Work

Systematic Measurement and Analysis of Beam Degree of Polarization Under Diverse Atmospheric Turbulence Conditions

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Atmospheric turbulence-induced random fluctuations in the refractive index can lead to the degradation of the polarization of polarized light. In accordance with the unified theory of coherent polarization, a comprehensive investigation was undertaken to explore the variation in the degree of polarization (DOP) of laser beams propagating through atmospheric turbulence channels under diverse weather conditions. This investigation involved both theoretical analyses and experimental validations, providing a multifaceted approach to understanding the dynamics of laser beam propagation in atmospheric turbulence. To this end, numerical simulations were performed to analyze the polarization-maintaining characteristics of laser beams with varying wavelengths, turbulence intensities, and initial DOP values. To validate the simulation results for various weather scenarios, three experimental links with different propagation distances were constructed. The experimental results demonstrated that as the turbulence intensity increased, the average DOP of the beam continuously decreased until it reached a threshold value. Furthermore, the polarization fluctuations exhibited a distance-threshold effect, wherein the polarization parameters tended to saturate beyond a critical propagation distance.

Source: Photonics

DOI: 10.3390/photonics13010082

Authors: Chenghu Ke, Yan Shu, Meimiao Han, Xizheng Ke

Institutions: Xi’an University, Xi'an University of Technology

Language: English

Topic: Optical Wireless Communication Technologies

Subfield: Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,896

Funder: Natural Science Basic Research Program of Shaanxi Province