Average Transmittance in Turbulence for Partially Coherent Sources

Abstract

Average intensity and power-transmittance in turbulence are formulated for a source with arbitrary degree of coherence (both spatial and temporal). Average power-transmittance is shown to reduce to the average intensity-transmittance if the receiver dimension is much less than the beam size. The average transmittance is found to attain its minimum value when the source is on the order of the Fresnel zone, irrespective of the degree of coherence of the source. We obtain the correct average intensity when the source is coherent, partially coherent and incoherent. Average transmittances due to turbulence are found for practical FSO (Free Space Optics) communication links. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.