Non-line-of-sight underwater optical wireless communication network

Analytical propagation model for underwater free-space optical communication through realistic levels of oceanic absorption and scattering

Optical communications (OC) through water bodies is an attractive technology for a variety of applications. Thanks to current single-photon detection capabilities, OC receiver systems can reliably decode very weak transmitted signals. This is the regime where pulse position modulation is an ideal scheme. However, there has to be at least one photon that goes through the pupil of the fore optics and lands in the assigned time bin. We estimate the detectable photon budget as a function of range for propagation through ocean water, both open and coastal. We make realistic assumptions about the water's inherent optical properties, specifically, absorption and scattering coefficients, as well as the strong directionality of the scattering phase function for typical hydrosol populations. We adopt an analytical (hence very fast) path-integral small-angle solution of the radiative transfer equation for multiple forward-peaked scattering across intermediate to large optical distances. Integrals are performed both along the directly transmitted beam (whether or not it is still populated) and radially away from it. We use this modeling framework to estimate transmission of a 1 J pulse of 532 nm light through open ocean and coastal waters. Thresholds for single-photon detection per time bin are a few km and a few 100 m. These are indicative estimates that will be reduced in practice due to sensor noise, background light, turbulence, bubbles, and so on, to be included in future work.

Investigation of non-line-of-sight underwater optical wireless communications with wavy surface

Underwater optical wireless communication (UOWC) systems have been widely researched to achieve high-speed and secure wireless communications. The non-line-of-sight (NLOS) UOWC system that uses the water surface to reflect signal light is widely studied to overcome the line-of-sight (LOS) channel limitation, particularly the channel blockage issue by marine biology or complex underwater topography. However, most previous NLOS UOWC studies have assumed a flat water surface or a general sine or cosine surface wave model for simplicity, leading to inaccurate performance estimations. In this paper, we build a theoretical NLOS UOWC framework with the Pierson wave model which considers both spatial correlation and time relativity information of wave incorporating wind speed, and investigate the signal-noise-ratio (SNR) and bit-error-rate (BER) performance. Results show that compared with the previous flat surface, the wavy surface can reduce the probability of achieving a satisfying signal level by up to 70%, affecting the performance of NLOS UOWC systems. Furthermore, we investigate the multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO)-based NLOS UOWC under wavy surfaces. Results show that the MIMO principle can reduce the impact of the wavy surface, where the probability of achieving a satisfying signal level can be increased by up to 50% using the 2 × 4 MIMO configuration. However, results also show that further increasing the number of receivers may not further improve the system performance. The proposed model enables more accurate design and analysis of NLOS UOWC systems by accounting for the overlooked impact of wavy surfaces.

Learning diffractive optical communication around arbitrary opaque occlusions

Free-space optical communication becomes challenging when an occlusion blocks the light path. Here, we demonstrate a direct communication scheme, passing optical information around a fully opaque, arbitrarily shaped occlusion that partially or entirely occludes the transmitter's field-of-view. In this scheme, an electronic neural network encoder and a passive, all-optical diffractive network-based decoder are jointly trained using deep learning to transfer the optical information of interest around the opaque occlusion of an arbitrary shape. Following its training, the encoder-decoder pair can communicate any arbitrary optical information around opaque occlusions, where the information decoding occurs at the speed of light propagation through passive light-matter interactions, with resilience against various unknown changes in the occlusion shape and size. We also validate this framework experimentally in the terahertz spectrum using a 3D-printed diffractive decoder. Scalable for operation in any wavelength regime, this scheme could be particularly useful in emerging high data-rate free-space communication systems.

Non-line-of-sight multiple reflection underwater wireless optical communications channel model based on a capillary waves rough sea surface

In a non-line-of sight reflective underwater wireless optical communications (UWOC) link, the transmitted beam relies on reflections from the sea surface to propagate to the underwater receiver. Most previous research on reflective channels has sufficiently considered single reflections from a smooth or rough surface, while ignoring the effect of multiple reflections. In fact, a rough sea surface may cause the reflected photons to hit the sea surface again, which is referred as a multiple reflection process. To make up for deficiencies in the existing literature, we first construct a capillary waves rough sea surface model, and then present a multiple reflection channel model with the help of the Monte Carlo ray tracing approach. The path loss and channel impulse response (CIR) were further evaluated based on the model for different communications scenarios. Numerical results suggest that multiple reflections increase the path loss by more than about 5 dB, and reduce the CIR amplitude to less than one-third compared to a single reflection. The work done in this paper aims to provide theoretical support for UWOC system design.

Optical analog-signal transmission system in a dynamic and complex scattering environment using binary encoding with a modified differential method

High-fidelity optical transmission through dynamic scattering media is challenging, since transmission errors are induced due to dynamic scattering media. In this paper, a new scheme is proposed to realize high-fidelity free-space optical analog-signal transmission in dynamic and complex scattering environments using binary encoding with a modified differential method. Each pixel of an analog signal to be transmitted is first divided into two values, and each of them is encoded into a random matrix. Then, a modified error diffusion algorithm is utilized to transform the random matrix into a 2D binary array. Each pixel of the analog signal to be transmitted is eventually encoded into only two 2D binary arrays, and transmission errors and dynamic scaling factors induced by dynamic and complex scattering media can be temporally corrected. Dynamic smoke and non-line-of-sight (NLOS) are created as a dynamic and complex scattering environment to verify the proposed method. It is experimentally demonstrated that analog signals retrieved at the receiving end are always of high fidelity using the proposed method, when average path loss (APL) is less than 29.0 dB. Only the half number of measurements is used compared to that in conventional methods. The proposed method could open up a novel research perspective for high-fidelity free-space optical analog-signal transmission through dynamic and complex scattering media.

Performance of hybrid LD/LED system for UWOC link in Baltic Sea

In this paper, the hybrid LD/LED link for the UWOC system is proposed. The Three different wavelengths, namely 715, 532, and 412 nm are adopted as a carrier signal at different water depth variations. A simulation was carried out to assess the quality of the received signal based on bit error rate (BER), quality factor (Q. factor), and data rate. The results indicate that the suggestion system can achieve a good link with different water depths. In addition, the APD PD is better than the PIN PD. The enhancement in the maximum distance link can be achieved with an LD link.

Investigation of hybrid LD/LED system for UWOC link with depth variations

In this paper, An UWOC system using a hybrid LD/LED link is proposed. A simulation was assumed to study the quality of the received optical signal with different modulation schemes such as 64-PPM, 4-QAM, NRZ-OOK, and RZ-OOK. A total of 64-PPM modulation schemes have enhanced the distance link compared with other modulation schemes. PIN and APD PDs are employed to validate the quality of the received optical signal under different water depths. Various metrics of BER, Q. factor, and data rate was introduced to assess the reliability of the hybrid LD/LED link. The simulation results show the proposed system can be achieved a good link with different water depths. The attenuation coefficient of water varies with depth and restricted the performance link distance by hybrid LD/LED link. The 64- PPM is a suitable modulation scheme for getting a long-distance link. The photodetector APD PD outperforms the PIN PD when 64-PPM and 4-QAM are applied.

Study of an underwater accurate channel model considering comprehensive misalignment errors

In an actual scene, underwater optical wireless communication (UOWC) transceivers may not be perfectly aligned from the start due to imprecise operation or disturbances such as water flow, and thus outdated pointing errors can no longer reliably reflect precise channel conditions. In this paper, for the first time, to our knowledge, we formulate a comprehensive misalignment errors model by taking into account both random jitter and initial misalignment errors. Furthermore, we deduce an effective receiving area due to the deflection of the receiver with three rotation angles in three-dimensional space. Moreover, we also apply the above findings to the composite fading channel model, which is more accurate and practical than the previous. Finally, we develop closed-form results for the bit error rate (BER) in terms of the Meijer G-function of UOWC systems. The performance is also analyzed by the multiplicative statistical channel model. Results demonstrate that comprehensive misalignment errors exacerbate performance degradation in terms of both average BER and outage probability, compared to pointing errors considering only random jitter. It indicates that the initial misalignment errors are not negligible, and analyzing scenes with comprehensive misalignment errors is of great importance in practice.

A K-Means Clustered Routing Algorithm with Location and Energy Awareness for Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks

Data delivery in harsh underwater channels consumes a higher transmission power than that in terrestrial networks. However, due to the complexity of the underwater environment, the energy supply of the nodes in underwater wireless sensor networks is usually limited by their required laborious battery replacement. Thus, energy consumption is considered one of the key issues in underwater wireless optical communication. To minimize such consumption for underwater transmission nodes, much research interest has been found on K-Means technology in designing routing algorithms. However, these algorithms have not regarded the located site and the remaining energy of the underwater nodes simultaneously, which might affect their efficiency. In this paper, we propose a clustered routing algorithm, namely the location and energy-aware k-means clustered routing (LE-KCR) algorithm, which applies K-means technology regarding both the located site and the remaining energy of each node. In the proposed LE-KCR algorithm, both the located site and the remaining energy of a candidate cluster-head, as well as the distance between it and its sink node, are considered in cluster-head selection. In addition, given the inaccessibility of some nodes to the whole underwater sensor network resulting from the limited transmission range of their clusters, the dual-hop routing technique is adopted for the edge nodes. The simulation results indicate that the proposed LE-KCR algorithm remarkably reduces the energy consumption and the dead nodes when compared to the traditional low-energy adaptive clustering hierarchy (LEACH) protocol and the optimized LEACH protocol based on K-means clustering technology.

Non-line-of-sight optical information transmission through turbid water

In this paper, a new and robust method is proposed to realize high-fidelity non-line-of-sight (NLOS) optical information transmission through turbid water around a corner. A series of 2D random amplitude-only patterns are generated by using the zero-frequency modulation method, which are used as optical information carriers. The laser beam modulated by random amplitude-only patterns propagates through turbid water, and the wave diffused by turbid water is further reflected around a corner. A single-pixel detector is used to collect light intensity at the receiving end. To demonstrate feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed NLOS free-space optical information transmission system, many optical experiments are conducted. The proposed method is fully verified by using different turbid water conditions, different separation distances around a corner and different detection angles of the single-pixel detector. Optical experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method is able to achieve high fidelity and high robustness for free-space optical information transmission through turbid water. Even when there is an obstacle behind turbid water, high-fidelity free-space optical information transmission is still realized by using the proposed method. In addition, the proposed method possesses a wide detection range at the receiving end, which is of great significance in practical applications. The proposed method is a promising application for NLOS free-space optical information transmission.

NLoS underwater VLC system performance: static and dynamic channel modeling

In this paper, the impact of water channels under different communication link parameters is studied for underwater visible light communication (UVLC). The objective is to highlight the best results for non-line of sight (NLoS) communication links. In addition, NLoS links are studied under different parameters: LED colors, viewing angle, receiving angle, and data rates. The results are obtained and plotted using MATLAB simulation. The performance of the received power is first measured at different wavelengths and data rates. Then, the best results are further investigated at different viewing angles and receiving angles. The obtained results show that using cyan color provides more depth for the NLoS case, as well as a low bit error rate compared to the other colors. Most of the literature is concerned with unpractical configurations in underwater scenarios, such as an empty sea or assuming no human-object or blockage environment. We use the practical setup in Zemax Optics Studio to allow a precise description of ray tracing and high order of reflections inside a sea water environment. The channel impulse response (CIR) is obtained for static channel modeling, including a blockage environment to evaluate the best transmitters in sea water. Also, we are able to compare the average delay and the average delay spread of the source colors. The reflection characteristics of the sea water are considered as wavelength dependent. The CIR obtained by Zemax Solver and MATLAB indicates that cyan is the best source in sea water for different LED chips. Moreover, other previous studies assume perfect alignment scenarios between divers, which is not practical and not suitable for real channel gain results. Accordingly, we present a comprehensive dynamic channel modeling and characterization study for UVLC. Our study is based on Zemax programming language (ZPL) combined with Zemax Optics Studio. Using ZPL enables us to apply a mobility algorithm for divers and measure the channel gain variations due to random motion. We introduce a dynamic motion in a single-input single-output scenario and a single-input multiple-output scenario in the presence of blockage divers. Statistical analyses are studied for the appropriate distributions that can fit the data with various transmitter and receiver specifications. All dynamic scenarios are performed using cyan color in sea water, as it is proven to have satisfactory performance. The statistical results are beneficial for further analysis. As case studies, we consider various underwater scenarios, and the resulting parameters of statistical distributions can be used for future analysis in UVLC dynamic environments.

Propagation properties of radially polarized multi-Gaussian Schell-model beams in oceanic turbulence

By utilizing the extended Huygens-Fresnel principle, we derive the analytical formulas for the cross-spectral density matrix elements of a radially polarized multi-Gaussian Schell-model (RPMGSM) beam propagating in oceanic turbulence. Effects of beam parameters and oceanic turbulence parameters on the propagation properties of RPMGSM beams are investigated in detail by numerical simulation. Our results show that the RPMGSM beam with larger beam order M has an advantage over the radially polarized Gaussian Schell-model beam for reducing turbulence-induced degradation. Compared with temperature-induced turbulence fluctuation, the salinity-induced turbulence fluctuation makes a greater contribution to the influence on propagation properties of RPMGSM beams.

A Pheromone-Inspired Monitoring Strategy Using a Swarm of Underwater Robots

The advent of the swarm makes it feasible to dynamically monitor a wide area for maritime applications. The crucial problems of underwater swarm monitoring are communication and behavior coordination. To tackle these problems, we propose a wide area monitoring strategy that searches for static targets of interest simultaneously. Traditionally, an underwater robot adopts either acoustic communication or optical communication. However, the former is low in bandwidth and the latter is short in communication range. Our strategy coordinates underwater robots through indirect communication, which is inspired by social insects that exchange information by pheromone. The indirect communication is established with the help of a set of underwater communication nodes. We adopt a virtual pheromone-based controller and provide a set of rules to integrate the area of interest into the pheromone. Based on the information in the virtual pheromone, behavior laws are developed to guide the swarm to monitor and search with nearby information. In addition, a robot can improve its performance when using additional far-away pheromone information. The monitoring strategy is further improved by adopting a swarm evolution scheme which automatically adjusts the visiting period. Experimental results show that our strategy is superior to the random strategy in most cases.

Underwater wireless optical communication multi-tokens random backoff neighbor discovery method

The cooperation of multiple pieces of equipment can greatly improve the efficiency of work when performing tasks underwater. Networking communication is a crucial technology for underwater cooperation. Wireless optical communication technology has many advantages in underwater networking communication. Neighbor discovery is a key part of networking between nodes, and it is required to establish links quickly. This paper combines the token mechanism with the random backoff mechanism and proposes a multi-tokens random backoff (MTRB) neighbor discovery method for underwater wireless optical communication. Simulation and analysis of the MTRB method show that the method has high neighbor discovery efficiency. When the parameters are selected properly, the rate of neighbor discovery by the MTRB method is increased by about 50% compared with the single token and the random backoff algorithm.

100 m/500 Mbps underwater optical wireless communication using an NRZ-OOK modulated 520 nm laser diode

In this paper, we proposed and experimentally demonstrated a long-distance high-speed underwater optical wireless communication (UOWC) system in a laboratory environment by using a low-cost green laser diode (LD) and power-efficient non-return-to-zero on-off keying (NRZ-OOK) modulation. The system successfully achieved a data rate of 500 Mbps through a 100 m tap-water channel by using a pigtailed single-mode fiber 520 nm green LD. The tap water was measured to have an attenuation coefficient comparable to pure seawater. The measured system bit error rate (BER) value of 2.5 × 10^-3 was below the forward error correction (FEC) limit of 3.8 × 10^-3 with 7% overhead. The distance can be extended if the received optical power is allowed to reduce to the minimum power to meet the data rate requirement. Based on the measured minimum required power and the power decay model in the water channel, the transmission performance was predicted to be 146 m/500 Mbps and 174 m/100 Mbps.

Statistical properties of partially coherent radially and azimuthally polarized rotating elliptical Gaussian beams in oceanic turbulence with anisotropy

A new class of partially coherent radially and azimuthally polarized rotating elliptical Gaussian (PCRPREG and PCAPREG) beams is introduced. The analytical expressions of the PCRPREG and PCAPREG beams propagating through anisotropy oceanic turbulence are derived based on the extended Huygens-Fresnel principle and the spatial power spectrum of oceanic turbulence. The effects of beam waist size w₀, coherence width σ₀, propagation distance z and oceanic turbulence parameters on the evolution statistics properties of PCRPREG and PCAPREG beams are studied in detail by numerical simulation. Our results indicate that with the increase of the propagation distance in the far field region, the normalized initial profile with a doughnut-like distribution of PCRPREG and PCAPREG beams gradually converts into a flat-topped one, and finally evolves into a Gaussian-like beam profile. We also find that the salinity-induced turbulence fluctuation makes a greater contribution to the decrease of beam quality compared with the temperature-induced turbulence fluctuation. Furthermore, the full width at half maximum becomes wider for the larger propagation distance z and wavelength λ or the smaller dissipation rate ε. Our work will pave the way for the development of underwater optical communication and underwater laser radar in oceanic environment.

Large-coverage underwater visible light communication system based on blue LED employing equal gain combining with integrated PIN array reception

In this paper, we proposed a large-coverage underwater visible light communication (VLC) system utilizing quadrature amplitude modulation-discrete multitone (QAM-DMT) and integrated 2×2 positive-intrinsic-negative (PIN) array reception to achieve equal-gain combining (EGC) receiving. The transmitter consists of a lens group and blue-emitting silicon substrate light-emitting diode peak emission, the wavelength of which is 458 nm. After 1.2 m underwater transmission, a data rate of over 1 Gbit/s is successfully achieved with a spot of 25 cm in diameter and 11 cm alignment tolerances. A data rate of 1.8 Gbit/s is also achieved when using parallel light reception. Both are the highest data rates to our knowledge so far in a large-coverage underwater VLC system, which shows the benefit and feasibility of using an integrated PIN array with QAM-DMT modulation and EGC.

A Novel Energy-Efficient Contention-Based MAC Protocol Used for OA-UWSN

A hybrid optical-acoustic underwater wireless sensor network (OA-UWSN) was proposed to solve the problem of high-speed transmission of real-time video and images in marine information detection. This paper proposes a novel energy-efficient contention-based media access control (MAC) protocol (OA-CMAC) for the OA-UWSN. Based on optical-acoustic fusion technology, our proposed OA-CMAC combines the postponed access mechanism in carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance (CSMA/CA) and multiplexing-based spatial division multiple access (SDMA) technology to achieve high-speed and real-time data transmission. The protocol first performs an acoustic handshake to obtain the location information of a transceiver node, ensuring that the channel is idle. Otherwise, it performs postponed access and waits for the next time slot to contend for the channel again. Then, an optical handshake is performed to detect whether the channel condition satisfies the optical transmission, and beam alignment is performed at the same time. Finally, the nodes transmit data using optical communication. If the channel conditions do not meet the requirements for optical communication, a small amount of data with high priority is transmitted through acoustic communication. An evaluation of the proposed MAC protocol was performed with OMNeT++ simulations. The results showed that when the optical handshaking success ratio was greater than 50%, compared to the O-A handshake protocol in the literature, our protocol could result in doubled throughput. Due to the low energy consumption of optical communication, the node's lifetime is 30% longer than that of pure acoustic communication, greatly reducing the network operation cost. Therefore, it is suitable for large-scale underwater sensor networks with high loads.

Bit error rate of pulse position modulated optical wireless communication links in oceanic turbulence

The upper bound of the average bit error rate (BER) of a pulse position modulated (PPM) optical wireless communication (OWC) link operating in oceanic turbulence is formulated. BER variations against the changes in the ratio of temperature to salinity contributions to the refractive index spectrum, the rate of dissipation of mean-squared temperature, and the rate of dissipation of kinetic energy per unit mass of fluid are found at various data bit rates, average current gains of the avalanche photodiode (APD), and M values of the M-ary PPM. It is found that under any oceanic turbulence parameters, BER performance of the PPM OWC system becomes favorable at smaller data bit rates, M values, and at larger average current gains of APD.

35.88 attenuation lengths and 3.32 bits/photon underwater optical wireless communication based on photon-counting receiver with 256-PPM

We designed a photon-counting receiver system for long-distance underwater wireless laser communication at different code rate Reed-Solomon (RS) and low-density parity check (LDPC) codes. The symbol error rate (SER) performance of the LDPC and RS codes with different signal-to-noise ratios was analyzed. The effects of the background noise, pulse stretching, and frame synchronization were considered in our receiver system. A water tank experiment confirmed that the 1/2-code-rate RS (255,127) is an excellent coding strategy for communication distances in the range of 90-130 m in Jerlov II water. We constructed a communication link with a SER of 6.31 × 10^-4 in a distance of 120-m distance in Jerlov II water for RS (255,127) with 256-pulse-position modulation (PPM) at bandwidth of 13.7 MHz. The maximum link loss was -136.8 dB at λ = 532 nm. The attenuation lengths Natt were 35.88, which were equal at link distances up to 249.2 m in clear ocean water (Jerlov IB water type). The photon counting receiver system can achieve a receiving performance of 3.32 bits/photon. To the best of our knowledge, this is the longest communication attenuation length ever reported under 1 mJ single pulse energy for a narrow field-of-view photon-counting receiver system.

Simultaneous channel estimation and signal detection in wireless ultraviolet communications combating inter-symbol-interference

One primary challenge in wireless ultraviolet communications (UVCs) is the inter-symbol-interference (ISI), which may block the detection of current informative signal, especially when channel-related characteristics are unknown. In this paper, we propose a UV channel-related Bayesian scheme that can simultaneously estimate the channel characteristics and detect informative signals, which therefore can address the ISI disturbance. By investigating the UV single-scattering photon model, the dynamic behaviors of the channel state information (CSI), which involve the uncertain signal and the unknown channel parameters are formulated. Hence, a sequential Bayesian process is suggested to estimate the UV CSI. Numerical analysis shows that the proposed scheme can obtain a promising estimation performance (i.e., the relative errors are less than 4%), and gain an extra 4dB detection performance compared with imperfect maximum-likelihood sequence detection (MLSD) scheme.

Energy Harvesting Hybrid Acoustic-Optical Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks Localization

Underwater wireless technologies demand to transmit at higher data rate for ocean exploration. Currently, large coverage is achieved by acoustic sensor networks with low data rate, high cost, high latency, high power consumption, and negative impact on marine mammals. Meanwhile, optical communication for underwater networks has the advantage of the higher data rate albeit for limited communication distances. Moreover, energy consumption is another major problem for underwater sensor networks, due to limited battery power and difficulty in replacing or recharging the battery of a sensor node. The ultimate solution to this problem is to add energy harvesting capability to the acoustic-optical sensor nodes. Localization of underwater sensor networks is of utmost importance because the data collected from underwater sensor nodes is useful only if the location of the nodes is known. Therefore, a novel localization technique for energy harvesting hybrid acoustic-optical underwater wireless sensor networks (AO-UWSNs) is proposed. AO-UWSN employs optical communication for higher data rate at a short transmission distance and employs acoustic communication for low data rate and long transmission distance. A hybrid received signal strength (RSS) based localization technique is proposed to localize the nodes in AO-UWSNs. The proposed technique combines the noisy RSS based measurements from acoustic communication and optical communication and estimates the final locations of acoustic-optical sensor nodes. A weighted multiple observations paradigm is proposed for hybrid estimated distances to suppress the noisy observations and give more importance to the accurate observations. Furthermore, the closed form solution for Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB) is derived for localization accuracy of the proposed technique.

71-Mbit/s ultraviolet-B LED communication link based on 8-QAM-OFDM modulation

A demonstration of ultraviolet-B (UVB) communication link is implemented utilizing quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM). The demonstration is based on a 294-nm UVB-light-emitting-diode (UVB-LED) with a full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) of 9 nm and light output power of 190 μW, at 7 V, with a special silica gel lens on top of it. A -3-dB bandwidth of 29 MHz was measured and a high-speed near-solar-blind communication link with a data rate of 71 Mbit/s was achieved using 8-QAM-OFDM at perfect alignment. 23.6 Mbit/s using 2-QAM-OFDM when the angle subtended by the pointing directions of the UVB-LED and photodetector (PD) is 12 degrees, thus establishing a diffuse-line-of-sight (LOS) link. The measured bit-error rate (BER) of 2.8 ×10^-4 and 2.4 ×10^-4, respectively, are well below the forward error correction (FEC) criterion of 3.8 ×10^-3. The demonstrated high data-rate OFDM-based UVB communication link paves the way for realizing high-speed non-line-of-sight free-space optical communications.

Statistical properties of rectangular cusped random beams propagating in oceanic turbulence

The analytical formula for the cross-spectral density function of the rectangular cusped random beams, also known as fractional multi-Gaussian Schell-model beams, propagating in oceanic turbulence, is derived. The statistical properties incorporating the spectral density and the spectral degree of coherence of the beams on propagation are investigated. It is found that the beams maintain a rectangular-shaped cusped profile in weak turbulence just as in free space, whereas in strong turbulence or at sufficiently long propagation distances, the beams profile would be destroyed little by little, turning out to be Gaussian profile eventually. Moreover, the beams with smaller coherence length exhibit a more obvious rectangular outline. In addition, the spectral density and the spectral degree of coherence are both affected by various turbulence parameters.

Thermal blooming effect of laser beams propagating through seawater

The thermal blooming effect of laser beams propagating through seawater is studied in detail by using the numerical simulation method. It is found that an increase of the salinity in the seawater causes the more severe thermal blooming. As compared with the wavelength, the absorption coefficient is the main factor that dominates the thermal blooming because the absorption coefficient is very high in the seawater. In the seawater the thermal blooming becomes more severe for the wavelength corresponding to the higher absorption coefficient. Furthermore, both the behavior of the thermal blooming effect and the main factor dominating the thermal blooming effect in the shallow sea region are different from those in the deep sea region. In the shallow sea region, the dependence of the thermal blooming on the depth is not monotonic as the time increases. However, in the deep sea region, the thermal blooming effect becomes more severe monotonously as the depth increases. The physical explanations for the main results obtained in this paper are presented.

Statistical properties of a radially polarized twisted Gaussian Schell-model beam in an underwater turbulent medium

Average intensity and the normalized powers of the completely polarized and the completely unpolarized portions of a radially polarized twisted Gaussian Schell-model (TGSM) beam propagating in underwater turbulence are examined. In our formulation, our previously obtained atmospheric turbulence solution for the same radially polarized TGSM beam using the extended Huygens-Fresnel principle is utilized, with the inclusion of our recently derived expression for the atmospheric turbulence structure constant in terms of underwater turbulence parameters. Effects of the rate of dissipation of mean-squared temperature, rate of dissipation of kinetic energy per unit mass of fluid, kinematic viscosity, and the contribution of the temperature-to-salinity ratio to the refractive index spectrum on the average intensity, and the normalized powers of the completely polarized and completely unpolarized portions of a radially polarized TGSM beam propagating in underwater turbulence are presented.

Scintillations of LED sources in oceanic turbulence

The scintillation index of light emitting diode (LED) sources is evaluated when such sources are employed in oceanic wireless optical communication (UWOC) links. In the formulation, LED source radiation is taken to be perfectly incoherent with a Gaussian field distribution. We have utilized the scintillation index solution of an incoherent source in atmospheric turbulence, together with our recently obtained expression that expresses the structure constant of atmospheric turbulence in terms of the oceanic turbulence and UWOC link parameters. Oceanic turbulence parameters of interest are the ratio of temperature to salinity contributions to the refractive index spectrum, rate of dissipation of kinetic energy per unit mass of fluid, rate of dissipation of mean-squared temperature, and viscosity. UWOC link parameters are the LED source size, link length, and the wavelength. Scintillation index results are presented for various variations of the oceanic turbulence and UWOC link parameters.

Expressing oceanic turbulence parameters by atmospheric turbulence structure constant

The parameters composing oceanic turbulence are the wavelength, link length, rate of dissipation of kinetic energy per unit mass of fluid, rate of dissipation of mean-squared temperature, Kolmogorov microscale, and the ratio of temperature to salinity contributions to the refractive index spectrum. The required physical entities such as the average intensity and the scintillation index in the oceanic medium are formulated by using the power spectrum of oceanic turbulence, which is described by oceanic turbulence parameters. On the other hand, there exists a rich archive of formulations and results for the above-mentioned physical entities in atmospheric turbulence, where the parameters describing the turbulence are the wavelength, the link length, and the structure constant. In this paper, by equating the spherical wave scintillation index solutions in the oceanic and atmospheric turbulences, we have expressed the oceanic turbulence parameters by an equivalent structure constant used in turbulent atmosphere. Such equivalent structure constant will help ease reaching solutions of similar entities in an oceanic turbulent medium by employing the corresponding existing solutions, which are valid in an atmospheric turbulent medium.

Analyzing the propagation behavior of scintillation index and bit error rate of a partially coherent flat-topped laser beam in oceanic turbulence

In this paper, on the basis of the extended Huygens-Fresnel principle, a semianalytical expression for describing on-axis scintillation index of a partially coherent flat-topped (PCFT) laser beam of weak to moderate oceanic turbulence is derived; consequently, by using the log-normal intensity probability density function, the bit error rate (BER) is evaluated. The effects of source factors (such as wavelength, order of flatness, and beam width) and turbulent ocean parameters (such as Kolmogorov microscale, relative strengths of temperature and salinity fluctuations, rate of dissipation of the mean squared temperature, and rate of dissipation of the turbulent kinetic energy per unit mass of fluid) on propagation behavior of scintillation index, and, hence, on BER, are studied in detail. Results indicate that, in comparison with a Gaussian beam, a PCFT laser beam with a higher order of flatness is found to have lower scintillations. In addition, the scintillation index and BER are most affected when salinity fluctuations in the ocean dominate temperature fluctuations.

Wave structure function and spatial coherence radius of plane and spherical waves propagating through oceanic turbulence

The analytical formulae for the wave structure functions (WSF) and the spatial coherence radius of plane and spherical waves propagating through oceanic turbulence are derived. It is found that the Kolmogorov five-thirds power law of WSF is also valid for oceanic turbulence in the inertial range. The changes of the WSF and the spatial coherence radius versus different parameters of oceanic turbulence are examined.

Research on multiple-scattering channel with Monte Carlo model in UV atmosphere communication

A non-line-of-sight (NLOS) ultraviolet (UV) communication channel model is established by using a Monte Carlo simulation method based on photon tracing. This method considers the multiple-scattering effects of UV signal propagation in the atmosphere, and simulates the condition of dual receivers for diversity reception. The channel characteristics of the UV communication are obtained by simulating the photon arrival probabilities. The model is employed to study the characteristics of NLOS UV scattering channels for a variety of scattering conditions, including the separation distance between transmitter and receiver, transmit/receive elevation angle, beam divergence, and field of view. The model has advantages in reliable prediction of UV communication for the dual-receiver condition, as validated by outdoor experiments at fixed elevation angles.

Characteristics of ultraviolet scattering and turbulent channels

The nonline of sight (NLOS) ultraviolet (UV) scattering communication channel and atmospheric optical turbulent channel have been extensively but independently studied in the rich literature. However, the new characteristics of NLOS UV scattering and turbulent channels have not been comprehensively investigated. We propose a configurable framework, unifying the traditional line of sight turbulence theory and the Monte Carlo simulation framework for random scattering of photons. Results show that the scattering link geometry can significantly alter the received signal distribution. Irradiance fluctuations at the receiver may become much weaker due to the smoothing effect of impinging photons from different scattering paths, even though each scattering path undergoes strong turbulence.

Theoretical and experimental research on diversity reception technology in NLOS UV communication system

Diversity reception technology is introduced into ultraviolet communication area in this article with theory analysis and practical experiment. The idea of diversity reception was known as a critical effective method in wireless communication area that improves the Gain significantly especially for the multi-scattering channel. A theoretical modeling and simulation method are proposed to depict the principle and feasibility of diversity reception adopted in UV communication. Besides, an experimental test-bed using ultraviolet LED and dual receiver of photomultiplier tube is setup to characterize the effects of diversity receiving in non-line-of-sight (NLOS) ultraviolet communication system. The experiment results are compared with the theoretical ones to verify the accuracy of theoretical modeling and the effect of diversity reception. Equal gain combining (EGC) method was adopted as the diversity mechanism in this paper. The research results of theory and experiment provide insight into the channel characteristics and achievable capabilities of ultraviolet communication system with diversity receiving method.

Maximization of imaging resolution in optical wireless sensor/lab-on-chip/SoC networks with solar cells

The availability of sophisticated and low-cost hardware on a single chip, for example, CMOS cameras, CPU, DSP, processors and communication transceivers, optics, microfluidics, and micromechanics, has fostered the development of system-on-chip (SoC) technology, such as lab-on-chip or wireless multimedia sensor networks (WMSNs). WMSNs are networks of wirelessly interconnected devices on a chip that are able to ubiquitously retrieve multimedia content such as video from the environment and transfer it to a central location for additional processing. In this paper, we study WMSNs that include an optical wireless communication transceiver that uses light to transmit the information. One of the primary challenges in SoC design is to attain adequate resources like energy harvesting using solar cells in addition to imaging and communication capabilities, all within stringent spatial limitations while maximizing system performances. There is an inevitable trade-off between enhancing the imaging resolution and the expense of reducing communication capacity and energy harvesting capabilities, on one hand, and increasing the communication or the solar cell size to the detriment of the imaging resolution, on the other hand. We study these trade-offs, derive a mathematical model to maximize the resolution of the imaging system, and present a numerical example that demonstrates maximum imaging resolution. Our results indicate that an eighth-order polynomial with only two constants provides the required area allocation between the different functionalities.

Experimental demonstration of ultraviolet pulse broadening in short-range non-line-of-sight communication channels

An experimental test-bed using a narrow-pulsed ultraviolet (UV) laser and high-bandwidth photomultiplier tube was set up to characterize pulse broadening effects in short-range non-line-of-sight (NLOS) scattering communication channels. Pulse broadening is reported as a function of the transmitter elevation angle, transmitter beam angle, receiver elevation angle, receiver field-of-view, and transmitter-receiver distance. The results provide insight into the channel bandwidth and achievable communication data rate.