Optical laser communication is one of the most strategically important future technologies due to its inherently high bandwidth, resilience against interference and eavesdropping, and its potential synergy with quantum cryptography. The successful deployment of fiber laser systems in commercial satellite constellations like HydRON, Starlink and Project Kuiper is powering an exponential market demand for powerful, space-qualified laser sources within the NewSpace sector.

The rapid advancement of laser-based optical communication between satellites and ground stations is being fueled by the growing need for high-bandwidth, secure and efficient data transfer. Enormous amounts of data generated by high-resolution Earth observation satellites, advanced scientific instruments and satellite-based broadband internet connections exceed the capabilities of traditional radio frequency communication. In addition to bandwidth requirements, security aspects are currently of vital importance. Optical signals transmitted by a directed laser beam are much more difficult to intercept or jam. This inherent security aspect offers a paramount advantage for sensitive military, intelligence and commercial data.

There are still some challenges, and these are currently being addressed by several missions from NASA or ESA. These include, for example, the ESA ScyLight program that comprises, among other missions, the demonstration of an “Internet beyond the clouds” system – the world-first High thRoughput Optical Network, or HydRON, which aims for terabit throughput that interconnects space assets to seamlessly integrate them with terrestrial fiber networks.

In addition to atmospheric turbulence and cloud coverage, pointing and tracking are the essential challenges to be overcome for a stable and rapidly established optical link from a ground station to the respective satellite. Optical ground stations are deployed worldwide and comprise an interconnected network that, in order to circumvent unfavorable atmospheric conditions, allows switching to whichever site provides the most stable uplink.

In order to address these challenges, the ARTES ScyLight program is specifically dedicated to laser-based communication integrated with quantum technologies, where high-performance fiber laser systems and their qualified components serve as the fundamental basis for the future scaling and implementation of these pioneering concepts.

High-power, directed laser beams based on ytterbium or erbium fiber lasers are a key technology in optical communication with an increasing demand for power, robustness and reliability. Specially designed fiber amplifiers based on erbium can significantly scale up the output power and thus the bandwidth of current optical modems. The coherent beam combining (CBC) of several communication beams allows for novel atmospheric compensation schemes that could be a key enabling technology for overcoming link reliability and bandwidth of current.

High-power coherent beam combining laser systems and erbium fiber amplifiers as well as high-power fiber components that can be operated even in harsh environments are key technologies at FiberBridge Photonics. FiberBridge Photonics is a European supplier and manufacturer of complete laser systems based on vertical integration – an essential enabler in resilient supply chains.