Mitsubishi Electric Develops Laser Communications Terminal for Use in Space

The photoelectric converter of the system, which receives laser light and converts it into electrical signals, is divided into four segments, and the direction of received laser beams is detected by comparing the output signal intensity of each segmented element. The dedicated sensor for detecting beam directions in conventional systems is no longer necessary. The small optical receiver integrates functions for space optical communication and laser angle-of-arrival detection in a photodetector.