Publication Date:
2018-02-14
Description:
We examine the potential of subsea free-space optics (FSO)
for sensor network applications leveraging the emerging technologies of
highly sensitive photon-counting detectors and semi-conductor LED and
laser light sources in the UV solar blind. Monitoring oil and gas production
installations is the niche application discussed. The merits of FSO
include the capacity for broadband communication that would enable the
transmission of video data in real time, which is not possible with other
technologies at present. However, subsea FSO is challenged by high
extinction and the immense variability of background illumination in shallow
waters. This has stimulated us to investigate the potential of underwater
FSO in the UV solar-blind spectral range, where background illumination
is nearly nonexistent and considerable scattering occurs. The
achievable performance is compared to transmission at 520 nm, where,
in Clear Ocean, data rates of 100 Mbps can be transmitted over distances
of ~170 m, falling to under 15 m in harbor waters. It is anticipated
that ranges of 12 m can also be obtained with UV solar-blind
wavelengths, although experimental corroboration is not yet available.
Type:
Article
,
PeerReviewed
Format:
text
