An optical communication system for communicating through a turbulent
medium is disclosed. It includes an optical transmitter and an optical
receiver. The optical receiver receives an optical signal containing
information that fluctuates as it passes through a turbulent medium. It
comprises a reflector for collecting the optical signal and for focusing
it, a probe laser for generating an optical probe beam, an optical device
having an OTM responsive to the focused optical signal and the probe beam
and operative to change a characteristic of the probe beam, and
optoelectronic detector means responsive to the changed characteristic
and, operative to develop an output electrical signal representative of
the information contained in the received optical signal.
