SBIR-STTR Award

Eagle Optoelectronics, LLC proposes to develop a wireless terrestrial laser communi-cation network for eyesafe operation in the 1.5 um wavelength range. The system uses an innovative low cost double-cladding Erbium Doped Fiber Amplifier (EDFA) technology which is currently under development at the Naval Research Laboratory. Because of the operation in the 1.5 um wavelength band, the wireless part of the network will be wavelength compatible with long haul fiber optic networks. This should allow the building of a fully integrated hybrid fiber/wireless communica-tion network which receives information from a fiber based network, sends it through free space and routes it back into a fiber backbone without any electro-optical conversion. Among others, the system will have at least a 100 times higher link margin than commercially available laser communication systems; can be integrated seamless into optical fiber based backbones; will be eyesafe; will be able to carry "wireless" WDM traffic and will include an all-optical repeater station to enable wireless communication in non-line-of-sight environments. The Phase I approach will include component testing and evaluation, optical, design, building of a simple demonstrator, link evaluation and system studies.

Keywords:
Laser Communications; Wireless Networking Backbones; Telecommunications; Wavelength Division Multipl