Effect of the sampling rate of the tracking system on free-space laser communications

In the mobile optoelectronic tracking system (MOTS) based on charge-coupled device (CCD) and fiber-optic gyroscope (FOG), the tracking performance (TP) and anti-disturbance ability (ADA) characterized by boresight error are of equal importance. Generally, the position tracking loop, limited by the image integration time of CCD, would be subject to a non-negligible delay and low-sampling rate, which could not minimize the boresight error. Although the FOG-based velocity loop could enhance the ADA of the system, it is still insufficient in the case of some uncertain disturbances. In this paper, a feedforward control method based on the results of error and disturbance observation was proposed. The error observer (EOB) based on the CCD data and model output essentially combined the low-frequency tracking feedforward and closed-loop disturbance observer (DOB), which could simultaneously enhance the low-frequency TP and ADA. In addition, in view of the poor low-frequency performance of the FOG due to drift and noise that may result in the inaccuracy of the observed low-frequency disturbance, the FOG-based DOB was used to improve the relatively high-frequency ADA. The proposed method could make EOB and DOB complementary and help to obtain a high-precision MOTS, for in practical engineering, we give more attention to the low-frequency TP and full-band ADA. Simulations and experiments demonstrated that the proposed method was valid and had a much better performance than the traditional velocity and position double-loop control (VPDC).

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Optimising the interconnection of free-space to fibre quantum networks

EPJ Web of Conferences ◽

10.1051/epjconf/201919800007 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 198 ◽

pp. 00007 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Alejandro Ocampos-Guillén ◽

Natalia Denisenko ◽

Verónica Fernández-Mármol

Keyword(s):

Communication Networks ◽

Free Space ◽

Background Noise ◽

Quantum Communication ◽

Direct Detection ◽

Tracking System ◽

Core Diameter ◽

Quantum Bit ◽

Active Optics ◽

Receiver System

Optimising the interconnection between free-space and fibre links will be necessary for future quantum communication networks. In daylight free-space quantum communication based on direct detection, the required Field Of View (FoV) of the receiver system needs to be minimised to reduce solar background noise coupling into the detectors. Reducing the FoV requires minimising beam wander effects caused by atmospheric turbulence through active optics. We implement a fine tracking system designed to correct tip and tilt wavefront aberrations, using two feedback loops; each of them consisting of a quadrant detector and a fast steering mirror for stabilising the beam in the whole optical axis of the receiver. We test the performance of the tracking system with different optical fibres in order to evaluate the reduction in the quantum bit error rate (QBER) caused by solar background noise. A reduction of 75% for single mode fibre was obtained, and 45% reduction for a 25 µm core diameter fibre, both cases for strong turbulence (Cn2~10-12 – 10-13 m-2/3) and 100 m propagating channel. These results look promising for enabling free-space Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) in wireless networks for realistic/adverse conditions such as daylight and strong turbulent regimes.

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