Infrared and Laser Engineering, Volume. 51, Issue 6, 20210475(2022)

Development status, trend and key technologies of air-based laser communication

Yunqiang Zheng1,2, Huan Liu1,2、*, Jiacheng Meng1,2, Yufei Wang1,2, Wenchao Nie1,2, Junxia Wu1,2, Tingting Yu1,2, Sentao Wei1,2, Zhanchao Yuan1,2, Wei Wang1,2, and Xiaoping Xie1,2
Author Affiliations
  • 1Laboratory of Photonics and Network, Xi'an Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710119, China
  • 2State Key Laboratory of Transient Optics and Photonics, Xi'an Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710119, China
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    Figures & Tables(16)
    Overall framework of the ORCA system
    Compensation effect with and without AO
    Overview chart of FOENEX
    FOENEX link ground station node(shown are the two lasercom and one RF terminals)
    FOENEX link aircraft node. There are two lasercom terminals, one overwing and one beneath the aircraft nose
    Data showing link configuration and ranges of the four-node hybrid FSO/RF network
    Floating platform and laser communication terminal (Loon)
    Topology of laser communication of the Aquila UAV-UAV and the UAV-ground
    Diagram of Aquila airborne terminal physical and payload[26]
    Laser link and terminal physicial between GEO-aircraft(LOLA)
    The terminal on the aircraft(ARGO)
    Laser terminal on the ground station(ARGO)
    System overview of the DoD fast laser communication system
    System diagram of laser communication based on Ultra Air project
    Sky network system of Airbus
    • Table 1. Major air-based laser communication programs in united space and europe

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      Table 1. Major air-based laser communication programs in united space and europe

      TypeProjectOrganizationYearPlatformCommunication rateDistance/kmOthers
      Air-groundHAVE LACE AFRL/SN1980KC-135 Airplane 19.2 bps (uplink)/ 1 Gbps (downlink) 100532 nm/1064 nm
      AFRL/SN1983KC-135 Airplane 19.2 bps (uplink)/ 1 Gbps (downlink) 160
      AFRL/SN1996T-39 Fighter1 Gbps30
      OCD-2NASA/JPL2005UAV2.5 Gbps501550 nm, 67 kg, 650 W
      STROPEXDLR/Vialight2005H-A-P (stratospheric)1.25 Gbps64.15OOK, 1550 nm, 17.54 kg, 75 W
      FOCALMIT/LL2009Twin Otter Aircraft2.66 Gbps25OOK
      ARGOSDLR/Vialight2010Do-228 Aircraft1.25 Gbps100OOK, 1550 nm/1590 nm
      FOENEXDARPA2012Aircraft8.5 Gbps13052.2 kg
      DoD fastDLR/Vialight2013Tornado Fighter1.25 Gbps50OOK, 5 kg
      FacebookFacebook&Mynaric2017Cessna310 Aircraft10 Gbps9
      Air-airHAVE LACEAFRL/SN1998T-39 Fighter1 Gbps500
      ORCADARPA2009Aircraft5 Gbps200OOK, 1550 nm
      FALCONAFRL2010DC-3 Aircraft2.5 Gbps132OOK, 1545 nm /1555 nm
      FOENEXDARPA2012Aircraft6 Gbps23052.2 kg
      LoonGoogle2015H-A-P (stratospheric)130 Mpbs100OOK, 1550.12 nm/ 1556.50 nm, 6.3 kg, 20 W
      AquilaFacebook2016Aquila UAV100 Gbps250QPSK, 1562 nm/ 1542 nm, 5 kg, 150 W
      Air-GEOLOLADGA2006Falcon20 Fighter2 Mbps (uplink)/ 50 Mbps (downlink) 36000848 nm
      ALCoSNASA/GA-ASI2021MQ-9 RPA UAV1.8 Gbps360001064 nm, 1550 nm
      ScyLighESA2022Airbus Aircraft1.8 Gbps36000
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    Yunqiang Zheng, Huan Liu, Jiacheng Meng, Yufei Wang, Wenchao Nie, Junxia Wu, Tingting Yu, Sentao Wei, Zhanchao Yuan, Wei Wang, Xiaoping Xie. Development status, trend and key technologies of air-based laser communication[J]. Infrared and Laser Engineering, 2022, 51(6): 20210475

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    Paper Information

    Category: Optical communication and sensing

    Received: Jul. 13, 2021

    Accepted: --

    Published Online: Dec. 20, 2022

    The Author Email: Liu Huan (hliu@opt.ac.cn)

    DOI:10.3788/IRLA20210475

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