Satellite to Submarine Laser Communications (SLC)-Advanced Filter Technology
Abstract
This final report describes results of work to design, fabricate, and test narrow bandwidth, wide field of view (FOV) acousto-optic tunable filters (AOTFs) operating in the green spectral region. Such filters have potential for application in satellite to submarine optical communications (SLC) links. The AOTF tunability has advantages for both downlink and uplink communications. The motivation of the technical approach was to operate in the dispersive spectral region (5200-5500A) of CdS, where the high value of the dispersive constant produces narrow filter bandwidths. The goal of the work was to test the concept and characterize a filter based on CdS, limited by crystal absorption to wavelengths 5300 A or longer. For AOTFs in the blue and blue-green spectral regions, where the water losses in the optical link are lower, subsequent programs would investigate filters based on ZnS or the mixed crystals ZnxCdl-xS, materials are not presently available in large sizes. A dispersive AOTF (DAOTF) based on CdS was fabricated and tested. The filter bandwidth ranged from 1 A to 3 A in the 5250-5400 A region. With one exception, polar angle FOV, the measured filter characteristics conform well-to performance predicted by the models developed in the course of the work.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1992
- Accession Number
- ADA257217
Entities
People
- John D. Feichtner
Organizations
- Lockheed Martin Missiles and Space