Patent ID: 6175437
Filing Date: 2001-01-16
Classification: H04B

Abstract:
A laser communication system, comprising:a first laser to generate a laser signal with femtosecond pulses characterizing data to be transferred;a first grating to spectrally disperse said femtosecond pulses of said laser signal;an opto-electronic modulator to convert said femtosecond pulses of said laser signal into time modulated coded words characterizing said data to be transferred;a second grating to spectrally recombine said time modulated coded words of said laser signal; anda telescope to launch said laser signal;a receiving telescope to receive said laser signal;a second laser to generate a set of reference pulses;a cross-correlator to cross-correlate reference pulses from said second laser with selected spectral components of said laser signal to determine whether said selected spectral components have been phase shifted;a non-linear crystal to combine said set of reference pulses and said laser signal so as to create an output signal only when said laser signal and said reference pulses temporally coincide; anda detector to record said output signal.