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

Laser

Transmitter
Receiver

Signal
laser

MCU
UART

Conditioning
Laser Diode

MCU

PORT

Conditioning

A/D

High Level design

UART

Conditioning
Photo resistor

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
Transmit Power (mW) 10 (10 dBm)

ICS

LightPointer

100 (20 dBm)

4 (6 dBm)

Beam Diverg (mrad)

2.5

11

Receive Area (cm^2)

52

232

200

Min Recv Power (nW)

Price

100 (-40 dBm) 32 (-45 dBm)

$19.5k

$25k

50 (-43 dBm)
$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

/ Weight

LC antenna is much smaller than RF.

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

Error
Correction

Symbol
Recovery

Bits

Transfer
Optics

Channel
(Atmos.)

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