Oceanic turbulence may be detrimental for optical signals in short-link communication and sensing systems, and, in particular, LIDARs. To characterize light propagation for LIDARs we first establish 4 x 4 matrix framework applicable for general ABCD optical systems, a wide variety of optical waves, including partially coherent and partially polarized, and a variety of targets. We then adopt this approach for situations in which a target embedded in the turbulent oceanic layer is to be sensed by a bi-static LIDAR. Under some conditions the monostatic transmission links may also exhibit the Enhanced BackScatter (EBS) effect, due to phase conjugation of incident and return waves. We will brie y discuss the appearance of the EBS in the oceanic turbulence. Our treatment of the oceanic fluctuations is based on the well-known temperature-salinity based power spectrum of the refractive-index and the Huygens-Fresnel integral propagation method.

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Olga Korotkova, "LIDAR systems operating in the presence of oceanic turbulence," Proc. SPIE 11014, Ocean Sensing and Monitoring XI, 1101403 (Presented at SPIE Defense + Commercial Sensing: April 16, 2019; Published: 10 May 2019); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2522212.