Page 98 - SAMENA Trends - October-December 2024
P. 98
TECHNOLOGY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS
Faster Communication with Earth Possible Through Record-Sensitive
Receiver
In a significant advance for space overcome the electronic noise in receivers. used to implement the amplifier. Our
communication, researchers at Chalmers The Chalmers team previously developed a simplification of the transmitter means
University of Technology in Sweden have noise-free optical amplifier, but its practical that already existing optical transmitters
developed a new system featuring a silent implementation had been hindered by the on board satellites and probes could be
amplifier and a record-sensitive receiver, demanding requirements it placed on both used together with the noise-free amplifier
enabling the faster and clearer transmitter and receiver. The current in a receiver on Earth,” explained Rasmus
transmission of images, videos, and data design simplifies these demands, with the Larsson, Postdoctoral Researcher in
from space probes to Earth using light. receiver on Earth generating two of the Photonics at Chalmers and a lead author
This development holds potential for three light frequencies necessary for of the study. This progress brings
enhancing long-distance optical links that noise-free amplification, allowing the Chalmers” silent amplifier closer to
face power loss and interference during transmitter to produce only a single practical use in space-Earth
the journey to Earth. Optical communication frequency. This adjustment means the communication links, which could alleviate
using laser beams is increasingly favored noise-free amplifier can now be utilized a bottleneck currently facing space
over radio waves for space applications, as with a standard laser transmitter, agencies, referred to as “the science return
it suffers from less signal loss over vast potentially allowing existing optical bottleneck.” This bottleneck arises from
distances. However, even light-based transmitters on space probes to function the challenges in rapidly transmitting
signals diminish in strength over the seamlessly with the new system on Earth. scientific data from space back to Earth.
journey, requiring highly sensitive receivers “This phase-sensitive optical amplifier NASA has highlighted this bottleneck as a
on Earth to detect these weakened signals. does not, in principle, generate any extra critical issue in the data transmission
The new system by Chalmers researchers noise, which contributes to a more chain. “We believe that our system is an
seeks to meet this need by providing a sensitive receiver and that error-free data important step forward towards a practical
pathway for higher-speed, error-free transmission is achieved even when the solution that can resolve this bottleneck,”
transmissions over distances such as power of the signal is lower. By generating said Andrekson. The Chalmers team plans
those from the Moon or Mars to Earth. “We two extra waves of different frequencies in to advance this technology by testing the
can demonstrate a new system for optical the receiver, rather than as previously done optical communication system in field
communication with a receiver that is in the transmitter, a conventional laser conditions on Earth, followed by trials in
more sensitive than has been demonstrated transmitter with one wave can now be satellite-to-Earth communication links.
previously at high data rates. This means
that you can get a faster and more error-
free transfer of information over very long
distances, for example when you want to
send high-resolution images or videos
from the Moon or Mars to Earth,” said Peter
Andrekson, Professor of Photonics at
Chalmers and one of the lead authors of
the study, which was recently published in
the scientific journal “Optica'. At the heart
of the system is an optical amplifier
designed to enhance the signal with
minimal noise, making data transmission
more reliable. As light spreads and
weakens with distance - similar to a
flashlight beam - signals sent from space
are often too faint upon reaching Earth to
98 OCT-DEC 2024