Experimental study of bit error rate of free space optics communications in laboratory controlled turbulence

The paper reports experimental results for the performance of a free space optical (FSO) communication link employing different modulation schemes under the influence of the atmospheric scintillation. A dedicated experimental atmospheric simulation chamber has been developed where weak and medium turbulence can be generated and its effect on the FSO link is investigated. The experimental data obtained is compared to the theoretical prediction. The paper also depicts the effect on the data transmission performance depending on the position of the turbulence source within the chamber.