Free-Space Optical communication using visible light

The possibility of visible red light laser being used as signal light source for Free-Space Optical (FSO) communication is proposed. Based on analysis of transmission in atmospheric channel concerning 650 nm laser beam, performance of wireless laser communication link utilizing a low power red laser diode was evaluated. The proposed system can achieve a maximum range of 300 m at data rate 100 Mb/s theoretically. An experimental short-range link at data rate 10 Mb/s covering 300 m has been implemented in our university. It is feasible to enhance the system performance such as link range and data rate by increasing transmitting power and decreasing laser beam divergence angle or through other approaches.

Dynamic Polarization-Basis Compensation for Free-Space Quantum Communications

In polarization-encoded free-space quantum communications, a transmitter on a satellite and a receiver in a ground station each have a respective polarization zero direction, by which they encode and decode every polariza-tion quantum bit required for a quantum com-munication protocol. In order to complete the protocol, the ground-based receiver needs to track and compensate for the polarization zero direction of the satellite-based transmitter. Ex- pressions satisfied by amplitudes of the s-polarization component and the p-polarization component are derived based on a two-mirror model, and a condition satisfied by the reflec- tion coefficients of the two mirrors is given. A polarization tracking principle is analyzed for satellite-to-ground quanaun communications, and quantum key encoding and decoding prin- ciples based on polarization tracking are given. A half-wave-plate-based dynamic polariza- tion-basis compensation scheme is proposed in this paper, and this scheme is proved to be suitable for satellite-to-ground and intersatellite quantum communications.

Study of dual-directional high rate secure communication systems using chaotic multiple-quantum-well lasers

A scheme of synchronized injection multi-quantum-well （MQW） laser system using optical couphng-feedback is presented for performing chaotic dual-directional secure communication. The performance characterization of chaos masking is investigated theoretically, the equation of synchronization demodulation is deduced and its root is also given. Chaos masking encoding with a rate of 5 Gbit/s and a modulation frequency of 1 GHz, chaos modulation with a rate of 0.2 Gbit/s and a modulation frequency of 0.2 GHz and chaos shifting key with a rate of 0.2 Gbit/s are numerically simulated, separately. The ratio of the signal to the absolute synchronous error and the time for achieving synchronous demodulation are analysed in detail. The results illustrate that the system has stronger privacy and good performances so that it can be applied in chaotic dual-directional high rate secure communications.

Analysis of LDPC Code in Hybrid Communication Systems

Free-space optical(FSO)communication is of supreme importance for designing next-generation networks.Over the past decades,the radio frequency(RF)spectrum has been the main topic of interest for wireless technology.The RF spectrum is becoming denser and more employed,making its availability tough for additional channels.Optical communication,exploited for messages or indications in historical times,is now becoming famous and useful in combination with error-correcting codes(ECC)to mitigate the effects of fading caused by atmospheric turbulence.A free-space communication system(FSCS)in which the hybrid technology is based on FSO and RF.FSCS is a capable solution to overcome the downsides of current schemes and enhance the overall link reliability and availability.The proposed FSCS with regular low-density parity-check(LDPC)for coding techniques is deliberated and evaluated in terms of signal-to-noise ratio(SNR)in this paper.The extrinsic information transfer(EXIT)methodology is an incredible technique employed to investigate the sum-product decoding algorithm of LDPC codes and optimize the EXIT chart by applying curve fitting.In this research work,we also analyze the behavior of the EXIT chart of regular/irregular LDPC for the FSCS.We also investigate the error performance of LDPC code for the proposed FSCS.

Digital Communication Using Multi-mode Chaotic Lasers

The digital communication in a system of two multi-mode solid state chaotic lasers is investigated theoretically. If the usual method working well in a single-mode laser system is applied to a multi-mode laser system, the memory effect of the two nearest digits can cause high rate of mistakes when the digits are decoded through the subtraction of receiver output from the transmittal. By introducing the deviations of two nearest maximum and minimum fluctuationsof the signal to decode the digit, the message can be decoded correctly. Also, this communication method does not critically depend on the quality of the chaotic synchronization of the two multi-mode lasers.

Advanced Space Laser Communication Technology on CubeSats

The free space optical communication plays an important role in space-terrestrial integrated network due to its advantages including great improvement of data rate performance,low cost,security enhancement when compared with conventional radio frequency(RF) technology.Meanwhile,CubeSats become popular in low earth orbit(LEO) network because of the low cost,fast response and the possibility of constituting constellations and formations to execute missions that a single large satellite cannot do.However,it is a difficult task to build an optical communication link between the CubeSats.In this paper,the cuttingedge laser technology progress on the CubeSats is reviewed.The characters of laser link on the CubeSat and the key techniques in the laser communication terminal(LCT) design are demonstrated.

Synchronization and bidirectional communication without delay line using strong mutually coupled semiconductor lasers

This paper numerically demonstrates synchronization and bidirectional communication without delay line by using two semiconductor lasers with strong mutual injection in a face-to-face configuration. These results show that both of the two lasers＇ outputs synchronize with their input chaotic carriers. In addition, simulations demonstrate that this kind of synchronization can be used to realize bidirectional communications without delay line. Further studies indicate that within a small deviation in message amplitudes of two sides （±6%）, the message can be extracted with signal-noise-ratio more than 10 dB; and the signal-noise-ratio is extremely sensitive to the message rates mismatch of two sides, which may be used as a key of bidirectional communication.

Study on Satellite-to-ground Laser Communications with Existence of Atmosphere

The laser beam used to establish a communication channel between satellite and ground segments has a small divergence angle and a tiny spot on the Earth's surface,which may lead to the fail of the system.So it's important to study the deflection of laser beam by the Earth's atmosphere and find a way to calibrate this error.Both theoretical analysis and real data processing method are used to obtain the mathematical model for divergence angle of laser communication beam and its correction function.Then the model has been applied to the data,which was used to describe the atmosphere state by traditional ground segments to obtain the critical elevation angle.According to the results of calculation,our conclusion will be that the correction should be done when the critical elevation happens.

Application Research on Space Laser Communication in Bistatic Radar System

There exist three synchronizing problems in the bistatic radar system that some signals of the radar receiver must be synchronized with those of the radar transmitter. Several methods realizing data transmission, which are used to complete the synchronization existing in the bistatic radar system, are described. Then a new idea is brought forward that employs space laser communication in the bistatic radar system to realize its data transmission. The theoretic analysis of the idea's usability and its merits are discussed in details. Finally the latest development of space laser communication is introduced, and the utility of the idea is pointed out further.

Acquisition,Pointing and Tracking System for Shipborne Space Laser Communication without Prior Information

A space laser communication acquisition,pointing and tracking(APT)system based on the beacon laser is designed without prior information.And then,a new target scanning method and a pointing and tracking algorithm are proposed.The target scanning mode is the round-trip triangular wave scanning,and it means that scanning track of the PAN-TILT platform follows the triangular wave repeatedly.For the pointing and tracking algorithm,the beacon laser is used as the auxiliary aiming light source.The position of the beacon laser in the viewfield of the complementary metal oxide semiconductor(CMOS)camera is calculated by the centroid algorithm.In order to realize the target tracking,the joint control method of the angle control and the angular velocity control is used.The simulation and experimental results show that the APT system can achieve full coverage scanning in the scanning area and capture the target in one scanning cycle successfully.After capturing the PAN-TILT platform,the pointing and tracking algorithm can track the PAN-TILT platform quickly and accurately,and the tracking accuracy is up to 0.22 mrad.

Fiber Grating Ring Laser in All Optical Communication System

Erbium fiber grating ring laser (EFRL) witn an integrated travelling wave and low polarization mode noise is reported. Through modulated experiment of a successful 2.488 Gb/s RZ data, it is shown that the EFRL is a promising alternative to DFB lasers for high-speed transmission applications.

Acquisition and Tracking Technology for Space Laser Communication

The divergence angle of laser beam used in space laser communication is usually no more than 100μrad.Using laser beam with small divergence angle to achieve acquisition and tracking for space laser link has always been a difficult problem.In addition,the random nature of the atmosphere will affect the satellite-ground laser link,which increases the difficulty of the acquisition and stable tracking for the laser link.Thus,taking into account the above challenges for satellite-ground laser communication,an acquisition and tracking scheme of using both beacon beam and signal beam was designed for the Laser Communication Terminal(LCT)of Shijian 20 satellite.In-orbit test results indicated that under the condition of moderate atmospheric turbulence(atmospheric coherence length r0≈3 cm),the process of acquisition and tracking for the satellite-ground laser link can be completed within 1 s after the initial pointing between the LCT and Optical Ground Station(OGS)is performed,and the tracking error was less than 1μrad(3σ).In addition,the laser link can be re-established quickly once being interrupted by unsteady atmospheric turbulence,and can be maintained for a long time under moderate twurbulence conditions,which lays a foundation for future application of satellite-ground laser communication.

High-speed free-space optical communication using standard fiber communication components without optical amplification

Free-space optical communication(FSO)can achieve fast,secure,and license-free communication without physical cables,providing a cost-effective,energy-efficient,and flexible solution when fiber connection is unavailable.To achieve FSO on demand,portable FSO devices are essential for flexible and fast deployment,where the key is achieving compact structure and plug-and-play operation.Here,we develop a miniaturized FSO system and realize 9.16 Gbps FSO in a 1 km link,using commercial single-mode-fibercoupled optical transceiver modules without optical amplification.Fully automatic four-stage acquisition,pointing,and tracking systems are developed,which control the tracking error within 3μrad,resulting in an average link loss of 13.7 dB.It is the key for removing optical amplification;hence FSO is achieved with direct use of commercial transceiver modules in a bidirectional way.Each FSO device is within an overall size of 45 cm×40 cm×35 cm,and 9.5 kg weight,with power consumption of∼10 W.The optical link up to 4 km is tested with average loss of 18 dB,limited by the foggy test environment.With better weather conditions and optical amplification,longer FSO can be expected.Such a portable and automatic FSO system will produce massive applications of field-deployable high-speed wireless communication in the future.

Tutorial on laser-based visible light communications[Invited]

Facing escalating demands for high-speed,large-bandwidth,and low-latency wireless data links,laser communication technology has emerged as a promising technology.While free-space optical communication conventionally utilizes nearinfrared light sources,there has been growing interest in exploring new spectral resources,including visible lasers.Recently,laser-based white light has been demonstrated in visible light communication(VLC),with a unique capability to seamlessly integrate with illumination and display systems.This review summarizes the key devices and system technologies in semiconductor-laser-based white light for VLC-related applications.The recent advances and many emerging applications in the evolution of lighting,display,and communication are discussed.

Demonstration of 10 Gbps satellite-to-ground laser communications in engineering

In June 2023,researchers at the Aerospace Information Research Institute(AIR)of the Chinese Academy of Sciences undertook a series of experiments on satellite-to-ground laser communication using the Jilin-1 MF02A04(JLMF)satellite and independently developed a 500 mm optical communication ground station(AIROSG),achieving a successful throughput of 10 gigabits per second(Gbps)in the satellite-to-ground optical link.The obtained satellite payload data demonstrated good performance and satisfied the requirements of high-standard scientific applications.

All-optical suppression on the impact of Sun outage in laser satellite communication systems by using a nonlinear semiconductor optical amplifier

We introduce an all-optical approach,optical parametric amplification(OPA)processor to suppress the impact of Sun outage in laser satellite communication systems,which is implemented by only one nonlinear semiconductor optical amplifier driven by both electrical and optical pumps.The optimized OPA processor,with a current of 539 mA and a pump-to-signal ratio of 16 dB,could significantly improve the signal quality by 3.5 dB in experiments for the elevation angle of Sun radiation of 0 rad.The signal quality improvement is observed in the whole range of the elevation angle,confirming the effectiveness of the proposed OPA processor in the field of Sun radiation mitigation.

Dispersion compensation in an open-loop all-optical chaotic communication system

The optical chaotic communication system using open-loop fiber transmission is studied under strong injection conditions. The optical chaotic communication system with open-loop configuration is studied using fiber transmission under strong injection conditions. The performances of fiber links composed of two types of fiber segments in different dispersion compensation maps are compared by testing the quality of the recovered message with different bit rates and encrypted by chaotic modulation （CM） or chaotic shift keying （CSK）. The result indicates that the performance of the pre-compensation map is always worst. Two types of symmetrical maps are identical whatever the encryption method and bit-rate of message are. For the transmitting and the recovering of message of lower bit rate （1 Gb/s）, the post-compensation map is the best scheme. However, for the message of higher bit rate （2.5 Gb/s）, the parameters in communication system need to be modified properly in order to adapt to the high-speed application. Meanwhile, two types of symmetrical maps are the best scheme. In addition, the CM method is superior to the CSK method for high-speed applications. It is in accordance with the result in a back-to-back configuration system.

Improving performance of optical fibre chaotic communication by dispersion compensation techniques

This paper numerically investigates the effects of dispersion on optical fibre chaotic communication, and proposes a dispersion compensation scheme to improve the performance of optical fibre chaotic communication system. The obtained results show that the transmitter-receiver synchronization progressively degrades and the signal-to-noise ratio of the recovered message deteriorates as the fibre length increases due to the dispersion accumulation. Two segments of 2.5-km dispersion-compensating fibres are symmetrically placed at both ends of a segment of 245-km nonzero dispersionshifted fibre with low dispersion in one compensation period. The numerical results show that the signal-to-noise ratio of the extracted 1 GHz sinusoidal message is improved from -2.92 dB to 15.38 dB by this dispersion compensation for the transmission distance of 500 km.

850/940-nm VCSEL for optical communication and 3D sensing

This paper is going to review the state-of-the-art of the high-speed 850/940-nm vertical cavity surface emitting laser（VCSEL）, discussing the structural design, mode control and the related data transmission performance. InGaAs/AlGaAsmultiple quantum well （MQW） was used to increase the differential gain and photon density in VCSEL. The multiple oxidelayers and oxide-confined aperture were well designed in VCSEL to decrease the parasitic capacitance and generate single mode （SM） VCSEL. The maximal modulation bandwidth of 30 GHz was achieved with well-designed VCSEL structure. At the end of the paper, other applications of the near-infrared VCSELs are discussed.

Printable Optical Filters for Visible Optical Communications

The design, production and characterization of tailored printable optical filters for visible optical communications are demonstrated. As result, the average color difference between the specified and the produced filters is 32.6, quantified in terms of CIELAB coordinates.