Evaluation of coherence interference in optical wireless communication through multiscattering channels

Optical wireless communication has been the subject of much research in recent years because of the increasing interest in laser satellite-ground links and urban optical wireless communication. The major sources of performance degradation have been identified as the spatial, angular, and temporal spread of the propagating beam when the propagation channel is multiscattering, resulting in reduced power reception and intersignal interference, as well as turbulence-induced scintillations and noise due to receiver circuitry and background illumination. However, coherence effects due to multipath interference caused by a scattering propagation channel do not appear to have been treated in detail in the scientific literature. We attempt a theoretical analysis of coherence interference in optical wireless communication through scattering channels and try to quantify the resultant performance degradation for different media. We conclude that coherence interference is discernible in optical wireless communication through scattering channels and is highly dependent on the microscopic nature of the propagation medium.