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This review paper discusses the complete evolution of free-space optical (FSO) communication, also known as unguided optical communication (UOC) technologies, all the way back to ancient man’s fire to today’s machine-learning-supported UOC systems. The principles, significance, and developments that have happened over the past several decades, as well as installation methodologies, technological limitations, and today’s challenges of UOCs are presented. All the subsets of UOC: FSO communication, underwater optical wireless communication (UOWC), and visible light communication (VLC), with their technology/system developments, potential applications, and limitations are reviewed. The state-of-the-art developments/achievements in (i) FSO channel effects and their mitigation techniques; (ii) radio-over-FSO techniques; (iii) wavelength division multiplexing and sub-carrier multiplexing techniques; (iv) FSO for worldwide interoperability for microwave access applications; (v) space optical satellite communication (SOSC); (vi) UWOC; (vii) photoacoustic communication (PAC); (viii) light-fidelity; (ix) VLC; (x) vehicular VLC (V2LC); and (xi) optical camera communication are reviewed. In addition, the current developments on emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (to improve the performance of UOC systems), energy harvesting (for the effective utilization of UOC channels), and near-future communication network scenarios (mandatory for secured broadband digital links) are covered. Finally, in brief, to achieve the full potential of UOC systems, challenges that require immediate research attention are summarized.

The present study involves an examination of a communication system known as radio over free space optics (RoFSO), which was designed using Optisystem ver. 20. The main purpose of this inquiry is to analyze the transmission of data at a rate of 40 Gb/s over a link distance of 2 km. The achievement was attained by the utilization of four transmission channels, each of which has the capability to send data at a rate of 10 Gb/s. The system under consideration was evaluated through varying degrees of turbulence. Two scintillation models, log-normal and gamma–gamma, were used to evaluate the proposed communication performance and include evaluating the behavior of specific wavelengths (193.1, 193.2, 193.3, and 193.4 THz) in transmitting data. This evaluation is achieved by the metrics Q-factor, bit error rate (BER), and log BER. The suggested system’s data-transfer performance improved up to a distance of 1.75 km when the scintillation (L-N) model was applied, whereas it was limited to 0.75 km when the (G-G) model was imposed. Furthermore, it is noticed that the wavelength (193.1 THz) is distinct in data transfer across the two models, followed by the wavelength (193.4 THz). RoFSO is an emerging network architecture that holds significant potential for fulfilling the envisioned requirements for the advancement of 5G systems.

The combination of radio frequency (RF) and free-space optical (FSO) communication has grown in importance as a study area for wireless communication systems in recent years. This technology has the ability to address the rising need for high-speed, high-capacity wireless communication in a variety of applications by successfully integrating the benefits of both RF and FSO communication. The performance analysis of various communication systems based on RF-FSO hybrid technology is covered in detail in this research. An overview of the RF-FSO hybrid technology and its many architectures follows the introduction of the key features and benefits of RF and FSO communication. The performance analysis of several RF-FSO hybrid communication systems, including relay-assisted RF-FSO systems, cooperative diversity RF-FSO systems, and dual-hop RF-FSO systems, are discussed in detail. The performance metrics, such as bit error rate (BER), outage probability, and channel capacity, is analyzed and compared for these systems. Based on the analysis of existing literature, several key conclusions are drawn. First, RF-FSO hybrid technology can provide higher data rates and greater reliability than traditional communication systems. Secondly, the performance of the RF-FSO hybrid system, which combines the advantages of RF technology and FSO technology, has bright development prospects. Finally, the RF-FSO hybrid system can also be combined with other systems for better performance and wider application scenarios.

The rapid advancement of terahertz (THz) communication systems has positioned this technology as a key enabler for next-generation telecommunication networks, including 6G, secure communications, and hybrid wireless-optical systems. This review comprehensively analyzes THz communication, emphasizing its integration with free-space optical (FSO) systems to overcome conventional bandwidth limitations. While THz-FSO technology promises ultra-high data rates, it is significantly affected by atmospheric absorption, particularly absorption beyond 500 GHz, where the attenuation exceeds 100 dB/km, which severely limits its transmission range. However, the presence of a lower-loss transmission window at 680 GHz provides an opportunity for optimized THz-FSO communication. This paper explores recent developments in high-power THz sources, such as quantum cascade lasers, photonic mixers, and free-electron lasers, which facilitate the attainment of ultra-high data rates. Additionally, adaptive optics, machine learning-based beam alignment, and low-loss materials are examined as potential solutions to mitigating signal degradation due to atmospheric absorption. The integration of THz-FSO systems with optical and radio frequency (RF) technologies is assessed within the framework of software-defined networking (SDN) and multi-band adaptive communication, enhancing their reliability and range. Furthermore, this review discusses emerging applications such as self-driving systems in 6G networks, ultra-low latency communication, holographic telepresence, and inter-satellite links. Future research directions include the use of artificial intelligence for network optimization, creating energy-efficient system designs, and quantum encryption to obtain secure THz communications. Despite the severe constraints imposed by atmospheric attenuation, the technology’s power efficiency, and the materials that are used, THz-FSO technology is promising for the field of ultra-fast and secure next-generation networks. Addressing these limitations through hybrid optical-THz architectures, AI-driven adaptation, and advanced waveguides will be critical for the full realization of THz-FSO communication in modern telecommunication infrastructures.

In this paper, we enhance the performance efficiency of the free-space optical (FSO) communication link using the hybrid on-off keying (OOK) modulation, M-ary digital pulse position modulation (M-ary DPPM), and M-pulse amplitude and position modulation (M-PAPM). This work analyzes and enhances the bit error rate (BER) performance of the moment generating function, modified Chernoff bound, and Gaussian approximation techniques. In the existence of both an amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) noise, atmospheric turbulence (AT) channels, and interchannel crosstalk (ICC), we propose a system model of the passive optical network (PON) wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) technique for a dense WDM (DWDM) based on the hybrid fiber FSO (HFFSO) link. We use eight wavelength channels that have been transmitted at a data rate of 2.5 Gbps over a turbulent HFFSO-DWDM system and PON-FSO optical fiber start from 1550 nm channel spacing in the C-band of 100 GHz. The results demonstrate (2.5 Gbps × 8 channels) 20 Gbit/s-4000 m transmission with favorable performance. In this design, M-ary DPPM-M-PAPM modulation is used to provide extra information bits to increase performance. We also propose to incorporate adaptive optics to mitigate the AT effect and improve the modulation efficiency. We investigate the impact of the turbulence effect on the proposed system performance based on OOK-M-ary PAPM-DPPM modulation as a function of M-ary DPPM-PAPM and other atmospheric parameters. The proposed M-ary hybrid DPPM-M-PAPM solution increases the receiver sensitivity compared to OOK, improves the reliability and achieves a lower power penalty of 0.2–3.0 dB at low coding level (M) 2 in the WDM-FSO systems for the weak turbulence. The OOK/M-ary hybrid DPPM-M-PAPM provides an optical signal-to-noise ratio of about 4–8 dB of the DWDM-HFFSO link for the strong turbulence at a target BER of 10−12. The numerical results indicate that the proposed design can be enhanced with the hybrid OOK/M-DPPM and M-PAPM for DWDM-HFFSO systems. The calculation results show that PAPM-DPPM has increased about 10–11 dB at BER of 10−12 more than the OOK-NRZ approach. The simulation results show that the proposed hybrid optical modulation technique can be used in the DWDM-FSO hybrid links for optical-wireless and fiber-optic communication systems, significantly increasing their efficiency. Finally, the use of the hybrid OOK/M-ary DPPM-M-PAPM modulation schemes is a new technique to reduce the AT, ICC, ASE noise for the DWDM-FSO optical fiber communication systems.

Increased capacity, higher data rate, decreased latency, and better service quality are examples of the primary objectives or needs that must be catered to in the near future, i.e., fifth-generation (5G) and beyond. To fulfil these needs, cellular network design must be drastically improved. The 5G cellular network design, huge multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology, and device-to-device communication are all highlighted in this comprehensive study. Hence, free-space optics (FSO) is a promising solution to address this field. However, FSO standalone is insufficient during turbulent weather conditions. FSO systems possess some limitations, such as being able to be disturbed by any interference between sender and receiver such as a flying bird and a tree, as it requires line-of-sight (LOS) connectivity. Moreover, it is sensitive to weather conditions; the FSO performance significantly decreases in bad weather conditions such as fog and snow; those factors deteriorate the performance of FSO. This paper conducts a systematic survey on the existing projects in the same area of research such as the hybrid FSO/Radio frequency (RF) communication system by listing each technique used for each model to achieve optimum performance in terms of data rate and Bit Error Rate (BER) to be implemented in 5G networks.

High data rate coverage, security, and energy efficiency will play a key role in the continued performance scaling of next-generation mobile systems. Dense, small mobile cells based on a novel network architecture are part of the answer. Motivated by the recent mounting interest in free-space optical (FSO) technologies, this paper addresses a novel mobile fronthaul network architecture based on FSO, spread spectrum codes, and graphene modulators for the creation of dense small cells. The network uses an energy-efficient graphene modulator to send data bits to be coded with spread codes for achieving higher security before their transmission to remote units via high-speed FSO transmitters. Analytical results show the new fronthaul mobile network can accommodate up to 32 remote antennas under error-free transmissions with forward error correction. Furthermore, the modulator is optimized to provide maximum efficiency in terms of energy consumption per bit. The optimization procedure is carried out by optimizing both the amount of graphene used on the ring resonator and the modulator’s design. The optimized graphene modulator is used in the new fronthaul network and requires as low as 4.6 fJ/bit while enabling high-speed performance up to 42.6 GHz and remarkably using one-quarter of graphene only.

During the Coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic era, poor internet availability hampered online activity, particularly in the sector of education in Malaysia. The most effective way to address this situation is through the construction of telecommunications towers. However, it takes time due to the significant costs involved. Outdoor use of FSO appears to be more advantageous due to the absence of licensing requirements and the high bandwidth it offers. However, there are limitations. We will explore these FSO restrictions in this paper.

Ground-based Free-Space Optical (FSO) communication networks are gaining prominence due to their high data rates, bandwidth efficiency (BE), cost-effectiveness, and security. However, their performance is hindered by atmospheric turbulence, weather conditions, and pointing errors. This work proposes a hybrid Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) Radio Frequency (RF)/FSO system with adaptive modulation to address these challenges. We analyze M-ary Pulse Position Modulation (MPPM) over Gamma–Gamma fading channels under varying turbulence levels and pointing errors, employing equal gain combining diversity to improve robustness. Closed-form expressions for the average bit error rate and outage probability are derived using the Meijer G-function. Furthermore, a novel hybrid MPPM/M-Quadrature Amplitude Modulation scheme is introduced to enhance BE and link reliability. The proposed system is compared with conventional methods, demonstrating superior performance via Monte Carlo simulations. Additionally, a MIMO hybrid RF/FSO system using transmit aperture selection and maximal ratio combining is analyzed to mitigate fading effects. Derived expressions for the average symbol error probability validate the gains of the hybrid modulation approach. The adaptive transmission modulation scheme significantly improves BE over nonadaptive techniques, leveraging the complementary strengths of RF and FSO channels.