Mid-infrared free-space optical communications: a tutorial

IF 30.1 1区物理与天体物理 Q1 OPTICS

Advances in Optics and Photonics Pub Date : 2026-06-08 DOI:10.1364/aop.582922

Willner Alan E., Zhou Huibin, Zuo Yue, Su Xinzhou, Duan Yuxiang, Jiang Zile, Ramakrishnan Muralekrishnan, Wang Yingning, Zeng Ruoyu, Zhao Zixun, Lian Hongkun, Heiniger Adam T., Tur Moshe, Zou Kaiheng, Pang Kai

{"title":"Mid-infrared free-space optical communications: a tutorial","authors":"Willner Alan E., Zhou Huibin, Zuo Yue, Su Xinzhou, Duan Yuxiang, Jiang Zile, Ramakrishnan Muralekrishnan, Wang Yingning, Zeng Ruoyu, Zhao Zixun, Lian Hongkun, Heiniger Adam T., Tur Moshe, Zou Kaiheng, Pang Kai","doi":"10.1364/aop.582922","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"This tutorial provides an overview of free-space optical (FSO) communications operating in the mid-infrared (mid-IR) wavelength bands. In the mid-IR region, there are two atmosphere transmission windows: (mid-wave infrared (MWIR) at 3–5 µm and long-wave infrared (LWIR) at 8–12 µm) with relatively low atmospheric absorption. Compared to near-infrared (near-IR) wavelengths (e.g., telecom C-band at \n1.55 µm), mid-IR tends to be more resilient to atmospheric degradation effects (e.g., fog-induced scattering and atmospheric turbulence). Thus, using mid-IR wavelengths can enable more robust FSO links through challenging atmospheric conditions. This tutorial aims to review recent developments and advances in mid-IR FSO communications. Various devices and approaches for mid-IR data transmitters and receivers are discussed. Advanced demonstrations for single-channel and multi-channel-multiplexed high-capacity mid-IR FSO links are reviewed. This tutorial also discusses the challenges and limitations of current techniques, as well as the outlook for future research.","PeriodicalId":48960,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Optics and Photonics","volume":"10 1","pages":"520"},"PeriodicalIF":30.1000,"publicationDate":"2026-06-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Advances in Optics and Photonics","FirstCategoryId":"101","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1364/aop.582922","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"OPTICS","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

This tutorial provides an overview of free-space optical (FSO) communications operating in the mid-infrared (mid-IR) wavelength bands. In the mid-IR region, there are two atmosphere transmission windows: (mid-wave infrared (MWIR) at 3–5 µm and long-wave infrared (LWIR) at 8–12 µm) with relatively low atmospheric absorption. Compared to near-infrared (near-IR) wavelengths (e.g., telecom C-band at 1.55 µm), mid-IR tends to be more resilient to atmospheric degradation effects (e.g., fog-induced scattering and atmospheric turbulence). Thus, using mid-IR wavelengths can enable more robust FSO links through challenging atmospheric conditions. This tutorial aims to review recent developments and advances in mid-IR FSO communications. Various devices and approaches for mid-IR data transmitters and receivers are discussed. Advanced demonstrations for single-channel and multi-channel-multiplexed high-capacity mid-IR FSO links are reviewed. This tutorial also discusses the challenges and limitations of current techniques, as well as the outlook for future research.

查看原文本刊更多论文

中红外自由空间光通信：教程

本教程提供了在中红外波段操作的自由空间光学（FSO）通信的概述。在中红外区域，大气吸收相对较低，存在2个大气透射窗口：（3-5µm的中波红外（MWIR）和8-12µm的长波红外（LWIR））。与近红外（near-IR）波长（例如，1.55µm的电信c波段）相比，中红外往往对大气降解效应（例如，雾诱导散射和大气湍流）更具弹性。因此，使用中红外波长可以在具有挑战性的大气条件下实现更强大的FSO链路。本教程旨在回顾中红外FSO通信的最新发展和进展。讨论了中红外数据发射器和接收器的各种设备和方法。回顾了单通道和多通道复用高容量中红外FSO链路的先进演示。本教程还讨论了当前技术的挑战和局限性，以及对未来研究的展望。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

Advances in Optics and Photonics OPTICS-

CiteScore

56.60

自引率

0.00%

发文量

期刊介绍： Advances in Optics and Photonics (AOP) is an all-electronic journal that publishes comprehensive review articles and multimedia tutorials. It is suitable for students, researchers, faculty, business professionals, and engineers interested in optics and photonics. The content of the journal covers advancements in these fields, ranging from fundamental science to engineering applications. The journal aims to capture the most significant developments in optics and photonics. It achieves this through long review articles and comprehensive tutorials written by prominent and respected authors who are at the forefront of their fields. The journal goes beyond traditional text-based articles by enhancing the content with multimedia elements, such as animation and video. This multimedia approach helps to enhance the understanding and visualization of complex concepts. AOP offers dedicated article preparation and peer-review support to assist authors throughout the publication process. This support ensures that the articles meet the journal's standards and are well-received by readers. Additionally, AOP welcomes comments on published review articles, encouraging further discussions and insights from the scientific community. In summary, Advances in Optics and Photonics is a comprehensive journal that provides authoritative and accessible content on advancements in optics and photonics. With its diverse range of articles, multimedia enhancements, and dedicated support, AOP serves as a valuable resource for professionals and researchers in these fields.