Methods and systems for high bandwidth optical communication

摘要

Methods and systems are provided for extending the range that a laser can transmit data, particularly in environments with high attenuation or turbidity. Particularly, an energy storing laser that is capable of continuously converting electrical energy to optical energy and storing the optical energy or the electrical energy in the energy storing laser until the energy storing laser is instructed to transmit a laser transmission. In some embodiments, the energy storing laser uses a pulse train with a low duty cycle to increase the peak power of each laser pulse. Also, a pointing and tracking system is used to provide a communication link between stationary platforms or moving vehicles.

主权项

1. A method for high bandwidth optical communication, comprising:
establishing a communication link between a laser transmitter and a receiving unit, the laser transmitter including an energy storing architecture, and the energy storing architecture including an energy storing laser; converting data to be transmitted by the laser transmitter into a communication signal; incorporating the communication signal into a laser transmission that includes a plurality of laser pulses, each of the plurality of laser pulses having a pulse width less than half a time period between adjacent laser pulses of the laser transmission; transmitting the laser transmission; the energy storing architecture converting electrical energy into optical energy and storing the optical energy or the electrical energy generated between a transmission of adjacent laser pulses of the laser transmission; the energy storing laser outputting a laser pulse having a peak power that is one or more orders of magnitude larger than an average power of the laser transmission; receiving, via a receive optics component, a received laser transmission that includes a received communication signal and a received feedback signal; separating, via a receiver detector, the received communication signal from the received laser transmission; separating, via a tracking detector, the received feedback signal from the received laser transmission; determining, via a tracking electronics component, repositioning information based on the received feedback signal; and repositioning, via a pointing system, the laser transmitter using the repositioning information such that the laser transmission is directed to a receiver unit.