Optimal detection interval for absorbing receivers in molecular communication systems with interference

We consider a molecular communication system comprised of a transmitter, an absorbing receiver, and an interference source. Assuming amplitude modulation, we analyze the dependence of the bit error rate (BER) on the duration of the detection interval, which is the time within one transmission symbol interval during which the receiver is active to absorb and count molecules. We then propose algorithms to obtain the optimal detection interval that minimizes the BER of the considered molecular communication system. Simulation and numerical evaluations are provided to highlight further insights into the optimal results. For example, we demonstrate that the optimal detection interval can be very small compared to the transmission symbol interval. Moreover, our numerical results show that significant BER improvements are achieved by using the optimal detection interval.