Impossible Trinity in Underwater Optical Wireless Communication

Underwater Optical Wireless Communication (UOWC) is considered a promising approach, offering the potential for flexible and high-speed communication under the surface of the water. However, the interdependent relationship among three key performance elements, namely communication distance, bit error rate, and communication rate, has been largely overlooked. This oversight impedes the complete utilization of the system performance. In this work, we innovatively introduce a “UOWC Impossible Trinity” model and theorems to establish relationships among the three key performance elements, which clarify the inherent constraints within UOWC system optimization. Moreover, we formulate the Underwater Optical Communication Trade-offs (UOCT) Problem to maximize communication performance. Furthermore, we provide feasible non-dominated solution sets, considering the constraints of real environments and user demands of specific scenarios. Our model has been validated by extensive simulations, demonstrating that our approach not only clarifies fundamental limitations of UOWC systems, but also provides practical guidelines for designing and optimizing the systems. Our approach has been experimentally validated with an impressive accuracy of over 95%, surpassing conventional models, which not only enhances the understanding of UOWC system optimization but also validates the existence of inherent trade-offs. Furthermore, our approach demonstrates a significant increase in communication distance, outperforming traditional methods by more than 20%.