Compact mid-infrared transmitter and receiver for free-space satellite communications

We demonstrate a compact mid-infrared (MIR) free-space optical transceiver based on packaged, fiber-coupled intracavity difference-frequency generation (DFG) and sum-frequency generation (SFG) modules operating at room temperature. The system achieves stable MIR generation, recovery of modulated signals up to 1.3 Gb/s, and outdoor validation over a 160 m rooftop link. Link stability measurements confirm robust performance and compatibility with silicon/GaAs detectors, overcoming the limitations of conventional infrared photodiodes. Future work includes rooftop high-speed bit error rate testing, drone-based ∼1km demonstrations, and balloon-assisted ∼25km trials, establishing wavelength conversion as a scalable foundation for next-generation, weather-resistant MIR satellite high-throughput communication systems and quantum communications with short-wavelength detectors.

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Publication Details

Journal
Journal of the Optical Society of America B
Published
2025-12-05
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1364/josab.577812
Primary Topic
Optical Wireless Communication Technologies
Type
article
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article

Compact mid-infrared transmitter and receiver for free-space satellite communications

Ahmad Atieh, Daniel Poitras, Liam Graham, Qi Yang et al.
Journal of the Optical Society of America B
Optical Wireless Communication Technologies
article

Compact mid-infrared transmitter and receiver for free-space satellite communications

Ahmad Atieh, Daniel Poitras, Liam Graham, Qi Yang, Xiaoran Xie, Liam Flannigan, Guo‐Cheng Liu, Chang‐Qing Xu, Ross Cheriton, Zhenguo Lü, Mostafa M.H. Khalil, Saeed Salimian Rizi
article en

Abstract

We demonstrate a compact mid-infrared (MIR) free-space optical transceiver based on packaged, fiber-coupled intracavity difference-frequency generation (DFG) and sum-frequency generation (SFG) modules operating at room temperature. The system achieves stable MIR generation, recovery of modulated signals up to 1.3 Gb/s, and outdoor validation over a 160 m rooftop link. Link stability measurements confirm robust performance and compatibility with silicon/GaAs detectors, overcoming the limitations of conventional infrared photodiodes. Future work includes rooftop high-speed bit error rate testing, drone-based ∼1km demonstrations, and balloon-assisted ∼25km trials, establishing wavelength conversion as a scalable foundation for next-generation, weather-resistant MIR satellite high-throughput communication systems and quantum communications with short-wavelength detectors.

Journal of the Optical Society of America BVol. 43(3)
iRobot (United States) (US), Optiwave Systems (Canada) (CA), National Research Council Canada (CA)
Openalex Percentile: Top 61%
Optical Wireless Communication Technologies
DOISourceOpenAlex
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Compact mid-infrared transmitter and receiver for free-space satellite communications — Ahmad Atieh, Daniel Poitras, et al. · Journal of the Optical Society of America B (2025) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS