Advanced Lasercom Systems and Operations
We design, prototype, analyze, and test laser communications systems suitable for a variety of government platforms. Our research team develops techniques to mitigate fluctuations in signal power caused by turbulence and to lessen wavefront distortions. We perform atmospheric modeling and simulation, and build accurate acquisition, tracking, and pointing subsystems to support highly directional, low-probability-of-intercept communication links. Our major efforts include the demonstration of a low-cost, high-performance airborne laser communications terminal and development of a test capability to ensure interoperability among terminals.
Featured Projects
laser communications
Laser Communications Relay Demonstration
Optical communications technologies decades in the making at Lincoln Laboratory were transferred to NASA for its first two-way laser relay communications system.
Latest News
Laboratory Stories
There's something inherently beautiful about manipulating light to transfer information through space, and it brings me joy to apply these elegant fundamental concepts to important applications.
Jenny Sun
Lasercom Engineer
Communication Systems
Advanced Lasercom Systems and Operations
Space — and space technology — inspires me.
Shankar Ramakrishnan
Systems Architect
Communication Systems
Advanced Lasercom Systems and Operations
As someone who did — and still does — suffer from imposter syndrome, I can easily find myself wanting to step into or hide in the background, but at the Lab, I’m surrounded by smart people who are gladly willing to teach me and encourage me to shine.
Crystal Jackson
Engineer and Analyst
Communication Systems
Advanced Lasercom Systems and Operations
As someone focused on the implementation side, I can make hardware platforms run and bits toggle all day long, but that work is most rewarding when I know it's in service of a technologically valuable mission.
Azad Jalali
Digital Systems Engineer
Communication Systems
Advanced Lasercom Systems and Operations
Advancing Our Research
Featured Publications
Circuit-fed tile-approach configuration for millimeter-wave spatial power combining
Jan 1
IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech., Vol. 50, No. 1, Part 1, January 2002, pp. 17-21.
Comparison of two flat reflector-type designs for dual-polarization, dual-band operation
Jul 8
IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society Int. Synp. 2001 Digest, Vol. 2, 8-13 July 2001, pp. 288-291.
Accurate modeling of dual dipole and slot elements used with photomixers for coherent terahertz output power
Jun 1
IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech., Vol. 49, No. 6, June 2001, pp. 1032-8.