Effects of Multiple Scattering on the Implementation of an Underwater Wireless Optical Communications Link

Recent interest in ocean exploration has brought about a desire for developing wireless communication techniques in this challenging environment. Due to its high attenuation in water, a radio frequency (RF) carrier is not the optimum choice. Acoustic techniques have made tremendous progress in establishing wireless underwater links, but they are ultimately limited in bandwidth. A third option is optical radiation, which is discussed in this paper. One drawback of underwater wireless optical communications is that the transmission of the optical carrier is highly dependent on water type. This study examines some of the challenges in implementing an optical link in turbid water environments and attempts to answer how water clarity affects the overall link

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