Eye-Safe, Infrared Laser Communicator

Laser communications can provide transmission security and low probability of detection for covert links where intercepted radio transmissions and RF direction finding could compromise the mission and put participant's lives at risk. Other advantages include the lack of spectral congestion and assigned frequencies and immunity to electromagnetic interference and collocated RF transmitters and jammers.LSA will design and fabricate a pair of 1550 nm hand-held eyesafe laser communicators. These transceivers will be fully functional prototype devices. This effort builds on LSA's expertise in laser communications and our commercial lasercom product line for digital laser and video applications. We will use the transceivers to provide confirmation of the covert transmission aspects of a 1550 nm lasercom link. We will perform additional technology trade-offs and conceptual system designs of sophisticated man-portable, eyesafe, covert, laser communicator systems for a network of users. This work will include evaluation of link acquisition and tracking schemes and omnidirectional receivers. It will also address the transfer of data, imagery, and video at much higher data rates than voice.