OPTICAL COMMUNICATIONS BY FREQUENCY CONTENT OF FEMTOSECOND LASER PULSES

摘要

A free-space optical communications system is provided capable of transmitting data over long distances through the atmosphere. The communications system comprises an optical transmitter comprising a femtosecond pulsed laser source (40) for producing a train of femtosecond laser pulses. The optical transmitter further comprises a laser pulse width modulator (38) to provide a pulse width modulated train of femtosecond laser pulses corresponding to the data being transmitted. The communications system further comprises an optical receiver (44) for receiving the modulated train of femtosecond laser pulses. The optical receiver comprises a spectral analyzer for detecting the spectral components of the pulse width modulated train of femtosecond laser pulses, and further comprises decoder circuitry (54) operable to replicate the transmitted data based on the spectral components of the modulated train of femtosecond laser pulses. A method for optically transmitting data employing the optical communication system according to the present invention is also provided.