Coding for the photon channel
Abstract
Motivated by a recent paper of Pierce, we consider the problem associated with coding for optical communications systems that use photon-counting techniques. Making certain realistic assumptions, we find that external noise sources are negligible, and that channel capacity (measured in nats per photon) is infinite. However, quantum effects made the design of an efficient system at rates above about 5 nats per photon very difficult.
- Publication:
-
NTC 1979; National Telecommunications Conference, Volume 2
- Pub Date:
- 1979
- Bibcode:
- 1979ntc.....2...23M
- Keywords:
-
- Channel Capacity;
- Optical Communication;
- Photons;
- Quantum Counters;
- Signal Encoding;
- Counting Circuits;
- Quantum Efficiency;
- Radiation Counters;
- Random Noise;
- Transmission Efficiency;
- Communications and Radar