Analysis of a heterodyne detection system affected by irradiance and phase fluctuations in slant atmospheric turbulence

A mathematical model considering the effects of amplitude and phase random fluctuations on the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of heterodyne detection was established, and the effects of irradiance and phase fluctuations on the performance of heterodyne detection were investigated. The results show that the inner scale of turbulence significantly affects the SNR. The first 20 Zernike modes have a greater effect on the SNR of the heterodyne detection system. The SNR is affected more significantly by phase fluctuations than by irradiance fluctuations. The SNR decreases by four orders of magnitude because of amplitude and phase fluctuations.