Receiver performance characterization for modulating retro-reflector atmospheric optical links with pulsed lasers and optical pre-amplifiers

F. M. Davidson; P. Nigon; G. C. Gilbreath; W. S. Rabinovich

doi:10.1117/12.618345

31 August 2005 Receiver performance characterization for modulating retro-reflector atmospheric optical links with pulsed lasers and optical pre-amplifiers

F. M. Davidson, P. Nigon, G. C. Gilbreath, W. S. Rabinovich

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 5892, Free-Space Laser Communications V; 58920F (2005) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.618345
Event: Optics and Photonics 2005, 2005, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

Receiver performance is calculated for two types of free-space atmospheric optical communications systems − a direct detection system using a p-i-n photodiode preceded by an optical amplifier, and an ideal coherent receiver operated in its shot-noise limited regime without an optical pre-amplifier. The signal format for both is amplitude shift keying (on-off modulation) with an assumed rectangular light pulse of duration T seconds. The more accurate Beckman probability density function (pdf) is used to describe the intensity fading rather than the more commonly used log-normal pdf which overestimates receiver performance. A coherent receiver using asynchronous detection is shown to outperform the direct detection system with an optical pre-amplifier gain of 30 dB by anywhere from 7 to about 10 dB depending on Rytov variance intensity fading levels. In addition, the effect of inner scale turbulence parameter, l₀, on system bit error rate is demonstrated.

Citation Download Citation

F. M. Davidson, P. Nigon, G. C. Gilbreath, and W. S. Rabinovich "Receiver performance characterization for modulating retro-reflector atmospheric optical links with pulsed lasers and optical pre-amplifiers", Proc. SPIE 5892, Free-Space Laser Communications V, 58920F (31 August 2005); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.618345

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