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Anisoplanatism in airborne laser communication
James A Louthain1, Jason D Schmidt
1Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Air Force Institute of Technology, 2950 Hobson Way, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio 45433-7765, USA. james.louthain@afit.edu
Optics Express
|July 9, 2008
Summary
Optimized multiple-transmitter laser communication systems combat atmospheric turbulence. Simulations demonstrate that using two transmitters significantly reduces bit error rates in various airborne scenarios.
Area of Science:
- Optical Engineering
- Aerospace Engineering
- Telecommunications
Background:
- Airborne laser communication systems face challenges with size, complexity, power, and weight.
- Atmospheric turbulence significantly impacts signal variability and reliability in laser communication.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate methods for reducing received signal variability in airborne laser communication systems.
- To derive optimal angular laser-beam separations to mitigate turbulence effects.
Main Methods:
- Implementation of optimized multiple-transmitter systems to average out turbulence effects.
- Derivation of angular laser-beam separation criteria for phase and amplitude effects under various atmospheric conditions (isoplanatic and anisoplanatic).
Main Results:
- Established an order of angular separations for mitigating different turbulence effects: phase uncorrelated angle > tilt isoplanatic angle > phase isoplanatic angle > scintillation uncorrelated angle > scintillation correlation angle.
- Demonstrated that specific angular separations beyond Theta(chic), Theta(TA), and Theta(psiind) effectively reduce scintillation and phase variations.
Conclusions:
- Multiple-transmitter systems, particularly two-transmitter configurations, enhance the reliability of airborne laser communication.
- Optimized angular beam separation is crucial for mitigating atmospheric turbulence and reducing bit error rates across ground-to-air, air-to-air, and ground-to-ground links.
