Abstract: This invention pertains to the field of free-space optical (FSO) communications, and specifically to the realization of functional FSO optical transceiver terminals located at remote electrically unpowered locations within a communications network. A remote unpowered FSO terminal located at a far-end location receives necessary optical power from a powered base station location (near-end) required for all optical amplification functions necessary for NRZ or RZ format signals within the spectral range of 900 nm to 1480 nm as well as an Ultra Short Pulsed Laser (USPL) centered at 1560 nm at the far-end location. A transmitting node identified as the near-end transmits an optical signal identified as a pump signal to a remote location classified as the far-end node over a free space medium, such as the atmosphere, where the far-end node location does not have available electrical power for operation of electro-optic components required for transmission and retransmission functions.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
February 28, 2022
Date of Patent:
April 4, 2023
Assignee:
Attochron, LLC
Inventors:
Thomas Malcolm Chaffee, Paul F. Szajowski
Abstract: In some embodiments, an optical communication system may include an optical source, a modulator, and a photoreceiver. The optical source may be configured to generate a beam comprising a series of light pulses each having a duration of less than 100 picoseconds. The photoreceiver may have a detection window duration of less than 1 nanosecond. When a first pulse travels through a variably refractive medium, photons in the first pulse may be refracted to travel along different ray paths to arrive at the photoreceiver according to a temporal distribution curve. A full width at half maximum (FWHM) value of the temporal distribution curve may be at least three times as large as a coherence time value of the first pulse, and the detection window of the photoreceiver may be at least six times as large as the FWHM value of the temporal distribution curve.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 15, 2022
Date of Patent:
February 7, 2023
Assignee:
Attochron, LLC
Inventors:
Thomas M. Chaffee, Wayne H. Knox, Alexander B. LeBon, Brian M. Gregory, Taz M. Colangelo
Abstract: This invention pertains to the field of free-space optical (FSO) communications, and specifically to the realization of functional FSO optical transceiver terminals located at remote electrically unpowered locations within a communications network. A remote unpowered FSO terminal located at a far-end location receives necessary optical power from a powered base station location (near-end) required for all optical amplification functions necessary for NRZ or RZ format signals within the spectral range of 900 nm to 1480 nm as well as an Ultra Short Pulsed Laser (USPL) centered at 1560 nm at the far-end location. A transmitting node identified as the near-end transmits an optical signal identified as a pump signal to a remote location classified as the far-end node over a free space medium, such as the atmosphere, where the far-end node location does not have available electrical power for operation of electro-optic components required for transmission and retransmission functions.
Type:
Application
Filed:
February 28, 2022
Publication date:
December 29, 2022
Applicant:
Attochron, LLC
Inventors:
Thomas Malcolm Chaffee, Paul F. Szajowski
Abstract: This invention pertains to the field of free-space optical (FSO) communications, and specifically to the realization of functional FSO optical transceiver terminals located at remote electrically unpowered locations within a communications network. A remote unpowered FSO terminal located at a far-end location receives necessary optical power from a powered base station location (near-end) required for all optical amplification functions necessary for NRZ or RZ format signals within the spectral range of 900 nm to 1480 nm as well as an Ultra Short Pulsed Laser (USPL) centered at 1560 nm at the far-end location. A transmitting node identified as the near-end transmits an optical signal identified as a pump signal to a remote location classified as the far-end node over a free space medium, such as the atmosphere, where the far-end node location does not have available electrical power for operation of electro-optic components required for transmission and retransmission functions.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 16, 2018
Date of Patent:
March 1, 2022
Assignee:
Attochron, LLC
Inventors:
Thomas Malcolm Chaffee, Paul F. Szajowski
Abstract: Enhancements in optical beam propagation performance can be realized through the utilization of ultra-short pulse laser (USPL) sources for laser transmit platforms, which are can be used throughout the telecommunication network infrastructure fabric. One or more of the described and illustrated features of USPL free space-optical (USPL-FSO) laser communications can be used in improving optical propagation through the atmosphere, for example by mitigating optical attenuation and scintillation effects, thereby enhancing effective system availability as well as link budget considerations, as evidenced through experimental studies and theoretical calculations between USPL and fog related atmospheric events.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 30, 2017
Date of Patent:
May 5, 2020
Assignee:
ATTOCHRON, LLC.
Inventors:
Thomas Malcolm Chaffee, Paul F. Szajowski, Isaac Kim, Alexandre Braga
Abstract: Enhancements in optical beam propagation performance can be realized through the utilization of ultra-short pulse laser (USPL) sources for laser transmit platforms, which are can be used throughout the telecommunication network infrastructure fabric. One or more of the described and illustrated features of USPL free space-optical (USPL-FSO) laser communications can be used in improving optical propagation through the atmosphere, for example by mitigating optical attenuation and scintillation effects, thereby enhancing effective system availability as well as link budget considerations, as evidenced through experimental studies and theoretical calculations between USPL and fog related atmospheric events.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
February 22, 2016
Date of Patent:
June 6, 2017
Assignee:
Attochron, LLC
Inventors:
Tom Chaffee, Paul F. Szajowski, Isaac Kim, Alexandre Braga
Abstract: Enhancements in optical beam propagation performance can be realized through the utilization of ultra-short pulse laser (USPL) sources for laser transmit platforms, which are can be used throughout the telecommunication network infrastructure fabric. One or more of the described and illustrated features of USPL free space-optical (USPL-FSO) laser communications can be used in improving optical propagation through the atmosphere, for example by mitigating optical attenuation and scintillation effects, thereby enhancing effective system availability as well as link budget considerations, as evidenced through experimental studies and theoretical calculations between USPL and fog related atmospheric events.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 9, 2013
Date of Patent:
March 29, 2016
Assignee:
ATTOCHRON, LLC
Inventors:
Tom Chaffee, Paul F. Szajowski, Isaac Kim, Alexandre Braga
Abstract: Enhancements in optical beam propagation performance can be realized through the utilization of ultra-short pulse laser (USPL) sources for laser transmit platforms, which are can be used throughout the telecommunication network infrastructure fabric. One or more of the described and illustrated features of USPL free space-optical (USPL-FSO) laser communications can be used in improving optical propagation through the atmosphere, for example by mitigating optical attenuation and scintillation effects, thereby enhancing effective system availability as well as link budget considerations, as evidenced through experimental studies and theoretical calculations between USPL and fog related atmospheric events.
Abstract: Optical communications can be performed using spectral interferometry. An incident transmission pulse or beam may be mixed with a locally generated beam or pulse to create an interference pattern that may be analyzed to extract the transmitted data. The incident transmission pulse or beam may also be split and mixed with itself to create an interference pattern.