PLS and Covert Analysis of AAV-Assisted FSO Communication Systems With Downlink RSMA

This research studies how to securely communicate using drones (autonomous aerial vehicles, or AAVs) that transmit data through free space using light beams (FSO, or free-space optical communication) rather than radio waves. The researchers analyze physical layer security (PLS, which means protecting data at the lowest level of how information is transmitted) when multiple users share the connection and an eavesdropper tries to intercept the signal, accounting for real-world challenges like atmospheric turbulence and pointing errors. They propose optimizing certain communication parameters to reduce the chance that secret information leaks to unauthorized listeners while maintaining good data transmission speeds.