Abstract

A deconvolution procedure to remove large uncorrelated noise is applied to probability density histograms of intensity fluctuations of a laser beam after propagating a 1200-m path through atmospheric turbulence. The data were collected by very small (0.04 mm²) apertures at NOAA/ERL/WPL during an experiment not requiring noise resolved measurements at small irradiance.¹ Each signal histogram contains data from a 64-s total signal (laser, background and noise) measurement. Each so-called noise histogram contains data obtained in the subsequent 3.2-s with the laser screened off; it therefore includes noise and background. The noise was independent of the laser signal.¹

© 1991 Optical Society of America