A free-space optical terminal for fading channels

T. Williams; R. J. Murphy; F. Walther; A. Volpicelli; B. Wilcox; D. Crucioli

doi:10.1117/12.826285

21 August 2009 A free-space optical terminal for fading channels

T. Williams, R. J. Murphy, F. Walther, A. Volpicelli, B. Wilcox, D. Crucioli

Proceedings Volume 7464, Free-Space Laser Communications IX; 74640W (2009) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.826285
Event: SPIE Optical Engineering + Applications, 2009, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

This paper describes a lasercom terminal using spatial diversity to mitigate fading caused by atmospheric scintillation. Multiple receive apertures are separated sufficiently to capture statistically independent samples of the incoming beam. The received optical signals are tracked individually, photo-detected, and summed electrically, with measured diversity gain. The terminal consists of COTS components. It was used in successful demonstrations over a 5.4km ground-ground link from June through September 2008, during which it experienced a wide temperature range. Design overview and hardware realization are presented. This work was sponsored by the Department of Defense, RRCO DDR&E, under Air Force Contract FA8721-05-C-0002. Opinions, interpretations, conclusions and recommendations are those of the authors and are not necessarily endorsed by the United States Government.

Citation Download Citation

T. Williams, R. J. Murphy, F. Walther, A. Volpicelli, B. Wilcox, and D. Crucioli "A free-space optical terminal for fading channels", Proc. SPIE 7464, Free-Space Laser Communications IX, 74640W (21 August 2009); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.826285

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