to use wavelength division multiplexing in which multiple OLEDs of different colors send information to a receiver. We show that by integrating red, green and blue OLEDs together on the same substrate, we can achieve a record data rate of 3.2 Gbps over a distance of 2 m. Our results show a path to combining information display and communication in multifunctional displays. Our fast multi-color devices also have potential for spectroscopy, sensing and ranging.