Wereporterror-free underwater optical transmission measurements at 1\text{Gbit}/\text{s} ( {10}^9\text{bits}/\text{s} ) over a 2 m path in a laboratory water pipe with up to 36\text{\hspace{0.17em} dB} of extinction. The source at 532\text{\hspace{0.17em} nm} was derived from a 1064\text{\hspace{0.17em} nm} continuous-wave laser diode that was intensity modulated, amplified, and frequency doubled in periodically poled lithium niobate. Measurements were made over a range of extinction by the addition of a \text{Mg}{\left(\text{OH}\right)}_{\text{2}} and \text{Al}{\left(\text{OH}\right)}_{\text{3}} suspension to the water path, and we were not able to observe any evidence of temporal pulse broadening. Results of Monte Carlo simulations over ocean water paths of several tens of meters indicate that optical communication data rates >1\text{Gbit}/\text{s} can be supported and are compatible with high-capacity data transfer applications that require no physical contact.

© 2008 Optical Society of America

1. I. F. Akyildiz, D. Pompili, and T. Melodia, "Underwater acoustic sensor networks: research challenges," Ad Hoc Networks 3, 257-279 (2005). [CrossRef]
2. I. Vasilescu, K. Kotay, D. Rus, P. Corke, and M. Dunbabin, "Data collection, storage and retrieval with an underwater optical and acoustical sensor network," in Proceedings of Sensys (ACM, 2005), pp. 154-165.
3. R. W. Embley, W. W. Chadwick, E. T. Baker, D. A. Butterfield, J. A. Resing, C. E. J. de Ronde, V. Tunnicliffe, J. E. Lupton, S. K. Juniper, K. H. Rubin, R. J. Stern, G. T. Lebon, K. Nakamura, S. G. Merle, J. R. Hein, D. A. Wiens, and Y. Tamura, "Long-term eruptive activity at a submarine arc volcano," Nature 441, 494-497 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
4. R. Urick, Principles of Underwater Sound for Engineers, 3rd ed. (Peninsula, 1996).
5. N. G. Jerlov, Marine Optics, Vol. 14 of Elsevier Oceanographic (Elsevier, 1976).
6. C. D. Mobley, Light and Water: Radiative Transfer in Natural Waters (Academic, 1994).
7. S. Karp, R. M. Gagliardi, S. E. Moran, and L. B. Stotts, in Optical Channels: Fibers, Clouds, Water, and the Atmosphere (Plenum, 1988), Chaps. 6 and 7.
8. J. W. Giles and I. N. Bankman, "Underwater optical communications systems. Part 2: basic design considerations," in Proceedings of MILCOM 2005, IEEE Military Communications Conference (IEEE, 2005), pp. 1700-1705.
9. B. Cochenour, L. Mullen, A. Laux, and T. Curran, "Effects of multiple scattering on the implementation of an underwater wireless optical communications link," in Proceedings of IEEE Oceans 2006 (IEEE, 2006), p. 6. [CrossRef]
10. N. Farr, A. Chave, L. Freitag, J. Preisig, S. White, D. Yoerger, and P. Titterton, "Optical modem technology for seafloor observatories," in Proceedings of IEEE Oceans 2005 (IEEE, 2005), pp. 928-934.
11. J. B. Snow, J. P. Flatley, D. E. Freeman, M. A. Landry, C. E. Lindstrom, J. R. Longacre, and J. A. Schwartz, "Underwater propagation of high data rate laser communications pulses," Proc. SPIE 1750, 419-427 (1992). [CrossRef]
12. N. Farr, A. D. Chave, L. Freitag, J. Preisig, S. N. White, D. Yoerger, and F. Sonnichsen, "Optical modem technology for seafloor observatories," in Proceedings of IEEE Oceans 2006 (IEEE, 2006), pp. 1-6. [CrossRef]
13. R. E. Walker, Marine Light Field Statistics (Wiley, 1994), Eq. 2-2.6.
14. C. M. Blanca and C. Saloma, "Efficient analysis of temporal broadening of a pulsed focused Gaussian beam in scattering media," Appl. Opt. 38, 5433-5437 (1999). [CrossRef]
15. G. D. Boyd and D. A. Kleinman, "Parametric interaction of focused Gaussian light beams," J. Appl. Phys. 39, 3597-3639 (1968). [CrossRef]
16. A. Laux, R. Billmers, L. Mullen, B. Concannon, J. Davis, J. Prentice, and V. Contarino, "The abc's of oceanographic lidar predictions: a significant step toward closing the loop between theory and experiment," J. Mod. Opt. 49, 439-451 (2002). [CrossRef]
17. T. J. Petzold, "Volume scattering functions for selected ocean waters" (Scripps Institute of Oceanography, 1972), Paper SIO Reference 72-78.

Ad Hoc Networks

• I. F. Akyildiz, D. Pompili, and T. Melodia, "Underwater acoustic sensor networks: research challenges," Ad Hoc Networks 3, 257-279 (2005). [CrossRef]

Appl. Opt.

• C. M. Blanca and C. Saloma, "Efficient analysis of temporal broadening of a pulsed focused Gaussian beam in scattering media," Appl. Opt. 38, 5433-5437 (1999). [CrossRef]

J. Appl. Phys.

• G. D. Boyd and D. A. Kleinman, "Parametric interaction of focused Gaussian light beams," J. Appl. Phys. 39, 3597-3639 (1968). [CrossRef]

J. Mod. Opt.

• A. Laux, R. Billmers, L. Mullen, B. Concannon, J. Davis, J. Prentice, and V. Contarino, "The abc's of oceanographic lidar predictions: a significant step toward closing the loop between theory and experiment," J. Mod. Opt. 49, 439-451 (2002). [CrossRef]

Nature

• R. W. Embley, W. W. Chadwick, E. T. Baker, D. A. Butterfield, J. A. Resing, C. E. J. de Ronde, V. Tunnicliffe, J. E. Lupton, S. K. Juniper, K. H. Rubin, R. J. Stern, G. T. Lebon, K. Nakamura, S. G. Merle, J. R. Hein, D. A. Wiens, and Y. Tamura, "Long-term eruptive activity at a submarine arc volcano," Nature 441, 494-497 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Proc. SPIE

• J. B. Snow, J. P. Flatley, D. E. Freeman, M. A. Landry, C. E. Lindstrom, J. R. Longacre, and J. A. Schwartz, "Underwater propagation of high data rate laser communications pulses," Proc. SPIE 1750, 419-427 (1992). [CrossRef]

Other

• N. Farr, A. D. Chave, L. Freitag, J. Preisig, S. N. White, D. Yoerger, and F. Sonnichsen, "Optical modem technology for seafloor observatories," in Proceedings of IEEE Oceans 2006 (IEEE, 2006), pp. 1-6. [CrossRef]
• R. E. Walker, Marine Light Field Statistics (Wiley, 1994), Eq. 2-2.6.
• I. Vasilescu, K. Kotay, D. Rus, P. Corke, and M. Dunbabin, "Data collection, storage and retrieval with an underwater optical and acoustical sensor network," in Proceedings of Sensys (ACM, 2005), pp. 154-165.
• T. J. Petzold, "Volume scattering functions for selected ocean waters" (Scripps Institute of Oceanography, 1972), Paper SIO Reference 72-78.
• R. Urick, Principles of Underwater Sound for Engineers, 3rd ed. (Peninsula, 1996).
• N. G. Jerlov, Marine Optics, Vol. 14 of Elsevier Oceanographic (Elsevier, 1976).
• C. D. Mobley, Light and Water: Radiative Transfer in Natural Waters (Academic, 1994).
• S. Karp, R. M. Gagliardi, S. E. Moran, and L. B. Stotts, in Optical Channels: Fibers, Clouds, Water, and the Atmosphere (Plenum, 1988), Chaps. 6 and 7.
• J. W. Giles and I. N. Bankman, "Underwater optical communications systems. Part 2: basic design considerations," in Proceedings of MILCOM 2005, IEEE Military Communications Conference (IEEE, 2005), pp. 1700-1705.
• B. Cochenour, L. Mullen, A. Laux, and T. Curran, "Effects of multiple scattering on the implementation of an underwater wireless optical communications link," in Proceedings of IEEE Oceans 2006 (IEEE, 2006), p. 6. [CrossRef]
• N. Farr, A. Chave, L. Freitag, J. Preisig, S. White, D. Yoerger, and P. Titterton, "Optical modem technology for seafloor observatories," in Proceedings of IEEE Oceans 2005 (IEEE, 2005), pp. 928-934.

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