FREE SPACE

OPTICS
BY SABARINATH S

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WHAT IS FSO?

• FSO stands for Free Space Optics

• An LOS technology via Free Space
• No requirement for the optical
fiber cable
• Offers optical transmission up to
2.5Gbps (Future Expected: 10 Gbps
using WDM)

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 • Firstly, Used by Greeks in 18th century
• 19th Century- Abraham Graham Bell—done experiments —which
HISTORY where later called Photophone
• Light beams to broadcast voice conversations across the air
• Idea of FSO was established but not commerzalised 3
 The total attenuation A(λ) induced by the atmosphere can be
FSO DATA calculated as follows:
Α(λ) = αfog(λ)+ αsnow(λ)+ αrain(λ)+ αscattering(λ), [dB/km]
LINKS where αx(λ) is the attenuation produced by the given weather
parameters and λ is an operational wavelength
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WORKIN
G

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CHALLENGES
• Weather Conditions

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 • Occurs when photons are extinguished by suspended
water molecules
• Reduces the power density, wavelength dependent
In general Beer's law describes atmospheric attenuation:
τ=exp[-(αabs+βscat)L]
L: Distance between the transmitter and receiver
ABSORPTIONα : Atmospheric absorption
abs

βscat: Scattering coefficients

αabs= σabs Nabs.
σabs :Effective absorption cross-section
Nabs :Concentration of gas molecule

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SCATTERING

• No energy loss in scattering, only a directional redistribution of energy

• Two main scattering: Rayleigh & Mie
• Scattering type depends on the relationship between the size of scattering
particles and the wavelength
Total scattering coefficient is given by:
βscat=βm+βa
where βm and βa denote Rayleigh (molecular) and Mie (aerosols) scattering
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SCINTILLATION

• Temperature variations caused by

heated air rising from the earth or
man-made devices
• Cause signal amplitude fluctuations
• Beam wander and beam spreading
are two other turbulence effects

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CONVENTIONAL v/s FREE SPACE
OPTICS
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FUTURE SCOPE

• NASA's Laser Communication Relay Demonstration will test laser

communications from geosynchronous orbit to Earth aboard the US
Department of Defence’s Space Test Program Satellite-6
• Record-breaking data rates of 200 Gbps from a low-Earth orbit small
satellite to a ground station

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 ADVANTAGES
• Operates in an unregulated frequency spectrum, the FCC has not mandated licenses
• FSO has high transmission rates of up to 10 Gbps
• FSO has no interferences with other transmissions
• It is fast, low-cost, and easy installation
• FSO is highly immune to interception and jamming
• Good commercial availability
• User adjusted capacity with an option of data link reconfiguration

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APPLICATIONS

• Metro Area Networks (MAN)

• Enterprise Connectivity
• Fiber backup
• Backhaul
• Service acceleration
• Military applications

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THANK YOU

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