The Effect of Spectral Shape on the Probability of Error in Laser Binary Communication Systems

The effect of spectral bandwidth and spectral shape upon laser binary communication systems is investigated. The probability of error is plotted as a function of bandwidth for Lorentzian and Gaussian shaped spectra. The results show that even when the average noise power and the signal-to-noise ratio are held constant, the probability of error varies considerably as a function of spectral bandwidth.