A polarization shift-keying system for underwater optical communications

Abstract

A compact and simple setup for testing polarization modulation in the underwater channel is demonstrated. The results from this system compare favorably to a non-polarization modulation system utilizing on-off keying modulation. This system will allow future work to explore using polarization in optical communication systems underwater. The advantages of such systems include ability to monitor the water quality of the channel during transmission and reduction of receiver shot noise.