Fading effects due to scintillation caused by atmospheric turbulence in a wireless optical communication link

Fading due to scintillation has been measured at path lengths of up to approximately 13.3 Km. Theoretical fading and aperture averaging models based on the gamma-gamma distribution were used to generate predictions of the fade parameters. Data collected at the optical receiver was compared to the theoretical values to determine if the fade theory remains valid over greater distances then has previously been investigated in a tropical environment.