Optimal design of small aperture optical terminals for free-space links
Instrumentation and Detectors
2024-07-09 v1 Optics
Abstract
We present the generalised design of low-complexity, small aperture optical terminals intended for kilometre-scale, terrestrial, free-space laser links between fixed and dynamic targets. The design features single-mode fibre coupling of the free-space beam, assisted by a fast-steering, tip/tilt mirror that enables first-order turbulence suppression and fine target tracking. The total power throughput over the free-space link and the scintillation index in fibre are optimised. The optimal tip/tilt correction bandwidth and range, aperture size, and focal length for a given link are derived using analytical atmospheric turbulence modelling and numerical simulations.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.2407.04745,
title = {Optimal design of small aperture optical terminals for free-space links},
author = {Alex M. Frost and Benjamin P. Dix-Matthews and Shane M. Walsh and David R. Gozzard and Sascha W. Schediwy},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2407.04745},
year = {2024}
}
Comments
11 pages, 6 figures