AN INFORMATION FEEDBACK APPROACH APPLIED TO AN AMPLITUDE-MODULATED DIGITAL LASER COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM.

Abstract

The use of predecision feedback in a laser communication system employing an amplitude-modulated laser transmitter and photomultiplier receiver is considered. Poisson statistics are used to describe the distribution of emitted photo electrons in a fixed time interval from the photo emissive surface of the receiver when the incident field is a mixture of a single mode laser and broadband thermal noise. The use of a noiseless feedback path to reduce the variance of the received photo electron count is examined. A technique known as 'feedback averaging' is conceived and the following properties are demonstrated. (a) The variance of the received photo electron counts is significantly reduced over that obtained in a system without feedback. (b) The effects of background radiation and shot noise at the receiver can be reduced. (c) The effect of slow fading on the mean arrival rate of photons is reduced. This is achieved in the above system with the same average power and only slightly more peak power, in most cases, than the same system without feedback. The approach is treated analytically, and simulated on a digital computer. (Author)

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 01, 1970
Accession Number
AD0710946

Entities

People

  • Larry U. Dworkin

Organizations

  • United States Army Communications-Electronics Command

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Amplitude
  • Background Radiation
  • Communication Systems
  • Computers
  • Digital Computers
  • Electrons
  • Feedback
  • Laser Communications
  • Peak Power
  • Power
  • Radiation
  • Shot Noise
  • Time Intervals

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Approximation Theory.
  • Pulsed Power and Plasma Physics.
  • Radio communications and signal processing.

Technology Areas

  • Directed Energy
  • Microelectronics