Investigations of Free Space Optical Communications Under Real-World Atmospheric Conditions

Due to the increasing demand for higher bandwidth in modern communication systems, conventional networks are continuously expanded with new technologies to improve coverage. Free space optical communications (FSOC) shows some significant advantages concerning system setup time in comparison with the classical fiber optical systems on one hand, substantial spectral bandwidth and performances in comparison with the wireless systems under certain conditions on the other hand. This makes this technology not only a reasonable extension for metropolitan area networks but also provides the capability to set up a network after an outage in case of natural disaster quickly. But transmitting data by using FSOC involves some limiting factors that have to be considered prior to each installation. Since the atmospheric channel is not static, the influence of changing weather conditions or industrial smog have a significant impact on the available bitrate. A simulation platform is developed and presented in this paper for investigation of FSOC considering these circumstances. Regarding the atmospheric channel, turbulence, distance-dependent beam divergence, and applied modulation schemes, a general overview of the capabilities is presented and discussed. The insight of this paper should help to make a decision under which preconditions either the FSOC provides a meaningful application possibility, or the limiting factors become too crucial and other technologies must be considered.

Automated summary

Free space optical communications (FSOC) offer advantages in system setup time, spectral bandwidth, and performance compared to traditional fiber optic systems and wireless systems under certain conditions. However, factors such as changing weather conditions and atmospheric channel impact the available bitrate, requiring careful consideration.