Abstract

The error probability for a coherent heterodyne laser digital communications system is calculated for Poisson signal and local oscillator photon distributions and compared to a photon counting system. It is shown that under optimum conditions, the coherent heterodyne system requires more average signal photons per detection interval than the photon counting system for equal probabilities of error. For a binary communications system with equal zero or one transmit probability, an error probability of ≤ 10⁻³ requires a power S/N ≃ 24 for the coherent heterodyne system while only a S/N ≃ 3.5 for the photon counting system.

© 1969 Optical Society of America

A 10.6-μ Optical Heterodyne Communication System

Hans W. Mocker
Appl. Opt. 8(3) 677-684 (1969)

The Use of Photomultiplier Tubes for Photon Counting

R. Foord, R. Jones, C. J. Oliver, and E. R. Pike
Appl. Opt. 8(10) 1975-1989 (1969)

Photometric Error Analysis. IX: Optimum Use of Photomultipliers

A. T. Young
Appl. Opt. 8(12) 2431-2447 (1969)

Signal-to-noise-ratio equations for a heterodyne laser radar

Charles A. DiMarzio and Scott C. Lindberg
Appl. Opt. 31(21) 4240-4246 (1992)

Mixing Inhomogeneous, Partially Coherent Optical Fields

J. N. Lahti
Appl. Opt. 8(9) 1815-1820 (1969)