An optical communications system comprises a first node comprising a phased array transmitter for generating an optical beam and a receiver, and a second node comprising a phase conjugate mirror for returning the optical beam to be detected by the receiver of the first node. The phased array transmitters allow for electronic steering of the beams in a way that is much faster and with a potentially smaller physical footprint than the mechanical systems. The phase conjugate mirrors return the received beams of photons back over the exact path they were sent from the phased array transmitters, ensuring continuity of communication even in the presence of atmospheric turbulence.

A radio frequency (RF)/free space optical (FSO) hybrid transceiver includes at least one FSO sub-transceiver configured for emitting and receiving optical communication signals, and at least one RF sub-transceiver configured for emitting and receiving RF communication signals. The RF sub-transceiver and the FSO sub-transceiver cooperate to simultaneously emit and receive optical and RF communication signals at the RF/FSO hybrid transceiver. The RF/FSO hybrid transceiver may further include a processor for controlling the RF and FSO sub-transceivers, and for processing both the RF and optical communication signals. The RF/FSO hybrid transceiver may also include a splitter/combiner, delay systems, and mirrors configured to cooperate with the processor to produce a plurality of rays.

A method includes receiving a first optical signal at a first communication terminal from a second communication terminal through a free space optical link. The received optical signal contains a modulated unique frequency tone. The method also includes mixing the modulated unique frequency tone with a reference signal to provide a mixed output signal and determining a signal strength of the modulated unique frequency tone based on the mixed output signal. The reference signal includes a same frequency as the modulated unique frequency tone. The method adjusts an optical head of the first communication terminal to establish acquisition and optical beam pointing with the second communication terminal based on the signal strength of the modulated unique frequency tone received from the second communication terminal.

Techniques are disclosed for aligning an optical transmitter with an optical receiver for a line-of-sight communications link, wherein the optical transmitter comprises a laser array emitter, the laser array emitter comprising a plurality of laser emitting regions, wherein each of a plurality of the laser emitting regions is configured to emit laser light in a different direction such that the laser array emitter is capable of emitting laser light in a plurality of different directions. The system can run produce emissions from different laser emitting regions until a laser emitting region that is in alignment with the optical receiver is found. This aligned laser emitting region can then be selected for use to optically communicate data from the optical transmitter to the optical receiver.

The disclosure provides for a method for reacquiring a communication link between a first communication device and a second communication device. The method includes using one or more processors of the first communication device to receive historical data related to the first communication device and an environment surrounding the first communication device. The one or more processors are then used to determine one or more trends in the historical data related to fading of the communication link. Based on the one or more trends, the one or more processors are used to determine a starting time and an initial search direction for a search for the communication link. The one or more processors then execute the search at the starting time from the initial search direction.

A system for using free-space optics to interconnect a plurality of computing nodes can include a plurality of optical transceivers that facilitate free-space optical communications among the plurality of computing nodes. The system may ensure a line of sight between the plurality of computing nodes and the optical transceivers to facilitate the free-space optical communications. The line of sight may be preserved by the position or placement of the computing nodes in the system. The position or placement of the computing nodes may be achieved by using different shaped enclosures for holding the computing nodes.

Disclosed herein are methods, devices, and system for beam forming and beam steering within ultra-wideband, wireless optical communication devices and systems. According to one embodiment, a free space optical (FSO) communication apparatus is disclosed. The FSO communication apparatus includes an array of optical sources wherein each optical source of the array of optical sources is individually controllable and each optical source configured to have a transient response time of less than 500 picoseconds (ps).

A method for aligning a first optical transceiver includes steps of splitting, directing, recording, and actuating. The splitting step includes splitting a light beam into a) a reference beam that propagates along a common optical path within the first optical transceiver and b) a transmit beam that that propagates away from the first optical transceiver and toward a second optical transceiver. The directing step includes directing, with a beam director, a receive beam from the second optical transceiver onto the common optical path. The recording step includes recording, with a tracking focal-plane array (FPA) that intersects the common optical path, a reference-position of the reference beam and an initial-received-position of the receive beam on the tracking FPA. The actuating step includes actuating the beam director based upon the initial-received-position to achieve a subsequent position of the receive beam on the tracking FPA.

An apparatus, and method of operating the same, include a system for indoor positioning and localization. The apparatus includes a first beacon having a beacon optical detector to receive an optical signal, and a beacon microcontroller. The apparatus includes a zone-positioning unit (ZPU) having an optical source configured to transmit the optical signal, and a ZPU microcontroller. The beacon microcontroller is configured to identify and decode the optical signal after receipt by the beacon optical detector to determine data related to a position of the ZPU. The beacon microcontroller is further configured to wirelessly communicate with the ZPU microcontroller to convey information to the ZPU including the data related to a position of the ZPU and a known position of the first beacon. The ZPU microcontroller is configured to determine a position of the ZPU based on the information received from the first beacon.

An optical communication system includes an optical transmitter and one or more processors. The optical transmitter is configured to output an optical signal, and includes an average-power-limited optical amplifier, such as an erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA). The one or more processors are configured to receive optical signal data related to a received power for a communication link from a remote communication system and determine that the optical signal data is likely to fall below a minimum received power within a time interval. In response to the determination, the one or more processors are configured to determine a duty cycle of the optical transmitter based on a minimum on-cycle length and a predicted EDFA output power and operate the optical transmitter using the determined duty cycle to transmit an on-cycle power that is no less than the minimum required receiver power for error-free operation of the communication link.