A Salinity-Impact Analysis of Polarization Division Multiplexing-Based Underwater Optical Wireless Communication System with High-Speed Data Transmission

Abstract

The majority of the Earth’s surface is covered by water, with oceans holding approximately 97% of this water and serving as the lifeblood of our planet. These oceans are essential for various purposes, including transportation, sustenance, and communication. However, establishing effective communication networks between the numerous sub-islands present in many parts of the world poses significant challenges. Underwater optical wireless communication, or UWOC, can indeed be an excellent solution to provide seamless connectivity underwater. UWOC holds immense significance due to its ability to transmit data at high rates, low latency, and enhanced security. In this work, we propose polarization division multiplexing-based UWOC system under the impact of salinity with an on–off keying (OOK) modulation format. The proposed system aims to establish high-speed network connectivity between underwater divers/submarines in oceans at different salinity levels. The numerical simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed system with a 2 Gbps data rate up to 10.5 m range in freshwater and up to 1.8 m in oceanic waters with salinity up to 35 ppt. Successful transmission of high-speed data is reported in underwater optical wireless communication, especially where salinity impact is higher.