A beam steering system for a free-space laser communication system in a satellite includes a laser that emits a laser beam, a liquid lens assembly with at least one liquid lens to change the direction of the laser beam, and an amplifying optic to amplify the change in direction of the laser beam. The beam steering system may be used to steer a laser beam transmitted to another satellite or received from another satellite. In one example, a satellite may include two beam steering systems, disposed at opposing ends of a frame, where each steering system is configured to cover a hemisphere such that together, the steering systems can transmit and/or receive a laser beam over a 4π steradian sphere. The beam steering system may include a transmit feedback system and a reception system to monitor the direction and signal of the transmitted beam and the received beam, respectively.
LIQUID-LENS BASED OPTICAL STEERING SYSTEM FOR FREE-SPACE LASER COMMUNICATION
2020-01-02
Patent
Electronic Resource
English
IPC: | H04B TRANSMISSION , Übertragung / B64G Raumfahrt , COSMONAUTICS / G02F DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS, THE OPTICAL OPERATION OF WHICH IS MODIFIED BY CHANGING THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIUM OF THE DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF THE INTENSITY, COLOUR, PHASE, POLARISATION OR DIRECTION OF LIGHT, e.g. SWITCHING,... , Vorrichtungen oder Anordnungen, deren optische Arbeitsweise durch Änderung der optischen Eigenschaften des Mediums der Vorrichtungen oder Anordnungen geändert wird zum Steuern der Intensität, Farbe, Phase, Polarisation oder der Richtung von... |
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