Bae Systems, Inc.

Stephen Derek Finch

Michael Stewart Griffith

Andrew James Williams

Duncan Peter Rowe

Matthew Robert Gore

A multi-aperture free-space optical communications receiver comprises a plurality of telescopes each having a clear objective aperture with a diameter between 50 mm and 250 mm and arranged for receiving light collectively from an optical communications light source. A coherent combiner unit is configured for coherently combining the collectively received light to produce a combined optical signal therewith. Each telescope is arranged in association with, respectively, a wavefront detector to determine a wavefront of said received light directed to it by the respective telescope, a steerable reflector unit including a deformable mirror controllable to deform according to said determined wavefront such that said received light is reflected by the deformable mirror with a modified wavefront, and an optical signal receiver comprising a single-mode optical fibre. The steerable reflector unit is steerable to input received light with modified wavefront into the single-mode optical fibre for reception by the optical signal receiver.

Multi-aperture free-space optical communications receiver

Communication apparatus comprises a first transceiver unit (A) and a signal processing device () configured to receive a signal from the first transceiver unit and to produce a signal for transmission by the first transceiver unit. A cable (A) connects the first transceiver unit to the signal processing device. The first transceiver unit comprises a housing; a first pair of transducers (T,R) located at, or adjacent, a first end of the housing, and a second set of transducers (T,R) located at, or adjacent, an opposite end of the housing.

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Chelmsford, United Kingdom

Stephen Derek Finch