Underwater Wireless Laser-Based Communications Using Optical Phased Array Antennas

Abstract

An underwater optical wireless communication system concept based on optical phased array antennas is presented. With this optical phased array, a laser beam can be electronically steered to adjust not only the azimuth and elevation angles, but also the beamwidth. The proposed concept simplifies pointing and acquisition challenges between non-aligned transceivers. The performance (in terms of the trade-off between achievable range, bit error rate, and data rate) is explored for different numbers of antenna elements and water types. Also, a suitable scanning method is suggested.

Photonic Integrated Circuits for an Optical Phased Array

“…OPAs can also function as receivers by detecting the emitting angle of an incoming beam [128], allowing for the creation of directional reflectors [129] and OPA cameras [130]. By combining the receiving and emitting capabilities of OPAs, optical transceivers can be developed [131][132][133], enabling wireless communication with directional links [77,[134][135][136][137][138] and also underwater wireless communication [139,140]. Additionally, OPAs have potential in bio-applications, where a neural stimulation OPA [141] and a neural probe [142] have been developed.…”

Beam Steering Technology of Optical Phased Array Based on Silicon Photonic Integrated Chip

“…It also has advantages, such as being less affected by environmental lighting [ 2 ] and having good resistance to electromagnetic interference. Therefore, LiDAR is widely used in autonomous driving [ 3 ], imaging [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ], remote sensing surveying [ 8 ], and space communication [ 9 , 10 , 11 ]. To meet the needs of free-space optical communication in fields such as autonomous driving and drones, LiDAR should have a wide range of scanning angles and long-range detection capabilities [ 12 , 13 ].…”