Simulation of Self-Coherent Methods to Mitigate Turbulence-Introduced Higher-Order Modes Loss for Optical Wireless Communications

This study presents a simulation method using self-coherent detection to mitigate atmospheric turbulence effects on Laguerre-Gaussian beams in free-space optical communication systems. The atmospheric turbulence that leads to wavefront distortion and modal power coupling is modelled by Von Karman turbulence model. The turbulence-induced modal coupling is reduced through self-coherent detection. Simulations confirm the effectiveness of self-coherent detection, demonstrating significant improvements in beam quality under varying turbulence conditions. Particularly under strong turbulence, it concentrates power in low-order modes, enhancing performance by approximately 7.35 dB. This simulation method facilitates efficient and stable free-space optical communication systems design.