Wavelength dependent channel characterization for underwater optical wireless communications

The underwater scattering channel for line-of-sight (LOS) underwater optical wireless communications in the transmission window (wavelength of 400nm-600nm) is modeled by a ray tracing technique. The inherent seawater optical properties, the scattering and absorption of the suspending particles, are represented by one single parameter-chlorophyll concentration (CC). Path losses for different waters and different ranges are simulated. The influences of some system parameters, such as beam divergence, field of view, and misalignment, to the link path loss are studied. The communication bit-error-rate performance is evaluated based on simulated path losses.