Analysis of the influence of atmospheric turbulence on modulating retro-reflector optical communication

The paper discusses the atmospheric turbulence effect on modulating retro-reflector (MRR) optical communication systems with theoretical analysis and experimental verification. The transmission model is proposed by the phase screen method. Based on this model, the scintillation indices (SI) are calculated, and the aperture averaging effect of the MRR terminal is analyzed. Furthermore, a test bed with 506 m transmission link is established. In the experiment, the SI values of the MRR link and the direct link are obtained and compared. Experimental data agree well with the numerical simulation results and verify the theoretical model. The theoretical results are useful for analyzing the influence of turbulence on MRR systems.