WDM laser transmitters for mobile free-space laser communications

Abstract

We describe the performance of versatile high-performance multi-rate WDM laser transmitters using next-generation compact high-extinction-ratio power-efficient (CHERPe) transmitter designs. These leverage periodic time-frequency windowing of directly modulated laser signals to efficiently generate nearly ideal WDM waveforms with only mW-class drive power. facilitating WDM-channelization and providing straightforward access to many THz of available optical spectrum with low-bandwidth electronics. Furthermore, this approach can support scalable multi-rate operation with good power-and photon-efficiency and enable new architectural options. This approach is attractive for numerous applications and systems ranging from small airborne or CubeSAT-sized communication payloads to larger interplanetary lasercom platforms.