Reversibility in space, time, and computation: the case of underwater acoustic communications

Abstract: Time reversal of waves has been successfully used in communications, sensing and imaging for decades. The application in underwater acoustic communications is of our special interest, as it puts together a reversible process (allowing a reversible software or hardware realisation) and a reversible medium (allowing a reversible model of the environment). This work in progress report addresses the issues of modelling, analysis and implementation of acoustic time reversal from the reversible computation perspective. We show the potential of using reversible cellular automata for modelling and quantification of reversibility in the time reversal communication process. Then we present an implementation of time reversal hardware based on reversible circuits.