<italic>Cₙ</italic>² Modeling for Free-Space Optical Communications: A Review
Atmospheric turbulence influence on optical wave propagation, referred to as optical turbulence, has long been studied for astronomical applications and is now being addressed for free-space optical communication links between ground and satellites. While challenges overlap, models developed for ast...
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| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
IEEE
2025-01-01
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| Series: | IEEE Access |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10855431/ |
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| Summary: | Atmospheric turbulence influence on optical wave propagation, referred to as optical turbulence, has long been studied for astronomical applications and is now being addressed for free-space optical communication links between ground and satellites. While challenges overlap, models developed for astronomical applications are not fully transferable to optical communications. This paper provides a literature review of optical turbulence models, i.e., models giving vertical profiles of the refractive index structure parameter <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$C_{n}^{2}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, highlighting differences between astronomical and optical communication sites. It presents different classifications of available <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$C_{n}^{2}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> models, based on the atmospheric layer they target and their necessary input parameters. Boundary layer <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$C_{n}^{2}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> models are also addressed, and recent machine learning approaches for <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$C_{n}^{2}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> modeling are discussed. Additionally, commonly used metrics for comparing <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$C_{n}^{2}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> profiles are introduced. Therefore, this work provides important insights into optical turbulence model selection, enabling accurate site characterization and informed optical terminal design. |
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| ISSN: | 2169-3536 |