General anisotropy leads to different effects along the horizontal axis of a propagating beam than along the vertical axis. To better understand these effects, we developed theoretical models for beam diameter, mean intensity, and scintillation index of a Gaussian-beam wave. Two methods, valid in both weak and strong fluctuation regimes, are compared to determine beam diameter. Scintillation-index contours exhibit an elliptical shape corresponding to anisotropy while mean-intensity contours vary with path length and have no such obvious correspondence. The mean-intensity and scintillation-index analyses are based on weak-irradiance-fluctuation theory.

Date Published: 30 August 2017
PDF: 10 pages
Proc. SPIE 10408, Laser Communication and Propagation through the Atmosphere and Oceans VI, 104080B (30 August 2017); doi: 10.1117/12.2274197

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 10408:
Laser Communication and Propagation through the Atmosphere and Oceans VI
Jeremy P. Bos; Alexander M. J. van Eijk; Stephen M. Hammel, Editor(s)