On the optimum far-field irradiance distribution using Laguerre-Gaussian beams for intersatellite free-space optical communications

Journal Article (2024)
Authors

M. Badas Aldecocea (TU Delft - Space Systems Egineering)

P. Piron (TU Delft - Spaceborne Instrumentation)

J. Bouwmeester (TU Delft - Space Systems Egineering)

Jérôme Loicq (TU Delft - Spaceborne Instrumentation, Université de Liège)

Research Group
Space Systems Egineering
To reference this document use:
https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.533250
More Info
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Publication Year
2024
Language
English
Research Group
Space Systems Egineering
Issue number
18
Volume number
32
Pages (from-to)
31597-31620
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.533250
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Abstract

This paper proposes a novel approach to improve the performance of free-space optical communication intersatellite links by combining fundamental Gaussian and higher-order Laguerre-Gaussian beams. We present a comprehensive mathematical model to analyze the system’s performance, including received power statistics, average bit error probability, and outage probability. To generate the desired beam profiles, we propose an optical system capable of creating a superposition of orthogonally polarized Laguerre-Gaussian beams that yield the far-field irradiance distributions that optimize the communication performance. Our theoretical analysis demonstrates that the combination of fundamental Gaussian and higher-order modes can significantly enhance system performance compared to conventional fundamental Gaussian beams. In some scenarios, the proposed approach offers savings on the order of 20% to 40% of the required transmitted power.