Reflector-aided underwater optical channel modeling

Underwater visible light communication (UVLC) has been proposed as a high-speed alternative to acoustic signaling. While most UVLC systems are configured to work in line-of-sight (LOS) conditions, it is also possible to exploit reflected signals for performance enhancements. In this Letter, we propose a closed-form expression for the underwater path loss assuming non-LOS (NLOS) transmission through the water surface and man-made reflector (e.g., mirror) in addition to the LOS link. Utilizing the derived expression, we quantify the achievable NLOS gain defined as the ratio between the maximum achievable channel coefficient from reflection and the overall channel coefficient. We validate our findings experimentally by utilizing the water surface and the mirror as the reflecting surfaces in an aquarium. Our results reveal that achievable gains up to around 3 dB can be observed due to reflections.