In this paper, we investigate the statistics of the free space optics (FSO) communication channel between a hovering unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and a central unit. Two unique characteristics make UAV-based FSO systems significantly different from conventional FSO systems with static transceivers. First, for UAV-based FSO systems, the incident laser beam is not always orthogonal to the receiver lens plane. Second, both position and orientation of the UAV fluctuate over time due to dynamic wind load, inherent random air fluctuations in the atmosphere around the UAV, and internal vibrations of the UAV. On the contrary, for conventional FSO systems, the laser beam is always perpendicular to the receiver lens plane and the relative movement of the transceivers is limited. In this paper, we develop a novel channel model for UAV-based FSO systems by quantifying the corresponding geometric and misalignment losses (GML), while taking into account the non-orthogonality of the laser beam and the random fluctuations of the position and orientation of the UAV. In particular, for diverse weather conditions, we propose different fluctuation models for the position and orientation of the UAV and derive corresponding statistical models for the GML. We further analyze the performance of a UAV-based FSO link in terms of outage probability and ergodic rate and simplify the resulting analytical expressions for the high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) regime. Finally, simulations validate the accuracy of the presented analysis and provide important insights for system design. For instance, we show that for a given variance of the fluctuations, the beam width should be properly adjusted to minimize the outage probability.

Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-based communications is a promising new technology that can add a wide range of new capabilities to the current network infrastructure. Given the flexibility, cost-efficiency, and convenient use of UAVs, they can be deployed as temporary base stations (BSs) for on-demand situations like BS overloading or natural disasters. In this work, a UAV-based communication system with radio frequency (RF) access links to the mobile users (MUs) and a free-space optical (FSO) backhaul link to the ground station (GS) is considered. In particular, the RF and FSO channels in this network depend on the UAV’s positioning and (in)stability. The relative position of the UAV with respect to the MUs impacts the likelihood of a line-of-sight (LOS) connection in the RF link and the instability of the hovering UAV affects the quality of the FSO channel. Thus, taking these effects into account, we analyze the end-to-end system performance of networks employing UAVs as buffer-aided (BA) and non-buffer-aided (non-BA) relays in terms of the ergodic sum rate. Simulation results validate the accuracy of the proposed analytical derivations and reveal the benefits of buffering for compensation of the random fluctuations caused by the UAV’s instability. Our simulations also show that the ergodic sum rate of both BA and non-BA UAV-based relays can be enhanced considerably by optimizing the positioning of the UAV. We further study the impact of the MU density and the weather conditions on the end-to-end system performance.

In this paper, we investigate the modeling and design of intelligent reflecting surface (IRS)-assisted optical communication systems, which can circumvent the line-of-sight (LOS) requirement in multi-link free space optical (FSO) systems. The FSO laser beams incident on the optical IRSs have a Gaussian power intensity profile and a nonlinear phase profile, whereas the plane waves in radio frequency (RF) systems have a uniform power intensity profile and a linear phase profile. Given these substantial differences, the results available for IRS-assisted RF systems are not applicable to IRS-assisted FSO systems. Therefore, we develop a new analytical channel model for point-to-point IRS-assisted FSO systems based on the Huygens-Fresnel principle. Our analytical model captures the impact of the size, position, and orientation of the IRS as well as its phase shift profile on the end-to-end channel. To allow the sharing of the optical IRS by multiple FSO links, we propose three different protocols, namely the time division (TD), IRS-division (IRSD), and IRS homogenization (IRSH) protocols. The proposed protocols address the specific characteristics of FSO systems including the non-uniformity and possible misalignment of the laser beams. Furthermore, to compare the proposed IRS sharing protocols, we analyze the bit error rate (BER) and the outage probability of IRS-assisted multi-link FSO systems in the presence of inter-link interference. Our simulation results validate the accuracy of the proposed analytical channel model for IRS-assisted FSO systems and confirm that this model is applicable for both large and intermediate IRS-receiver lens distances. Furthermore, we show that for the proposed IRSD and IRSH protocols, inter-link interference becomes negligible if the laser beams are properly centered on the IRS and the transceivers are carefully positioned, respectively. Moreover, in the absence of misalignment errors, the IRSD protocol outperforms the other protocols, whereas in the presence of misalignment errors, the IRSH protocol performs significantly better than the IRSD protocol.

The line-of-sight (LOS) requirement of free-space optical (FSO) systems can be relaxed by employing optical relays or optical intelligent reflecting surfaces (IRSs). In this paper, we show that the power reflected from FSO IRSs and collected at the receiver (Rx) lens may scale quadratically or linearly with the IRS size or may saturate at a constant value. We analyze the power scaling law for optical IRSs and unveil its dependence on the wavelength, transmitter (Tx)-to-IRS and IRS-to-Rx distances, beam waist, and Rx lens size. We also consider the impact of linear, quadratic, and focusing phase shift profiles across the IRS on the power collected at the Rx lens for different IRS sizes. Our results reveal that surprisingly the powers received for the different phase shift profiles are identical, unless the IRS operates in the saturation regime. Moreover, IRSs employing the focusing (linear) phase shift profile require the largest (smallest) size to reach the saturation regime. We also compare optical IRSs in different power scaling regimes with optical relays in terms of the outage probability, diversity and coding gains, and optimal placement. Our results show that, at the expense of a higher hardware complexity, relay-assisted FSO links yield a better outage performance at high signal-to-noise-ratios (SNRs), but optical IRSs can achieve a higher performance at low SNRs. Moreover, while it is optimal to place relays equidistant from Tx and Rx, the optimal location of optical IRSs depends on the phase shift profile and the power scaling regime they operate in.

In this paper, we study simultaneous lightwave information and power transfer (SLIPT) systems employing photovoltaic optical receivers (RXs). We consider the case, where the optical RX is illuminated by ambient light and an intensity-modulated information-carrying free space optical (FSO) signal. To overcome the possible absence of ambient light, e.g., indoors or at night, we additionally assume that the optical RX receives a dedicated energy-bearing broadband optical signal. Additionally, to efficiently harvest energy from broadband light, we propose a novel optical RX based on multi-junction photovoltaic cells. Exploiting the analysis of the equivalent two-diode electrical circuit for the multi-junction photovoltaic RX, we carefully model the current flow through the photovoltaic cell and derive an accurate energy harvesting (EH) model. Furthermore, we also derive novel approximate EH models for the two cases, where the optical RX is equipped with a single and multiple p-n junctions, respectively. Next, we derive the distribution of the transmit information signal that maximizes the achievable information rate and, for a practical pulse amplitude modulated information signal, we determine the symbol error rate at the RX. We validate the proposed EH models by circuit simulations and show that the photovoltaic RXs saturate for high received signal powers. For single-junction RXs, we compare the proposed EH model with two well-known baseline EH models, which are based on maximum point tracking and a single-diode electrical circuit, respectively. We demonstrate that, in contrast to the proposed EH model, both baseline EH models are not able to fully capture the non-linear behavior of photovoltaic RXs. Moreover, our results reveal that, since multi-junction RXs allow a more efficient allocation of the optical power, they are more robust against saturation, and thus, are able to harvest significantly more power and achieve higher data rates than RXs employing a single p-n junction. Finally, we highlight a tradeoff between the information rate and harvested power in SLIPT systems and demonstrate that the proposed transmit signal distribution yields significantly higher achievable information rates compared to uniformly distributed transmit signals, which are optimal for linear optical information RXs.

We present a flexible, centimeter-scale 4 × 4 macro mirror array serving as an intelligent reflecting surface (IRS) for free-space optical communication (FSOC) links in urban environments. The realized array integrates a compact, high-precision tip-tilt mechanism with a minimum scanning increment of $0.87 \mathrm{\mu }\mathrm{rad}$ and achieves a fill factor of $86\%$, enabling high-power transmission and supporting long-range connectivity. We investigate the multipath interference arising from different optical path lengths between the tiles, which introduce relative time delays at the receiver and can constrain the usable modulation bandwidth. A geometric model is developed to simulate the frequency response of the fabricated mirror array by explicitly accounting for tile-dependent optical path length differences. The simulated responses show excellent agreement with experimental data, validating the theoretical framework. Notably, the measured frequency responses exhibit pronounced minima at specific frequencies, evidencing multipath-induced destructive interference. The results demonstrate that the proposed model can accurately predict the frequency-dependent performance and establish practical bandwidth limits for IRS-assisted FSOC links based on specific array geometries.