Error performance bounds for two receivers for optical communication and detection.

Two different receiver strategies for use with photoelectron emitting optical detectors are evaluated. Upper bounds on error probability are derived both for optical communication with pulse position modulation and for the general problem of detecting the presence of a pulsed optical signal in background light. The Poisson statistics of photoelectron emissions are used to find simple, easily evaluated, but tight upper bounds on error probability for these two problems. These receiver performance bounds illustrate several basic principles in optical communication and signal detection. These basic principles are then discussed in detail.