Challenges and Opportunities in Free Space Optical Communication

Dear Colleagues,

Free-space optical communication (FSO) has been applied in scenarios such as inter-satellite communication, satellite-ground communication, and 5G fronthaul networks due to its enormous spectrum resources compared to radio frequency communication. Meanwhile, its easy deployment makes it an important supplement to fiber optic communication systems in remote areas, urban LANs, and other areas.

The signal fading caused by the atmospheric environment and platform vibration, including light-intensity scintillation, has always been the main challenge faced by FSO. And as the communication rate increases, this limitation becomes more apparent. Adaptive transmission, FEC, spatial diversity, and highly sensitive detection are currently popular and effective solutions.

This Special Issue aims at presenting original, state-of-the-art research articles dealing with methods to improve the capacity and stability of the FSO system. Specifically, papers are solicited dealing with channel compensation methods. Researchers are invited to submit their contributions to this Special Issue. Topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Acquisition, tracking, and pointing (ATP);
• Measurement of atmospheric turbulence;
• Modulation format, forward error correction coding, interleaving, and retransmission;
• Spatial diversity and mode diversity;
• Channel monitoring and prediction;
• FSO/RF cooperative transmission and adaptive transmission;
• Relay-assisted transmission;
• Coherent detection;
• Spatial division multiplexing FSO systems
• Superconducting nanowire single photon detector, single photon avalanche photodiode, and other detectors suitable for FSO systems.

Dr. Shanyong Cai
Dr. Liqian Wang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Photonics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• free space optical communication
• atmospheric channel
• forward error correction
• ATP