Effect of scattering albedo on attenuation and polarization of light underwater

Recent work on underwater laser communication links uses polarization discrimination to improve system performance [Appl. Opt. 48, 328 (2009)] [in Proceedings of IEEE Oceans 2009 (IEEE, 2009), pp. 1-4]. In the laboratory, Maalox antacid is commonly used as a scattering agent. While its scattering function closely mimics that of natural seawaters, its scattering albedo can be much higher, as Maalox particles tend to be less absorbing. We present a series of experiments where Nigrosin dye is added to Maalox in order to more accurately recreate real-world absorption and scattering properties. We consider the effect that scattering albedo has on received power and the degree of depolarization of forward-scattered light in the context of underwater laser communication links.