Open AccessFeedback-enabled adaptive underwater twisted light transmission link utilizing the reflection at the air-water interface
Author(s) -
Yifan Zhao,
Cong Cai,
Jinrun Zhang,
Xiaoping Cao,
Lulu Wang,
Shuhui Li,
Jian Wang
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.26.016102
Subject(s) - optics , free space optical communication , underwater , transmission (telecommunications) , reflection (computer programming) , total internal reflection , optical link , physics , link budget , light beam , optical communication , computer science , acoustics , telecommunications , wireless , optical fiber , geology , oceanography , programming language
Line-of-sight link is widely used in common free-space optical (FSO) laser communications between two fixed locations. While in practical underwater wireless optical communications (UWOC), the environment is relatively complicated. In some scenarios there exist irremovable obstacles, which block the line-of-sight optical link. Fortunately, the air-water interface can function as a natural mirror to enable non-line-of-sight optical link using the total internal reflection. Very recently, twisted light beams carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) have attracted researchers' great attention to improve the transmission capacity in UWOC. Here, we propose and experimentally demonstrate a non-line-of-sight underwater twisted light transmission link utilizing the total internal reflection at the air-water interface. To overcome the beam fluctuation and drift caused by the change of interface states, we develop a proof-of-concept adaptive feedback system to provide a stable output. Moreover, we study the degrading effects of the slight wind effect, the salinity (turbidity) effect, and the vertical thermal gradient-induced turbulence effect. The results show that the water wave caused by the slight wind causes the most beam drift, the thermal gradient causes the most distortions, and the salinity causes the most power loss.