Laser Communication

What Is Laser Communication?

Laser communications systems are wireless connections through the atmosphere. They work similarly to fiber optic links, except the fact that, in lasers, beam is transmitted through free space.

Light
Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation

Free Space Laser Communication

Transmitting

information via a laser beam

Video Data Sound

Terrestrial

/ Space based systems

010001100110 111011001111 001010000010 101110010001 111001011011

How Does it Work?

Signal

Transmitter

Laser Signal
laser

Receiver

High Level design

Conditioning MCU UART

MCU
UART

Conditioning
Laser Diode

Conditioning
Photo resistor

PORT

A/D

What is the Transmitter?

The

transmitter involves:

Signal processing electronics (analog/digital) Laser modulator Laser (visible, near visible wavelengths)

RUBY LASER

Laser Diode
Laser Diodes include Photodiodes for feedback to insure consistent output.

Modulation
AM

Easy with gas lasers, hard with diodes

PWM

(Pulse Width Modulation) PFM (Pulsed FM)

Potentially the highest bandwidth (>100kHz)

What is the Receiver?

The

receiver involves:

Telescope (referred to as antenna) Signal processor Detector

-PIN diodes

-Avalanche Photo Diodes (APD) -Single or multiple detectors

Often both ends will be equipped with a receiver and transmitter

AVALANCHE PHOTO DIODE

Avalanche photodiode-2

Stabilisation of working point of APD: . Gain =75 Temperature stabilisation. Thermoelectrically cooler stabilisation system is inside of APD module

System Comparison
(OC3 1km products)

OpticalAccess

ICS

LightPointer

Transmit Power (mW) 10 (10 dBm)

Beam Diverg (mrad) Receive Area (cm^2) 2.5 52

100 (20 dBm)

11 232

4 (6 dBm)
3 200

Min Recv Power (nW) 100 (-40 dBm) 32 (-45 dBm) 50 (-43 dBm)
Price $19.5k $25k $24k

Why Laser Communication?

Current

high speed communications technology:

Radio Fiber Optics

Laser Link Geometry

Critical Design Parameters
Receive area = 200 cm2

Receiver sensitivity
Beam Divergence = 3 mrad

Distance = 1km Transmit Power Diameter = 3 m Beam area = 70686 cm2

Why not Fiber Optics?

Not

always possible to lay fiber lines

Satellites Combat zones Physically / Economically not practical Emergencies

LC

being incorporated into fiber optic networks when fiber is not practical.

Why not RF?

Bandwidth

for Laser Communication (LC) is 100 times greater than for RF.

Power

in LC is directed at target, so much less transmission power required. Also the power loss is less.

Size

LC antenna is much smaller than RF.

/ Weight

Security

Due to low divergence of laser beam, LC is more secure than RF.

Current Applications
Defense

and sensitive areas. At airports for communication across the runways. Mass communication
400

TV channels 40,000 phone conversations

NASA

Satellite - satellite Earth - satellite

Earth

Groundstation Description
Control

System (data and tracking) Telescope & LASER Mounts LASER & Transmission Optics Receiving Package (photodetector)

Satellite Description
Utilize Science Teams Telescope & Processing Capability for LASER Communication Transmission & Receiving Package.

Uplink/Downlink Data Processing Sequence

Bits
Bit Encoder to Symbol

LASER

Transfer Optics

Channel (Atmos.)

Error Correction Bits

Symbol Recovery

Amplifier

Receiving Optics

Opportunities For Student Involvement

LASER Research LASER Modulation Circuitry

Encoding/Decoding Circuitry

Contact Information
For more information regarding laser communication:
Matthew Johnson (mjohnson@u.arizona.edu) Freddy Valenzuela (acv@bigdog.engr.arizona.edu) Http://www.physics.arizona.edu/ssp/sti