Far-UVC LEDs transmit data at record speed

Researchers at Ferdinand-Braun-Institut (FBH) in Berlin and collaborating institutions have transmitted data at up to 1.5 gigabits per second using novel far-UVC LEDs. The devices, developed at FBH, set a record for wireless optical communication at wavelengths below 235 nanometers. Far-UVC technology offers a distinct advantage for outdoor communication: Sunlight generates virtually no background signals in this spectral range. The technology could therefore enable reliable optical links outdoors and complement radio-frequency communication where it reaches its limits.

Autonomous vehicles and drones, connected industrial machinery, robotics and civil protection applications all depend on reliable wireless data connections. At the same time, more and more systems compete for limited frequency bands. Optical wireless communication can therefore effectively complement radio frequency technologies.

Systems using visible or infrared light, however, face a major challenge outdoors. The sun also emits radiation in these wavelength ranges. This solar background can interfere with optical signals and make reliable data transmission difficult. As a result, such systems often require precisely aligned laser beams.
UVC light offers a decisive advantage. At wavelengths below 280 nanometers (nm), virtually no solar radiation reaches Earth's surface because it is absorbed in the upper layers of the atmosphere. As a result, optical wireless communication using UVC light is largely free of interfering background signals from the sun.

For their experiments, the researchers used far-UVC light at wavelengths below 235 nm. This radiation is strongly absorbed in the outer, nonliving layers of the skin and penetrates living tissue much less deeply than longer-wavelength UV radiation. This type of UV light is therefore considered safe for human health and suited for applications in close proximity to humans.
Wireless data transmission using far-UVC light: A modulated LED transmits data generated by the computer to a photodiode at a rate of 1.5 gigabits per second. The received signal is amplified and analyzed by an oscilloscope. Copyright: Edited ill. based on H. Zimi et al., DOI: 10.1109/CSNDSP68462.2026.11654373. Reprinted with permission from IEEE Proceedings.
Optimized far-UVC LEDs enable viable data rates

"We have optimized our LEDs specifically for optical communication in this spectral range," says Dr. Jan Ruschel, senior scientist at FBH. "They deliver high optical power by international standards and can be modulated particularly quickly. This makes them well suited for optical data exchange both indoors and outdoors."