Abstract
A light beam propagating through the atmosphere has its amplitude, phase, and
propagation direction changed along the optical path due to atmospheric turbulence. This
effect is caused by the randomness of the air refractive index and depends on the local
temperature, pressure, and humidity. The physical parameter that quantifies the
turbulence strength is well known in the literature as the refractive index structure
constant (<i>C<sup>2</sup><sub>n</sub></i>). In this paper, a simple and low-cost
technique based on a triangulation-like method to measure the
<i>C<sup>2</sup><sub>n</sub></i> is presented for the first time to the best
knowledge of the authors. Through a novel device comprised of three photodetectors in a
triangle-shaped array placed on the receiver plane, it is possible, after power
measurements and applying a developed mathematical model, to obtain precisely the
position of the beam spot. Therefore, calculates the <i>C<sup>2</sup><sub>n</sub></i>
and evaluates the atmospheric turbulence strength. Furthermore, the technique is useful
to check the suitability of a free-space optical (FSO) link in a specific geographic
region by monitoring the local turbulence. Also, the device will be useful to improve
the deployment and maintenance of FSO systems.
© 2011 IEEE
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