Facebook, Inc.

Meta Platforms, Inc.

Eric Douglas Miller

Chien-Chung Chen

Kevin Michael Birnbaum

Harvard Keese Harding, Jr

Slaven Moro

Stephen Philip Efthyvoulos

Andrew Todd Grier

Eric Booen

Matthew Thomas Hunwardsen

An example device may include an optical modulator configured to generate an optical beam encoding network data, an optical power amplifier configured to adjust a transmitted power of the optical beam, and a transmit beam angle mechanism configured to adjust a beam direction of the optical beam and to transmit the optical beam to a remote receiver over a free-space optical link. Example devices may include a controller configured to receive backchannel data from the remote receiver and modify a characteristic of the optical beam based on the backchannel data. Various other devices, systems, and methods are also disclosed.

Free-space optical communication system using a backchannel for power optimization

The disclosed optical beam expander may include (1) a monolithic structure including (a) a first nonplanar mirror that receives a first collimated optical beam having a first width and reflects the first collimated optical beam to generate a noncollimated optical beam and (b) a second nonplanar mirror that receives a diverging optical beam and reflects the diverging optical beam to generate a second collimated optical beam having a second width greater than the first width, where the first nonplanar mirror and the second nonplanar mirror are fixed in orientation and position relative to each other and (2) a planar mirror that reflects the noncollimated optical beam from the first nonplanar mirror to provide the diverging optical beam to the second nonplanar mirror. Various other devices, systems, and methods are also disclosed.

Optical beam expander with partial monolithic structure

An example device may include an optical configuration configured to transmit a transmitted optical beam and receive a received optical beam, an optical modem, and an optical amplifier. An example optical amplifier may include an optical gain medium and an optical bandpass filter. The transmitted optical beam may have a transmit wavelength selectable from a plurality of transmit wavelength, and may have a different wavelength from the received optical beam. In some examples, the optical configuration may include at least one dichroic element. Various other devices, systems, and methods are described.

Wavelength-selectable free-space optical communication

An optical transceiver for controlling a steering angle between a receive light beam and a transmit light beam includes an optical beam coupling device. The optical beam coupling device comprises a plurality of optical elements configured to control a steering angle between the receive light beam received by the optical beam coupling device along a first line of sight (LOS) and the transmit light beam that is output from the optical beam coupling device along a second LOS different from the first LOS, wherein both the receive light beam and the transmit light beam pass through the plurality of optical elements. The plurality of optical elements have a set of combinations for different positions of each of the optical elements, wherein each position in the set of combinations induces a different steering angle between the transmit light beam and the receive light beam.

Optical transceiver for controlling steering angle between receive light beam and transmit light beam

A system for active co-boresight measurement includes a detector, first and second steering mirrors, and a controller. The detector detects a portion of a transmission beam emitted by a transmitter and a portion of a received beam received from a remote terminal. The controller instructs the first steering mirror to scan the detected portion of the received beam to determine an alignment position. The controller controls a position of the first steering mirror to align the portion of the received beam with the alignment position on the detector, and controls a position of the second steering mirror to align the detected portion of the transmission beam with a defined position on the detector. The detected portion of the received beam at the alignment position and the detected portion of the transmission beam at the defined position correspond to the received beam and the transmission beam being aligned.

System for active co-boresight measurement in a laser communication system

A compact system for active co-boresight measurement includes a detector, a steering mirror, and a controller. The detector detects a portion of a transmission beam emitted by a transceiver and a portion of a received beam that is received from a remote terminal. The controller measures an offset between the detected portion of the received beam and the detected portion of the transmission beam. The controller controls a position of the steering mirror to align the portion of the received beam with a defined position on the detector, the defined position based in part on the offset.

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Sherman Oaks, CA, United States of America

Eric Douglas Miller