Atmospheric channel transfer function estimation from experimental free-space optical communications data

The performance of terrestrial free-space optical communications systems is severely impaired by atmospheric aerosol particle distributions where the particle size is on the order of the operating wavelength. For optical and near-infrared wavelengths, fog droplets cause multiple-scattering and absorption effects which rapidly degrade received symbol detection performance as the optical depth parameter increases (visibility decreases). Using a custom free-space optical communications system we measured field data in fog within the optical multiple-scattering regime. We investigate the behavior of the estimated channel transfer function using both real field-test data and simulated propagation data based on field-test conditions. We then compare the channel transfer function estimates against the predictions computed using a radiative-transfer theory model-based approach which we also developed previously for the free-space optical atmospheric channel.