Scientists in Germany have solved a problem related to efficient laser technology for guiding stars

Star guide laser is the key technology of future space monitoring/tracking system and high performance and reliable optical communication applications. Atmospheric turbulence blurs images of celestial bodies and distorts optical communication beams. The guide laser compensates for this atmospheric turbulence.

The GSTP de-risking campaign by TOPTICA Projects of Germany has successfully addressed issues related to high efficiency guide laser technology, paving the way for upcoming follow-up activities.

This efficient star-guiding laser technology is designed to solve at least one of the most important problems in optical communications, space security surveillance and astronomy, and will be a key component in reliably determining atmospheric turbulence distortion. This is an enabling technology for a number of ESA missions, particularly high-resolution space surveillance and tracking, space debris manipulation, and high-throughput satellite laser communications for the backbone network of the space-based Internet.

One of the risks addressed by this activity is to extend the power from 20W to 50W without affecting spectral, spatial and temporal laser characteristics.

When propagated upward, the laser excites sodium atoms in the mesosphere (90km high) to form so-called "artificial stars" in the sky. The artificial star can be used as a reference to measure and compensate atmospheric turbulence.

This activity enables the successful production and testing of a 50W power laser prototype in a laboratory environment. Follow-up activities will aim to develop a real prototype that can be tested in the air. All objective lenses successfully expanded the power and reduced the size of the 1178 nm diode seed laser. The power of the 1120 nm pumped laser can be extended to 150 W, and the Raman fiber amplifier can be extended to 70 W.

Source: Laser Net