Free-Space Optical (FSO) communication holds the potential for data communications at high bandwidths security while minimizing size, weight, and power (SWAP). However, the effects of atmospheric turbulence on an optical beam during propagation limits and degrades communication performance and bit-error-rate. Although degradation of beam quality occurs due to many factors, typically unwanted aberrations due to fluctuations in the refractive index n along beam path causing scattering, absorption, and beam wander is the main cause. Randomly distributed cells called eddies are formed in the propagating medium giving rise to turbulence as well. In this paper, we report experimental results from a 3-meter FSO data link. An intensity modulated 10 Gbps beam in the next phase will be analyzed and correlated to real time weather. We study scintillations and deviation of the beam from its original path (beam wander and spread). A phosphor-coated silicon CCD is used to record and study the beam’s intensity profile.
Free-space optical communication (FSOC) holds unmatched potential for high bandwidth and secure communications while minimizing size, weight, and power (SWAP). However, the effects of atmospheric scintillations on high bandwidth signals limits data link performance by degrading OSNR (Optical signal-to-noise ratio) and Q-factor. A critical component due to which a communication signal quality deteriorates is timing jitter. Jitter may be due to timing of the data signal or it may be due to the amplitude variations in the data bit stream as it propagates through free-space. As the data bandwidth increases, these effects become more significant. A small-time deviation in a lower data rate signal which would be tolerable or be above a receiver sensitivity, turns into an intolerable signal at higher data rates as jitter increases. The total jitter (TJ) can be further broken down to deterministic jitter (DJ) and random jitter (RJ). These may help understand signal behavior and the root cause of degradation in a FSOC or any data communication link. Thus, for a system to achieve desired BER (bit-error-rate and bit-error-ratio), an in-depth analysis of jitter by investigating each of the subclass of both timing jitters, DJ and RJ, would be extremely helpful and enhance the robustness of the link. In this paper, we report in-depth jitter analysis from a FSOC data link at 10 Gbps propagating at 1550 nm.
Free-space optical communications (FSO) systems have gained increasing interest for both defense and commercial applications due to their ability to provide secure, long-distance, high-capacity communications on the move. In terrestrial environments, because clouds and strong weather effects can limit FSO systems performance, integrating them with directional radio frequency (RF) links can yield a system that leverages the best of both modalities - the high capacity of FSO when available with the reliability of the RF link to ensure the highest priority data can be sent even during degraded weather conditions. This paper will present the development of a highly integrated FSO/RF link architecture implementing three key functionalities: (1) operation at data transfer rates up to 10 Gbps, (2) seamless failovers between the FSO and RF modalities, and (2) the necessary quality of service (QoS) mechanisms to handle the rate disparity between the two links while providing priority to critical data. This architecture utilizes a network transport system that provides layer 2 data transport and QoS arbitration across the FSO and RF modalities. Results from testing in lab as well as at outdoor ranges of up to 30 km will be presented.
Laser communications (Lasercomm) for long distance airborne applications offer the potential for secure, high capacity communications outside the traditional radio frequency (RF) spectrum. This paper will present laboratory and field experiments evaluating curvature adaptive optics for Lasercomm terminal architectures to enable long-range (<200 km) and high rate (10’s Gbps) communication links for airborne applications. In particular, the benefits of and requirements to implement higher order adaptive optics correction for airborne systems in addition to tip/tilt correction will be discussed.
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