Wavelength-division multiplexing visible-light communication and lighting device and method

A surface-emitting superluminescent diode, SLD, configured to generate a blue light, the SLD comprising:

• an active layer including at least one pair of quantum wells;
• two separate confinement heterostructure (SCH) layers sandwiching the active layer;
• a top distributed Bragg reflector formed on one of the two SCH layers;
• and
• a bottom distributed Bragg reflector formed on another one of the two SCH layers,
• wherein the active layer, which generates the blue light, has a lateral current confinement by having a length L smaller than a length of each of the two SCH layers.

A method for obtaining visible-light communication and illumination, the method comprising:

• receiving information from an external server;
• generating white light with a visible-light communication and illumination array, wherein the visible-light communication and illumination array includes plural surface-emitting superluminescent diodes, SLDs, distributed across a substrate, wherein a first set of SLDs of the plural SLDs generates a first light beam having substantially a first wavelength, a second set of SLDs of the plural SLDs generates a second light beam having substantially a second wavelength, and a third set of SLDs of the plural SLDs generates a third light beam having substantially a third wavelength;
• encoding at least one of the first to third light beams, with a controller, to transmit the information;
• and
• broadcasting the information simultaneously with illuminating with the white light,
• wherein a combination of the first light beam, the second light beam and the third light beam produces the white light, and
• wherein an SLD of the plural SLDs includes an active layer, which generates light, the active layer is sandwiched between first and second separate confinement heterostructure (SCH) layers, and a length L of the active layer is smaller than a length of each of the first and second SCH layers.