LASER COMMUNICATION SYSTEM AND METHODS

摘要

A laser communication system for full duplex wideband data transmission includes first and second terminals having dichroic wavelength-multiplexed optical systems wherein transmitted and received light are multiplexed along a path through the same aperture. The optical systems each preferably comprise a cassegrain receiver having primary and secondary mirrors (200, 70) for directing both transmitted and received laser light. Modulated laser light i s generated by a high-power laser diode which is actively cooled by a thermoelectric cooler (34). A window (191) in the housing (94), through whic h the modulated laser light travels, includes a transparent resistive coating to which electrical current is applied to control the temperature of the window (191). The aspheric primary mirror has a highly reflective surface, preferab ly a single-point diamond turned mirror surface, formed on an aluminum substrat e as a single piece.