ATMOSPHERIC-TURBULENCE-INDUCED POWER-FADE STATISTICS FOR A MULTIAPERTURE OPTICAL RECEIVER

To estimate the probability distributions of power fades, we consider two basic types of disturbance in electromagnetic wave propagation thr ough atmospheric turbulence: wave-front intensity fluctuations and wav e-front distortion. We assess the reduction in the cumulative probabil ity of losses caused by these two effects through spatial diversity by using a multiaperture receiver configuration. Degradations in receive r performance are determined with fractal techniques used to simulate the turbulence-induced wave-front phase distortion, and a log normal m odel is assumed for the collected power fluctuations. (C) 1997 Optical Society of America.