US 11,990,942 B1
Reducing scintillation noise in free-space optical communications
Thomas M. Chaffee, Lexington, VA (US); Wayne H. Knox, Rochester, NY (US); Alexander B. LeBon, Lexington, VA (US); Brian M. Gregory, Lexington, VA (US); and Taz M. Colangelo, Lexington, VA (US)
Assigned to Attochron, LLC, Lexington, VA (US)
Filed by Attochron, LLC, Lexington, VA (US)
Filed on Jan. 9, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/407,761.
Application 18/407,761 is a continuation of application No. 18/478,928, filed on Sep. 29, 2023, granted, now 11,888,533.
Application 18/478,928 is a continuation of application No. 18/304,007, filed on Apr. 20, 2023, granted, now 11,824,588, issued on Nov. 21, 2023.
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H04B 10/69 (2013.01); H04B 10/116 (2013.01); H04B 10/556 (2013.01)
CPC H04B 10/697 (2013.01) [H04B 10/116 (2013.01); H04B 10/556 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An optical system, the optical system comprising:
an optical source configured to generate a first beam of light,
wherein the optical source includes a waveguide that amplifies emitted light, and
the first beam of light has a first signal-to-noise ratio; and
an optical amplifier,
wherein the optical amplifier is configured to receive the first beam of light, directly or indirectly, from the optical source and produce a second beam of light,
the second beam has a second signal-to-noise ratio,
the second signal-to-noise ratio is at least three times as large as the first signal-to-noise ratio, and
wherein the optical system is configured to transmit the second beam of light, through a variably refractive medium, to a detector having a photoreceiver,
wherein the first beam of light is configured to encode a bit in a given time slot by not emitting the emitted light in that time slot or emitting the emitted light in less than 50% of the given time slot.