Free Space Optical Communication

Enabled by Fast Steering Mirrors

In Space and on Earth

Today, the backbone of the global network relies on fiber optic cables connecting everything on our planet—from individual people to datacenters and machines. Recently, a new race for a different data and telecommunication network infrastructure has been unfolding. Several technology companies are working on deploying extensive low earth orbit (LEO) space-based communication networks, with compact satellites as their nodes. Thousands of these satellites will be launched into orbit, utilizing laser light to connect to each other, and efficiently transmit data across the globe.

On Earth, a comparable method of establishing point-to-point networks is emerging through the use of “fiberless photonics.” This approach holds the promise of rapidly establishing secure connections between locations, such as from one building to another in a densely populated city or for the “last mile” of a broader network.

Piezoelectric or electromagnetic Fast Steering Mirrors (FSM) from PI provide angular resolution down to the nanorad range with a mechanical bandwidth reaching up to the kHz range. These mirrors effectively compensate for common disturbances in various applications. While piezo-driven FSMs offer a higher resolution and bandwidth, electromagnetic units (usually voice coil FSMs) allow larger displacements. PI provides both types of mechanisms in standardized designs and application-specific configurations.

PI's fast tip/tilt mirror technology is characterized by efficient solutions driven by piezoelectric or electromagnetic systems. Since the 1990s, this technology has been used in terrestrial projects and space missions, e.g., in projects like the Solar Orbiter (a collaboration between NASA and ESA). PI’s solutions are based on a wealth of experience and the ability to scale up quickly to large quantities. The range of standardized tip/tilt systems is constantly being developed to meet specific customer needs.