A study on transmission of RF signals over a turbulent free space optical link

In a ubiquitous network society, a universal platform is necessary to satisfy customerspsila increased demand on communication at any-time, anywhere and any-situation. Radio on fiber (RoF) technologies can realize a cost effective universal platform for ubiquitous wireless services. RoF networks can also be extended to radio on free space optics (RoFSO) providing communication links for heterogeneous wireless services where it is not easy or feasible to install optical fiber. In this paper, we present an experimental study on transmission of RF signals over a turbulent FSO channel by using off-the-shelf radio frequency - FSO (RF-FSO) antennas. The performance results show the potential of FSO links for transmission of RF signals and are also used as a benchmark in designing, predicting and evaluating an advanced dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) RoFSO antenna capable of transporting multiple RF signals we are developing. An analytical modeling of the system is also conducted to confirm the suitability of the system and a good result is obtained compared with experimental data under weak turbulence condition.