Chinese Academy of Sciences

Xi'an Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics, Chinese Academy

Yiyi Zhao

Wei Wang

Xiaoping Xie

Xinning Huang

A lightweight scalable multi-user optical antenna includes a coarse tracking liquid crystal, an optical filter, a beam shrinking system, a fine tracking liquid crystal and a beam splitter which are arranged in sequence and are located on a same central axis; further includes a data analysis and instruction system, a coarse tracking liquid crystal controller, a fine tracking liquid crystal controller, j single-mode optical fibers, and an imaging system and a dichroic coupling system which are respectively arranged in two emergent light paths of the beam splitter; and can be used to receive and transmit the laser beams of j communication targets. When the number of users increases, only sub regions of the coarse tracking liquid crystal and the fine tracking liquid crystal need to be added, and no additional components need to be added, and the lightweight scalable multi-user optical antenna has strong scalability.

Lightweight scalable multi-user optical antenna and communication method

An optical antenna includes a coarse tracking liquid crystal, a coarse tracking liquid crystal controller, a beam shrinking system, a fine tracking liquid crystal, a fine tracking liquid crystal controller, a beam splitter, a first coupling system, a single-mode optical fiber, a second coupling system, a detector and a data analysis and instruction system. The antenna can be configured to receive a laser beam from a communication target and transmit the laser beam to the communication target. The optical antenna realizes the acquisition, tracking and pointing of the space laser beam by cascade connection of two stages of liquid crystal devices. At the same time, the optical antenna has the advantages of fast beam pointing and short response time by utilizing the deflection of the Bi-stable dual-frequency liquid crystals to realize change of high-precision beam pointing.

Growing community of inventors

Shaanxi, China

Yiyi Zhao