Statistical model of the efficiency for spatial light coupling into a single-mode fiber in the presence of atmospheric turbulence

Abstract

The average efficiency of spatial light coupling into a single-mode optical fiber is widely used but cannot estimate the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and bit error rate (BER) in free-space optical communication. We provide a statistical model for coupling efficiency and derive the exact expression of the probability density function (PDF). The simulation results confirm that the model is reasonable in the condition of different turbulence intensities and wavefront compensation terms, which is also consistent with our outdoor experiment. We also estimate the average SNR and BER using the PDF. The model is quite useful in a satellite-to-ground laser communication downlink.