IEEE Study Demonstrates Optical Fiber Bundles as a Promising Solution for High-Altitude Laser Communication Systems

Experiments show optical fibers could be key to realizing a flexible, distributed architecture for high-speed data links in aircraft.

PISCATAWAY, N.J., Dec. 26, 2025 — Free-space optical communications (FSOC), which use lasers for data transmission, are a promising approach for achieving high-speed links between aircraft, spacecraft, and ground stations. However, achieving full 360-degree coverage typically requires multiple articulated terminals mounted on an aircraft’s fuselage, which can exceed size, weight and power budgets.

To address this challenge, a research team led by Francesco Nardo at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (Germany) investigated using optical fiber bundles (FBs) to route light from small external collectors to a single laser communication terminal (LCT) housed inside the aircraft. Their paper, published on September 8, 2025 in the IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics, experimentally validated the viability of fiber bundles in FSOC receivers.

The team characterized a commercially available FB at the standard FSOC wavelength of 1550 nm, measuring losses and distortion, simulating a turbulent air-to-air link, and quantifying the bundle’s impact on key performance metrics. Results show that FBs are a feasible approach for FSOC receivers, though the tested commercial bundle—optimized for visible wavelengths—exhibited notable link penalties.

“Despite substantial link penalties, we expect improvements in fiber materials and fabrication techniques to enhance the performance of fiber bundles, further increasing their viability for FSOC applications,” said Mr. Nardo.

The researchers note that FBs made from C-band–specific materials will be required to realize a distributed FSOC system. Further work is needed to develop full LCT system architectures, including transmission and multiplexing components to manage multiple signal streams. “Our work lays the foundation for future investigations into FBs optimized for short-wavelength infrared operation in FSOC,” Mr. Nardo concluded.

Reference

Title: Experimental Characterization of Optical Fiber Bundles for Free-Space Optical Communication in High-Altitude Platforms
Journal: IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics
DOI: 10.1109/JSTQE.2025.3607094 — https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/11028046

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Source: IEEE Photonics Society