Performance of coherent DPSK free-space optical communication systems in K-distributed turbulence

Closed-form solutions for the bit-error rate of a free-space, heterodyne optical communication system is derived when the optical beam is subjected to K-distributed optical turbulence. It is assumed that the scintillation index is confined to the range (2,3) or that the number of scatterers in the propagation path is a random variable. Index Terms--Coherent, free space, optical, turbulence.