Devices, systems, and methods for underwater laser communications

A system for transmitting information, the system comprising:

• one or more underwater transmitter nodes for emitting laser beams comprising information;
• and
• one or more modulating retroreflectors to redirect the laser beams back to the one or more underwater transmitter nodes,
• wherein the information is digitally encoded using a 100Base-FX encoding scheme operating at between 31.25 MHz and 62.5 MHz.

A method for transmitting and receiving information, the method comprising:

• emitting one or more laser beams from one or more of a plurality of underwater transmitter nodes, the one or more laser beams comprising information;
• using one or more other underwater transmitter nodes of the plurality of underwater transmitter nodes to receive the one or more laser beams;
• and
• utilizing one or more modulating retroreflectors to redirect the one or more laser beams back to the one or more underwater transmitter nodes;
• wherein the one or more underwater transmitter nodes each comprise one or more steerable mirrors for directing laser beams.

A system for laser-based communications, the system comprising:

• one or more communications nodes comprising one or more modulating retroreflectors;
• one or more underwater laser hubs comprising one or more lasers and connected by a plurality of cables to a network;
• and
• one or more communications buoys connected to a platform, the one or more communications buoys connecting the one or more underwater laser hubs and/or the one or more communications nodes,
• wherein the one or more underwater laser hubs are configured to transmit one or more laser beams from the one or more lasers to the one or more modulating retroreflectors in the one or more communications nodes, and
• wherein the one or more communications buoys are configured to receive information from the one or more underwater laser hubs and/or the one or more communications nodes.