Physics World August 2016

From WiFi to LiFi: using light for wireless communication

In our cover feature, Harald Haas from the University of Edinburgh in the UK explains how the humble household light bulb could soon be transformed into the backbone of a revolutionary new wireless communications network based on visible light. Known as “LiFi”, the system could not only contribute to next-generation 5G mobile-phone systems, but also unlock the potential of the “Internet of things”, create ”smart” cities, help with the introduction of driverless cars and offer new ways to monitor the health of old people. The issue also shows how neutrons could help in the search for new drugs, why we need to solve the ethical dilemmas surrounding space mining, and how physicists are helping to save daguerreotype photographs from decay.

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