Atmospheric fade probability in moderate aperture laser communication systems

Paul D. Shubert

doi:10.1117/12.2508069

4 March 2019 Atmospheric fade probability in moderate aperture laser communication systems

Paul D. Shubert

Proceedings Volume 10910, Free-Space Laser Communications XXXI; 109101K (2019) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2508069
Event: SPIE LASE, 2019, San Francisco, California, United States

Abstract

Atmospheric turbulence plays an important role in the performance of ground-to-space laser communication systems. The probability distribution of atmospheric fading is of particular importance in the design of a laser communication system, as fade depth and frequency are key drivers in the design of a free-space optical communication system, stressing average power requirements as well as the design of forward error correction, interleaving, and data retransmission processing systems. Atmospheric turbulence in traditional visible band, large aperture, space-imaging systems results in severely speckled far-field patterns with exponential intensity statistics. In contrast, laser communication systems typically use longer wavelengths and moderate aperture sizes, only a few r0 in diameter. When propagated through turbulence, these moderate aperture systems create a far-field pattern with a single central lobe that can be characterized by its overall tilt, and a peak intensity within the limits of the Strehl approximation. With these constraints, a closed-form statistical model of atmospheric fading is developed by decomposing atmospheric phase aberrations into a number of independent modes, including tilt and higher order terms, each with a normally distributed amplitude. These predicted fade probability distributions are then assessed and shown to agree with Monte-Carlo analyses of wave optics propagations.

Citation Download Citation

Paul D. Shubert "Atmospheric fade probability in moderate aperture laser communication systems", Proc. SPIE 10910, Free-Space Laser Communications XXXI, 109101K (4 March 2019); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2508069

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