Optical Communication Turrets for Highly Mobile Vehicles

Space Photonics proposes a miniature, low power, high speed, optical communications turret utilizing a unique system design requiring no gimballing. This technology and design enables optical communications turrets specifically for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and other airborne vehicle applications to rapidly acquire and track optical cross-link signals crucial for advanced high speed, high data rate communications systems using laser based data links. The system is based on our innovative multi-aperture turret design with multiple telescopes each using our MEMS beam steering techniques for accurate pointing and tracking of the transmit and receive signals.. This proposed approach provides a capability for a wide range of wavelengths and data rates, with each telescope providing independent acquisition and tracking and fast response closed loop tracking that will meet the requirements for the dynamic range of motion faced by aircraft. This innovation coupled with our development of 10.0 Gbps free space and fiber optic communications transceivers provides a unique opportunity for Air Force programs that require advanced, high bandwidth, high data rate, and mobile communications capabilities.