Optical link efficiency increase with the unnamed aerial vehicles using adaptive optics


Аuthors

Galaktionov I. V.1*, Toporovsky V. V.2**, Kolesnikov O. V.2***

1. Moscow Polytechnic University, 38, Bolshaya Semenovskaya str., Moscow, 107023, Russia
2. Moscow Technical University of Communications And Informatics, 8a, Aviamotornaya Str., Moscow, 111024, Russia

*e-mail: ilya.galaktionoff@gmail.com
**e-mail: toporovskii_v@mail.ru
***e-mail: o.v.kolesnikov@mtuci.ru

Abstract

In recent years, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones, have become essential for numerous applications, from infrastructure monitoring and delivery services to public safety and surveillance. Traditionally, communication between a ground control station and a drone—for transmitting commands and data—relies on radio frequency bands. However, in dense urban environments, the RF spectrum is congested, susceptible to interference, and can be vulnerable to security breaches. This makes relying solely on radio links problematic. Optical wireless communication presents a compelling alternative, offering high bandwidth and enhanced security. Yet, it faces a major obstacle in the lower atmosphere: turbulence. Variations in air temperature and pressure distort the laser beam's wavefront, causing signal fading and degrading link reliability. To overcome this, our work proposes using adaptive optics techniques to maintain a robust optical link with a UAV in urban conditions. Adaptive optics provides a means to measure and correct these optical distortions in real-time.
We developed and tested a control algorithm specifically for this dynamic scenario. In laboratory experiments simulating realistic atmospheric turbulence, the proposed AO system demonstrated substantial improvements. By actively correcting the aberrated wavefront, the system dramatically enhanced the focusing of the incoming laser beam. The total power coupled into a standard optical fiber with a 10-micrometer core—a key metric for efficient signal detection—was increased nearly sevenfold, from 0.33 mW to 2.3 mW. Furthermore, the beam quality was significantly refined: the root mean square (RMS) wavefront error was effectively reduced from 0.63 micrometers to just 0.12 micrometers, bringing the beam much closer to its ideal state. These physical improvements directly impact data transmission performance. Based on our experimental results, numerical analyses indicate that applying adaptive optics would dramatically boost the coupling efficiency—the fraction of received light successfully coupled into the detector—from a marginal 0.1 to an impressive 0.6. This increase translates directly to a higher signal-to-noise ratio, enabling higher data rates or longer operational ranges. In conclusion, integrating adaptive optics into UAV communication systems offers a powerful pathway for developing the next generation of secure, high-speed, and resilient data links essential for the future of advanced drone operations in challenging urban environments.

Keywords:

unnamed aerial vehicles; laser communications; adaptive optics; wavefront sensor; optical system aberrations

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