[Laser] Paper about "Free-space optical links for space communication networks"

[Paolo Cravero]

Gentlefolks,
the list has been silent for a while, so it is time to check if it is still
working.

Recently I spotted this 66 pages long document about "Free-space optical
links for space communication networks" (PDF at
https://arxiv.org/abs/2012.13166). It talks about past, present and future
of optical communication links. A bit of theory, a bit of math and easy
graphs, some pictures of real-world applications. I think the booklet is
also good for the technically inclined newcomers to FSO experiments.

The website linked above ( https://arxiv.org/ )  has a good collection of
fresh technical papers on many subjects, probably too specific for most
hobbyists, but that's a good diversion from browsing e-commerce portals :)

Have a nice read,
Paolo - Italy

PS. The abstract for your convenience:
"Future spacecraft will require a paradigm shift in the way the information
is transmitted due to the continuous increase in the amount of data
requiring space links. Current radiofrequency-based communication systems
impose a bottleneck in the volume of data that can be transmitted back to
Earth due to technological as well as regulatory reasons. Free-space
optical communication has finallyemerged as a key technology for solving
the increasing bandwidth limitations for space communication while reducing
the size, weight and power of satellite communication systems, and taking
advantage of a license-free spectrum. In the last few years, many missions
have demonstrated in orbit the fundamental principles of this technology
proving to be ready for operational deployment, and we are now witnessing
the emergence of an increasing number of projects oriented to exploit space
lasercommunication (lasercom) in scientific and commercial applications.
This chapter describes the basic principles and current trends of this new
technology."