Light fidelity (Li-Fi) systems based on the orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) scheme have gained more attention in the communications circles, as a means to provide high spectral efficiency and ensure stricter data rate requirements for visible light communication (VLC) systems. However, common OFDM schemes employ Hermitian symmetry to obtain a real-valued signal which is necessary in intensity modulation and direct detection (IM/DD) optical systems, at the expense of doubling the required bandwidth. In this paper, a novel transmission scheme for an OFDM-based Li-Fi system is proposed to tackle the issue in question. A new approach to complex signal mapping (CSM), based on the pairing function method, has been developed for Li-Fi systems. It does not require Hermitian symmetry and, hence, saves about 50% of the required bandwidth. Unlike existing OFDM-based VLC approaches, the proposed scheme employs CSM to ensure a real and positive signal without Hermitian symmetry in order to fully utilize the bandwidth available to Li-Fi networks. Simulation results show that the proposed scheme significantly outperforms other systems in terms of spectral efficiency. The CSM-OFDM based Li-Fi system also achieves a good peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) reduction with acceptable bit-error-rate (BER) performance, compared to conventional approaches
