MERMAIDS: Multichannel ERbium-yeterbiuM AmplIfied high power combiner Devices for Space communications

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This proposal addresses a solution to a critical problem for space communication- that of high-power optical wavelength division multiplexing for point to multipoint space communications. The target is to ultimately combine 25 channels at 40W optical per channel for a 1kW space-based unit. In order to establish a solution suitable for operation in space, several approaches will be explored. These include a Mach-Zehnder based multiplexer, an in-fibre coupler based Bragg grating multiplexer, and a multifibre coupler combiner. To fully understand the issues that need to be resolved, a 3D printed scaled up cylindrical dielectric model operating with printed Bragg gratings operating at THz frequencies will be studied. The results of this evaluation will be used to fabricate FS written in coupler gratings. Attention will be focused on insertion loss, efficiency and footprint, as required for space applications.