On the Design and Optimization of SLIPT Systems for Aerial Base Stations

In this paper, the application of simultaneous light-wave information and power transfer (SLIPT) for the fronthaul link of an aerial base station (ABS) is studied. SLIPT is a particularly attractive solution for such links, since the directive free-space optical link can provide ultra-high throughput as a fronthaul, while simultaneously transferring considerable amounts of energy to extend the flight duration of the ABS. In general, large receiver areas can be utilized by a SLIPT system to enhance both its data rate and the harvested power, as they balance out the geometric spreading of the beam. However, a larger solar cell area naturally leads to a heavier load for the ABS increasing its power consumption and, in turn, lowering its expected lifetime. Therefore, it is crucial to study the ensuing trade-off between the size of the solar cell and the performance of the ABS. Moreover, SLIPT performance is heavily influenced by the transmission parameters such as direct current (DC) bias. To that end, a joint optimization problem is designed to maximize the energy efficiency on an ABS based on the transmission parameters and the size of the solar cell. Simulation results validate the proposed analysis as they illustrate a great performance gain over benchmark schemes.