Gigahertz Optical Data Transmitters for Laser Communications

Wireless optical communication systems have gone through considerable development in the past few years, as optical components have experiences important technologic advances and price decreases. Thus data communications are increasingly using wireless optical systems at higher speeds. These systems are being used as an alternative to cabled media, mainly due to their simpler deployment and reconfiguration. The high data rate and large information throughput available with laser communication are many times greater than in RF systems, furthermore WDM technology can also be used in free space laser communication system. To provide optical wireless communication between crew and the base of NASA advanced extravehicular activity (EVA) systems, Boston Applied Technologies Incorporated (BATI) proposes an innovative laser communication system based on our recent breakthrough of high performance light intensity and polarization management devices. The laser communication devices developed at BATI have the advantage of significantly reduced size and complexity, small power consumption, high extinction ratio, and solid-state ruggedness. Rather than using two laser transmitters, the proposed laser communication system can establish a two-way optical link using a single conventional laser transmitter.