Intensity fluctuations of higher-order laser modes in jet engine exhaust turbulence

Intensity fluctuations quantified by the scintillation index are evaluated in jet engine exhaust turbulence when higher-order laser modes are used in optical wireless communication links. The jet engine exhaust turbulence power spectrum, modified by low-pass and high-pass filters, is employed. Intensity fluctuations are evaluated against the link length, structure constant, wave number (inverse of wavelength) (i.e., against turbulence strength), source size, and jet engine exhaust turbulence parameters. It is found that higher-order laser modes are better at mitigating the scintillations. Jet engine exhaust turbulence parameters are found to affect scintillations substantially.