Oceanographic machine learning for free-space optical performance prediction

Single LED-based 46-m underwater wireless optical communication enabled by a multi-pixel photon counter with digital output

We provide an experimental study of the channel characteristics in an underwater wireless optical communication (UWOC) system given by a 35-m transmission distance in various water types. A UWOC system using a low-power 488-nm laser diode is established to comprehensively evaluate the influence of the link distance, water turbidity, receiver parameters, and link misalignment on the communication link power. The results show that the link misalignment-induced power loss is significant and the effect of receiver parameters on power is limited. However, a higher turbidity or longer signal transmission distance can help to reduce the link misalignment effect and manifest the receiver parameters effect on the received power. In particular, in turbid waters with an attenuation coefficient of 0.471 m − 1, the change of the signal reception power curve is small over a certain degree of the link misalignment in the 35-m physical distance, and the reasonable configuration of receiver parameters effectively improves the signal reception quality in the UWOC system. These results can provide theoretical guidance for optimizing the UWOC system.

Underwater wireless optical communication (UWOC) has emerged as a key technology for next-generation underwater wireless data transmission. Semantic communication is regarded as a promising communication paradigm to improve the efficiency and robustness of UWOC systems. However, existing underwater wireless optical semantic communication (UWOSC) system lacks the capability to adapt the code rate to different channel states, leading to intelligence inadequacy and coding inefficiency. In this paper, we introduce environment semantics into the UWOSC system for the first time, and propose an environment semantics aided underwater wireless optical semantic communication (ESA-UWOSC) framework. Based on this framework, we develop a system leveraging computer vision and deep learning for adaptive rate transmission. The ESA-UWOSC system is realized by a channel state perception mechanism (CSPM) for extracting environment semantics from the channel environment image to obtain the channel gain, a link network (LinkNet) for enabling variable code rate transmission of source semantic information, and a prediction network (PreNet) for predicting the optimal code length that satisfies the transmission task requirement. The combined operation of these three modules enables the ESA-UWOSC system to actively perceive channel state and perform adaptive rate transmission accordingly. In a series of experiments conducted on an emulated UWOC experimental platform, the results show that the ESA-UWOSC system outperforms the baseline scheme, achieving superior performance with lower bandwidth consumption, especially in harsh channel environments. Moreover, the results also demonstrate that the ESA-UWOSC system can achieve adaptive rate transmission based on the perceived channel state to meet transmission task requirement.

Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing with index modulation (OFDM-IM) is shown to be an efficient modulation scheme for underwater optical wireless communication (UOWC) systems due to its high power efficiency and excellent flexibility. Differing from conventional OFDM, the modulation parameters of OFDM-IM consist of not only M-ary constellations but also subcarrier indices. In this Letter, we propose and demonstrate an intelligent automatic modulation recognition (AMR) scheme for OFDM-IM in UOWC systems by using Swin Transformer (Swin-T). Moreover, transfer learning with a hybrid training approach is further proposed to substantially enhance the AMR performance. Experimental results successfully demonstrate the feasibility and superiority of the proposed intelligent AMR scheme based on Swin-T with transfer learning and hybrid training in UOWC systems. More specifically, a recognition accuracy of 96% can be obtained by using Swin-T with transfer learning and hybrid training for a relatively small received signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 3.6 dB.

A $\mathcal{T} \times \mathcal{R}$ multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) based underwater wireless optical communication (UWOC) system employing Intensity Modulation (IM) / Direct Detection (DD) with On-Off keying (OOK) is considered. The UWOC channel is affected by underwater optical turbulence (UOT), which is modeled by Exponential Generalized Gamma (EGG) distribution. The performance of UWOC system is highly dependent on the effect of absorption, scattering and UOT. The EGG underwater optical channel model efficiently describes the optical irradiance induced due to air bubbles, temperature gradient and salinity, thus works well for the entire weak to strong turbulence regimes. The information is sent by $\mathcal{T}$ transmit apertures and received by $\mathcal{R}$ receiver apertures. The bit error rate (BER) analysis is performed for single-input multiple-output (SIMO), multiple-input single-output (MISO) and MIMO configurations for OOK modulation scheme. The closed form BER expression is derived for the SIMO case. For different channel parameters and configurations, the results for the BER performance of SIMO-UWOC and single-input single-output (SISO)-UWOC systems are obtained. For bubble level (BL) 2.4 litres/min and fresh water scenario, 15 dB performance improvement is seen at 10−2 BER for 1 × 2 SIMO with respect to SISO configuration.

In underwater wireless optical communication (UWOC) systems, using single-photon avalanche diodes (SPAD) as a detector can improve the detection sensitivity and thus improve the transmission distance. However, the signal detection for SPAD-based systems is greatly challenged by the complex optical channel characteristics and SPAD nonlinear distortion. In order to mitigate the nonlinear distortion caused by SPAD detectors, signal-dependent noise (SDN), and the effect of underwater channel attenuation on the transmitted signal in UWOC systems, this paper proposes a signal detection scheme using deep neural networks with embedded SDN variance (DNN-SDN). This scheme performs joint equalization and demodulation of the received signal, avoiding information loss and error propagation between these two processes, thereby achieving more accurate signal recovery. In this work, we first characterize the statistical noise model for the SPAD array and establish a nonlinear relationship between the number of detected photons and the transmitted signal power. The SDN variance is integrated as an input feature during network training. Performance is quantified via a joint loss function with parameters optimized through a systematic ablation study. Finally, the performance of the proposed signal detection scheme is also compared with other schemes in different waters. Simulation results demonstrate that the scheme can effectively mitigate the effects of SPAD-induced nonlinear distortion and SDN on the signal, and the proposed method extends the transmission distance by 20%-40%.

In this paper, a low-complexity two-level chaotic encryption scheme is introduced and experimentally demonstrated to improve the physical layer security of a 450-nm laser underwater optical wireless communication (UOWC) system using discrete Fourier transform spread discrete multi-tone (DFT-S DMT) modulation. In the first encryption stage, the original bit stream is encrypted with a chaotic sequence based on a one-dimensional Logistic map. In the second encryption stage, the real and imaginary components of the DFT-S symbols are further encrypted with a pair of separate chaotic sequences, which are generated from a two-dimensional Logistic iterative chaotic map with infinite collapse (2D-LICM). The experimental results indicate that the encryption operation has no negative effect on the performance of the proposed UOWC system. For chaotic encryption, the DFT-S DMT gives a better performance than the DMT scheme under different water turbidities. 55-m/4.5-Gbps and 50-m/5-Gbps underwater transmissions are successfully demonstrated by the chaotic encrypted DFT-S DMT scheme. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time to verify the feasibility of chaotic encryption in a high-speed UOWC system.

In order to meet the reliability requirements of communication for underwater resource exploration, this study develops an underwater wireless optical communication (UWOC) system utilizing a blue semiconductor laser as the light source. At the receiver, a fully digital automatic gain control (AGC) module, implemented on a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), is designed to mitigate signal fluctuations induced by underwater turbulence. Digital filtering techniques, including median filtering (MF) and bilateral edge detection filtering (BEDF), are also employed to improve signal demodulation reliability. An improved Reed–Solomon (RS) coding scheme is further adopted to significantly reduce the bit error rate (BER). The design of a highly reliable UWOC system was realized based on the above techniques. The system’s performance was evaluated across a range of signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) and bubble intensities. The results show that the digital AGC module can provide a gain range from −3.2 dB to 16 dB, adapting to varying signal strengths, which greatly bolsters the system’s resilience against underwater turbulence. Filtering techniques and RS coding further enhance the system’s immunity to interference and reduce the system BER. Communication experiments were conducted over various distances under three distinct water quality conditions. The results demonstrate that, within the detection range of the avalanche photodiode (APD), the system consistently maintained a BER below 3.8 × 10−3 across all water types, thereby confirming its high reliability. In clear seawater, the system demonstrated reliable information transmission over a 10 m distance at a data rate of 10 Mbps, achieving a BER of 2 × 10−8. Theoretical calculations indicate that the maximum transmission distance in clear seawater can reach 111.35 m.

A 25-Gbps underwater wireless optical communication (UWOC) system with a two-stage injection-locked 680-nm red-light vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) transmitter to enhance the frequency response and a laser beam expander to expand the collimated beam diameter over a 5-m highly turbid harbor water link is proposed and practically demonstrated. In highly turbid harbor water link, the overall attenuation coefficient at 680 nm is smaller than that at 520 and 450 nm, thereby a 680-nm red-light VCSEL transmitter is adopted in this proposed 5 m/25 Gbps UWOC system rather than a 520-nm green-light laser diode (LD) transmitter or a 450-nm blue-light LD transmitter. A satisfactory bit error rate performance (3 × 10–9) and a clear eye diagram are acquired in real time. This proposed UWOC system with a two-stage injection-locked 680-nm VCSEL transmitter and a laser beam expander brings important improvements in the scenario characterized by high turbidity.

Underwater wireless optical communication (UWOC) is a useful way to transmit a large volume of data in ocean engineering. In application, one of the UWOC terminals is usually carried on an underwater robot to actively adjust its orientation and position to establish an optical link, which requires the mobile terminal to locate the cooperation partner. At a short communication distance, visual navigation is a preferred method to measure the position. In this method, a camera is installed on the mobile terminal while several light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are in the cooperation one. In the image of the camera, by capturing the pattern formed of LEDs light spots, the relative position and orientation between terminals could be calculated. However, in a UWOC system, visual navigation is interfered with by the UWOC transmitter since it forms an additional light spot in the camera’s image. To solve this issue, we present a UWOC-compatible visual navigation method, in which the UWOC light spot is distinguished with the hue, saturation, and value (HSV) color model. Then, we experimentally demonstrate the effectiveness of the method in a pool, applying signals with different bitrates and power on the transmitter. The results show that, while the distance between terminals is within 350 cm and the yaw angle is within 5°, the measured errors are within 1.77 cm and 0.92°, respectively, which is accurate enough for most UWOC applications. The method presented in this paper is simple, pragmatic, and useful for establishing a UWOC link.

Underwater wireless optical communication (UWOC) has attracted increasing interest in various underwater activities because of its order-of-magnitude higher bandwidth compared to acoustic and radio- frequency technologies. Practical pre-aligned UWOC links were constructed for physical layer evaluation, which verified that UWOC systems can operate at tens of gigabits per second or close to a hundred meters of distance. This holds promise for realizing a globally connected Internet of Underwater Things (IoUT). However, due to the fundamental complexity of the ocean water environment, there are considerable practical challenges in establishing reliable UWOC links. Thus, in addition to providing an exhaustive overview of recent advances in UWOC, this paper addresses various underwater challenges and offers insights into the solutions. In particular, oceanic turbulence, which induces scintillation and misalignment in underwater links, is one of the key factors in degrading UWOC performance. Novel solutions are proposed to ease the requirements on pointing, acquisition, and tracking (PAT) for establishing robustness in UWOC links. The solutions include light-scattering-based non-line-of-sight (NLOS) communication modality as well as PAT-relieving scintillating-fiber-based photoreceiver and large- photovoltaic cells as the optical signal detectors. Naturally, the dual-function photovoltaic–photodetector device readily offers a means of energy harvesting for powering up the future IoUT sensors. Key Words Underwater Wireless Optical Communications (UWOCs), Link Configuration, feasibility analysis, link budget and communication range.

Underwater wireless optical communication (UWOC) is considered as an enabling technology with a mass of potential applications. The silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) exhibits a bright prospect for UWOC thanks to the traits of low-light detection capability, low-voltage operation, and superior operability. However, the performance of the SiPM-based UWOC system is severely degraded by the dead-time caused nonlinear response. In this paper, to mitigate the dead-time induced nonlinear distortion and explore the achievable capacity of the newly developed SiPM, we propose and experimentally demonstrate a 55-m/2-Gbps UWOC system by virtue of SiPM diversity reception and nonlinear decision-feedback equalizer (NDFE). The performance of NDFE is superior to that of the conventional decision-feedback equalizer (DFE), and NDFE with a pruning factor of 5 declares similar performance as that without pruning strategy, while the number of the nonlinear equalizer can be reduced by ~31.8%. Significant performance improvement is also obtained by the proposed scheme under different turbidity waters. The measured data rate is pushed from 1 Gbps to 2 Gbps with a receiver sensitivity as low as −41.96 dBm, which to the best of our knowledge is the largest data rate ever achieved using the off-the-shelf SiPM among the reported UWOC works. In accordance with the receiver sensitivity and the model of optical propagation in the water channel, the maximum attainable distance/data rate is predicted to be 147 m/1 Gbps and 128 m/2 Gbps with the proposed scheme. The research results are promising for long-reach and high-speed UWOC.

Blue/green light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have been studied extensively in medium/short-distance underwater optical wireless communication (UOWC), while available commercial bandwidth-limited LEDs cannot support the increased capacity. In this work, a 175-µm blue mini-LED with a high 3 dB modulation bandwidth of 580 MHz was designed and employed to implement a high-speed UOWC system to improve the bandwidth while maintaining high emitting optical power. As a result, we achieve the data rate of 3.8 Gb/s and the rate-distance product of 7.6 Gb/s·m of the PAM-4 signal with the 3.7e-3 bit error rate (BER) over the 2-m underwater channel by using a single-pixel 175-μm GaN-based mini-LED and an avalanche photodiode (APD). To the best of our knowledge, it is the highest rate-distance product among the UOWC systems based on a single-pixel LED and a single APD. In addition, we design multiple sets of comparison experiments to provide a comprehensive investigation regarding channel loss, transmission capacity, and computation complexity between the UOWC system with and without water.

Improving the spectrum efficiency (SE) is an effective method to further enhance the data rate of bandwidth-limited underwater wireless optical communication (UWOC) systems. Non-orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (NOFDM) with a compression factor of 0.5 can save half of the bandwidth without introducing any inter-carrier-interference (ICI) only if the total number of subcarriers is large enough, and we termed it as half-spectrum OFDM (HS-OFDM). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported work on a closed-form HS-OFDM signal in the discrete domain from the perspective of a correlation matrix. Due to the special mathematical property, no extra complex decoding algorithm is required at the HS-OFDM receiver, making it as simple as the conventional OFDM receiver. Compared with traditional OFDM, HS-OFDM can realize the same data rate, but with a larger signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) margin. To fully use the SNR resource of the communication system, we further propose a digital power division multiplexed HS-OFDM (DPDM-HS-OFDM) scheme to quadruple the SE of conventional OFDM for the bandwidth-starved UWOCs. The experimental results show that HS-OFDM can improve the receiver sensitivity by around 4dB as opposed to conventional 4QAM-OFDM with the same data rate and SE. With the help of the DPDM-HS-OFDM scheme, the data rate of multi-user UWOC can reach up to 4.5Gbps under the hard-decision forward error correction (HD-FEC) limit of a bit error rate (BER) of 3.8×10-3. Although there is some performance degradation in comparison with single-user HS-OFDM, the BER performance of multi-user DPDM-HS-OFDM is still superior to that of conventional single-user 4QAM-OFDM. Both single-user HS-OFDM and multi-user DPDM-HS-OFDM successfully achieve 2Gbps/75m data transmission, indicating that the DPDM-HS-OFDM scheme is of great importance in bandwidth-limited UWOC systems and has guiding significance to underwater wireless optical multiple access.

The existing single-aperture reception for underwater wireless optical communication (UWOC) is insufficient to deal with oceanic turbulence caused by the combined effect of temperature gradient and air bubbles. This paper analyzes the performance of multi-aperture reception for UWOC under channel irradiance fluctuations characterized by the mixture exponential–generalized gamma (EGG) distribution. We analyze the system performance by employing selection combining (SC) and maximum ratio combining (MRC) receivers. In particular, we derive the exact outage probability expression for the SC-based multi-aperture UWOC receiver and obtain an upper bound on the outage probability for the MRC-based multi-aperture UWOC receiver. With the help of the derived results, we analytically obtain the diversity order of the considered multi-aperture UWOC systems outperforming the single-aperture-based system by a factor of the number of multi-aperture elements. The simulation results validate the accuracy of derived analytical expressions and demonstrate that the low-complexity SC technique effectively improves the performance of the UWOC system under oceanic turbulence with pointing errors at a moderately high transmit power.