Error Rate of Subcarrier Intensity Modulations for Wireless Optical Communications

Subcarrier intensity modulations are analyzed for the Gamma-Gamma turbulence channels. We study the error rate of a subcarrier intensity modulated wireless optical communication system employing phase-shift keying, differential phase-shift keying, and noncoherent frequency-shift keying. Closed-form error rate expressions are derived using a series expansion approach. Asymptotic error rate analysis and truncation error analysis are also presented. Our asymptotic analysis shows that the diversity order of the system and the signal-to-noise ratio penalty factors for noncoherent modulations depend only on the smaller channel parameter.