High-peak power fiber amplifier for deep-space laser communications
High-peak power fiber amplifier for deep-space laser communications
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用于深空激光通信的高峰值功率光纤放大器
DOI：
10.1117/12.2290864
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发表时间：
2018
期刊：
影响因子：
--
通讯作者：
Armand Green
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
R. Lafon;Scott Merrit;G. Allan;J. Nicholson;A. Hariharan;A. DeSantolo;Armand Green
光纤放大器由于其体积小、效率高而被广泛应用于激光通信领域。然而，由于诸如自相位调制（SPM）的非线性效应，用于自由空间激光通信的光纤放大器已被限制于低峰值功率通信格式。在高峰功率下，SPM可以将自由空间激光通信信号的频谱展宽到不可接受的程度，将大部分发射功率移动到接收机的设计带宽之外。激光通信中继演示（LCRD）需要一种光纤放大器，该放大器可以将3.5 GHz宽的信号放大到近1千瓦的峰值功率，而SPM几乎没有光谱展宽。我们测试了几种不同的商业放大器，并发现掺铒，甚大模面积（VLMA）光纤放大器，泵浦的1480 nm的拉曼光纤激光器，满足高峰功率和最小的光谱展宽的需要。VLMA放大器的高峰功率性能是通过~ 1100 μm2的大有效面积实现的。我们将详细分析SPM对脉冲位置调制（PPM）和差分相移键控（DPSK）通信格式的峰值功率高达1千瓦的放大信号频谱的影响。此外，使用LCRD调制解调器获得的误码率（BER）性能数据显示，信号没有受到VLMA放大器放大的可测量惩罚。利用该光纤放大器达到所需的高峰功率的能力使得可以考虑将其用于深空激光通信，例如利用需要这种高峰功率的高阶M元PPM格式。
Fiber amplifiers have been used in many laser communication applications due to their compactness and high efficiency. However, fiber amplifiers for free space laser communications have been limited to low peak power communication formats due to nonlinear effects such as Self Phase Modulation (SPM). At high peak powers, SPM can broaden the spectrum of free space laser communication signals to an unacceptable degree, moving much of the transmitted power outside the receiver’s designed bandwidth. The Laser Communication Relay Demonstration (LCRD) needed a fiber amplifier that could amplify a 3.5 GHz wide signal to peak powers of nearly a kilo-Watt with little to no spectral broadening due to SPM. We tested several different commercial amplifiers and found an Er-doped, Very Large Mode Area (VLMA) fiber amplifier, pumped by a 1480 nm Raman fiber laser, met the needs for both high peak power and minimal spectral broadening. The high peak power performance of the VLMA amplifier is enabled by the large effective area of ~ 1100 μm2 . We will present a detailed analysis of the effects of SPM on the amplified signal spectrum for both pulse position modulation (PPM) and differential phase shift keyed (DPSK) communication formats at peak powers up to 1 kW. Additionally, Bit Error Ratio (BER) performance data taken with the LCRD modem showed the signal did not suffer a measureable penalty from amplification with the VLMA amplifier. The ability to reach the required high peak power with this fiber amplifier makes it possible to consider its use for deep space laser communication, e.g. with high order M-ary PPM formats where such high peak powers are needed.