Mode division multiplexing free space optics system with 3D hybrid modulation under dust and fog

Abstract

Mode division multiplexing (MDM) is an emerging information transmission technique in which multiple data signals can be transmitted simultaneously on different modes of a single wavelength laser beam over a free-space channel. MDM is a potential technique for the realization of high-speed spectral efficient communication links for future generations of wireless networks. We present a novel MDM-based free-space optics (FSO) system. The system integrates a 3D hybrid modulation scheme produced by combining carrier suppressed-non-return-to-zero (CSNRZ), differential quadrature phase-shift keying (DQPSK), and polarization shift keying (PolSK) modulation schemes for beyond 100 Gbps applications. Three unrelated 40 Gbps data signals are modulated and transmitted on one optical carrier utilizing three distinct signal properties: amplitude (CSNRZ), phase (DQPSK), and polarization state (PolSK). The proposed 3D modulation scheme offers a high-capacity system, where each channel transmits 4 Gbps as compared to 1 Gbps in the case of OOK modulation. MDM using distinct Hermite Gaussian modes: (HG00 and HG01) of a laser beam is incorporated to boost the spectral efficiency and information rates of the FSO link. The proposed 120 Gbps single-channel MDM-FSO link performance is examined under the impact of different levels of dust and fog environmental conditions using quality factors and received eye diagrams as the performance metrics. This system achieved optimal performances up to 1250 m (very light dust), 540 m (light dust), 170 m (moderate dust), 750 m (low fog), and 425 m (medium fog). In the worst-case scenario, the system manages to work up to a 67 m range in dense dust with a maximum attenuation of 297.38 dB/km and a 200 m distance in heavy fog with only 90 dB/km attenuation which is less than 1/3rd of the attenuation measured for dense dust event. In addition, our results and the case studies confirm that dust introduces greater signal attenuation than fog. Therefore, an encounter with a dust environment should be considered as the bottleneck issue for FSO links. The creative contribution of this paper is to put forward a bandwidth-efficient MDM-FSO-enabled B5G system that could be deployed in harsh and challenging locations at reduced visibility. This is expected to be further technically sustainable owing to the use of advanced 3D hybrid optical orthogonal modulation and therefore find use in implementing 5G and 6G cellular and data networks. (c) 2022 THE AUTHORS. Published by Elsevier BV on behalf of Faculty of Engineering, Alexandria University This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).