An Improved Wavelength Diversity Based Free Space Optical Link: Effects of Fog and Atmospheric Turbulence

Abstract

Free-space optical (FSO) communication systems have received a lot of attention from academia and industries due to their low cost, high security and data rates for various wireless communication applications. However, factors such as fog and atmospheric turbulence degrade the performance of the FSO communication system. Therefore, this study presents an improved wavelength diversity based free space optical link using a single channel approach. The authors employed both Kim and Al-Naboulsi’s models to model the attenuation-induced FSO link. Furthermore, the Gamma-Gamma turbulent model was utilized to explain the turbulent nature of the FSO communication link. Experimental results showed improved performance in terms of Bit Error Rate (BER) and Quality factor of the FSO link up to a distance of 7km compared to the multiple channel approach that gives a signal output for distances less than 3km only. Hence, the impact of attenuation on the FSO link was reduced and the performance of the system was enhanced under fog and atmospheric turbulence conditions.