Shared secret key generation from signal fading in a turbulent optical wireless channel using common-transverse-spatial-mode coupling

Correlation between turbulence-impacted optical signals collected via a pair of adjacent spatial-mode receivers

Optical spatial-mode reception has a physical nature quite different from that of the traditional optical power-in-the-bucket (PIB) reception. The former belongs to coherent reception scheme while the latter pertains to incoherent reception scheme. Under weak-turbulence conditions, the statistical correlation between turbulence-impacted optical signals collected by a pair of adjacent spatial-mode receivers is mathematically formulated in terms of a new theoretical framework that takes into account the distinctive nature of the spatial-mode reception. The aperture Fresnel number, coherence Fresnel number, separation Fresnel number and mode Fresnel number are identified as fundamental determinative parameters in evaluation of the correlation coefficient. With the help of the obtained formulations, two analytical asymptotic formulae for the correlation coefficient are further derived under the conditions that the aperture Fresnel number is much smaller than the coherence Fresnel number and separation Fresnel number, respectively. Despite the use of asymptotic approximations in the theoretical derivation, it is found that the two asymptotic formulae indeed have utility in many situations of practical interest to us. Furthermore, Monte-Carlo-simulation-based calculations are carried out to examine the accuracy of employing the two asymptotic formulae to approximate the correlation coefficient. It is shown that the ranges of applicability of these two asymptotic formulae are mainly determined by the coherence Fresnel number and the ratio of the separation Fresnel number to the aperture Fresnel number, basically irrespective of the mode Fresnel number.

The Limits of Effective Degrees of Freedom in UCA based Orbital Angular Momentum Multiplexed Communications

Orbital angular momentum (OAM) multiplexing technique has recently emerged and generated widespread interests since the OAM was discovered as a property of electromagnetic wave and acoustic wave. It was widely acknowledged that OAM multiplexing can achieve very high effective degrees of freedom (EDOF) and improve the spectral efficiency in optical, radio and acoustic communications. However, in the field of free-space optical (FSO) communications, it was demonstrated that OAM multiplexing is not the optimal multiplexing technique and the spatial bandwidth product (SBP) limits the EDOF. Is there any EDOF limits of OAM multiplexing in radio and acoustic communications? Could OAM multiplexing be safely scaled to far field? Here, we discover that the azimuthal resolution of OAM mode generator in OAM multiplexing limits its EDOF. Furthermore, we also verify that the OAM multiplexing in radio and acoustic communication fails to enable a long distance transmission and high EDOF simultaneously incurred by the inherently imperfect OAM mode generator.

Analysis and evaluation of the performance between reciprocity and time delay in the atmospheric turbulence channel

In order to better evaluate the relationship between reciprocity and time delay of the fiber receiving system in the atmospheric turbulence channel, a time-domain signal generation mathematical model is proposed for the first time. A numerical solution of Johnson SB probability density distribution (PDF) in time-domain is creatively given for evaluating the reciprocity of both communication ends, which relates to the normalized fluctuation variance of the light intensity and the Greenwood frequency. An experiment is then carried out for verifying the time-domain signal generation model and measuring reciprocity. It shows that the excellent fitting accuracy of Johnson SB PDF signal generation model is first experimentally verified. It also indicates that the system reciprocity is improved by 10% after eliminating the system time delay. Meanwhile, the relationship between time delay and reciprocity under different atmospheric environments are analyzed and the relationship between time delay and system reciprocity at different Greenwood frequencies are discussed. This work provides a time parameter reference for the design of adaptive system and free-space optical (FSO) communication system.