Bit error rate performance of free-space optical link under effect of plasma sheath turbulence

Based on the power spectrum of the refractive-index fluctuation in the plasma sheath turbulence, the expressions for wave structure functions and scintillation index of optical wave propagating in a turbulent plasma sheath are derived. The effect of the turbulence microstructure on the propagation characteristics of optical waves are simulated and analyzed. Finally, the bit error performance of a free-space optical (FSO) link is investigated under the effect of plasma sheath turbulence. The results indicate that the spherical waves have a better communication performance in the FSO link. In addition, a greater variance of the refractive index fluctuation causes a more severe fluctuation in electron density, temperature, and collision frequency inside the plasma sheath. However, when the outer scale is close to the thickness of the plasma sheath, the turbulence eddies have almost no influence on the wave propagation. Therefore, the bit error rate (BER) obviously increases with the increase in variance of the refractive index fluctuation and the decrease in the outer scale. These results are fundamental for evaluating the performance of the FSO link under the effect of plasma sheath turbulence.