Direct measurement of the bit error rate improvement of a laser communication system with low-order adaptive optics

Robert K. Tyson; Douglas E. Canning; Mark Smith

doi:10.1117/12.506057

27 January 2004 Direct measurement of the bit error rate improvement of a laser communication system with low-order adaptive optics

Robert K. Tyson, Douglas E. Canning, Mark Smith

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Proceedings Volume 5160, Free-Space Laser Communication and Active Laser Illumination III; (2004) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.506057
Event: Optical Science and Technology, SPIE's 48th Annual Meeting, 2003, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

Recent experiments performed at UNC Charlotte indicate that we can achieve a reduction in the bit-error rate (BER) for a laser communication system with the implementation of low-order (tip/tilt) adaptive optics in a free-space communication link. We previously reported indirect measurements of the BER by measuring scintillated signals with and without an adaptive optics loop operating. By assuming standard values for receiver noise, we calculated the BER that we would expect. In this paper, we report on the direct measurements of the BER that we observe with the laboratory adaptive optics laser communication system. By directly comparing both the low (“0”) bits and the high (“1”) bits of the outgoing laser modulation signal with the PIN diode-detected signal we determine the BER as a function of various propagation, receiver electronics, and adaptive optics system parameters. Scaling our visible measurements to atmospheric paths and IR wavelengths, we compare our results with vigorous theoretical calculations.

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Robert K. Tyson, Douglas E. Canning, and Mark Smith "Direct measurement of the bit error rate improvement of a laser communication system with low-order adaptive optics", Proc. SPIE 5160, Free-Space Laser Communication and Active Laser Illumination III, (27 January 2004); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.506057

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KEYWORDS

Adaptive optics

Signal to noise ratio

Telecommunications

Modulation

Electronics

Laser communications

Laser systems engineering

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