Peak-Power Instabilities of Laser Pulses Retroreflected by a Corner-Cube Retroreflector at Different Distances

Abstract

In order to obtain the change in the return laser-pulse peak-power instability with the distance between two communication terminals in a free-space optical communication (FSO) asymmetric link, which uses a corner-cube retroreflector (CCR) and a high peak-power pulse laser, we present the peak power instability of laser pulses retroreflected by the CCR at different distances. The CCR bottom surface was a circle with a diameter of 1 in., and three mirrors of the CCR were coated with silver. The weather was cloudy with winds of Category 4. The distances from the transmitter to the CCR were 120, 1,550, 3,900, and 5,240 m. The laser emitted 100 laser pulses with a peak power of 5 MW at each distance. The results of the experiments show that the increase in both absolute and relative peakpower instabilities with the distance is approximately linear. The absolute peak-power instability is more than 58.7 mV and the relative peak-power instability is more than 11.8% if the distance increases 1 km.