On the Performance Analysis of Optical Wireless Integrated Sensing and Communications

Nikolaidou D, Bozanis D, Sarigiannidis P, Karagiannidis GK, Schober R, Masouros C, Papanikolaou VK (2026)

Publication Type: Conference contribution

Publication year: 2026

Publisher: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.

Conference Proceedings Title: 2026 IEEE International Conference on Communications Workshops, ICC Workshops 2026 - Proceedings

Event location: Glasgow GB

ISBN: 9798331576240

DOI: 10.1109/ICCWorkshops63917.2026.11586594

Abstract

Integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) has been identified as a key paradigm for future wireless networks by enabling spectrum and hardware-efficient coexistence of data transmission and environmental sensing, utilizing shared waveforms. On the other hand, by leveraging the large unregulated bandwidth, high spatial resolution, and inherent security of optical wireless links, optical wireless ISAC (O-ISAC) is attractive for high-accuracy indoor sensing and communication applications. While existing literature largely explores O-ISAC through resource allocation or architectural design, this paper provides a waveform-level analysis, focusing on the sensing performance of direct-current-biased optical OFDM (DCO-OFDM). More specifically, we derive closed-form expressions for the ambiguity function (AF) of the DCO-OFDM waveform as well as its mean and variance to characterize the ranging performance. Our analysis reveals that the required DC bias and the imposed Hermitian symmetry for intensity modulation/direct detection (IM/DD) fundamentally alter the AF compared to its conventional radio-frequency counterpart. Furthermore, we show that the AF variance is inherently linked to the fourth-order moment of the employed signal constellation. Finally, numerical results obtained with Monte-Carlo simulations validate the accuracy of the derived analytical expressions, providing a theoretical foundation for the design of optimized waveforms and constellations in O-ISAC systems.

Authors with CRIS profile

Robert Schober Lehrstuhl für Digitale Übertragung (IDC) Vasileios Papanikolaou Lehrstuhl für Digitale Übertragung (IDC)

Involved external institutions

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki GR Greece (GR) University College London (UCL) GB United Kingdom (GB) University of Western Macedonia GR Greece (GR)

How to cite

APA:

Nikolaidou, D., Bozanis, D., Sarigiannidis, P., Karagiannidis, G.K., Schober, R., Masouros, C., & Papanikolaou, V.K. (2026). On the Performance Analysis of Optical Wireless Integrated Sensing and Communications. In 2026 IEEE International Conference on Communications Workshops, ICC Workshops 2026 - Proceedings. Glasgow, GB: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc..

MLA:

Nikolaidou, Dafni, et al. "On the Performance Analysis of Optical Wireless Integrated Sensing and Communications." Proceedings of the 2026 IEEE International Conference on Communications Workshops, ICC Workshops 2026, Glasgow Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., 2026.

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