The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has awarded contract to Coherent to develop coherent optical transceiver technology for the agency’s Space-Based Adaptive Communications Node (Space-BACN) program. The aim of Space-BACN is to create low-cost, high-speed, reconfigurable, laser-based data links that will enable communications between various government and private-sector low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellite constellations.
Under the contract, Coherent is specifically tasked with designing and fabricating coherent optical transceivers for a reconfigurable modem compatible with most existing single-wavelength communications protocols and able to readily adapt to work with new waveforms as they are introduced. The goal is to support multiple optical waveforms at total data rates of up to 100 Gbps on a single wavelength, while simultaneously meeting stringent size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C) constraints.
“Advances in digital technology, together with falling launch costs, have made it possible for many groups to launch ‘constellations’ of compact satellites possessing a multitude of capabilities, enabled by high-speed laser communications,” said Dr. Chris Koeppen, Chief Technology Officer. “Beyond just defense applications, these satellite arrays offer tremendous potential for low-cost global communications, sensing, imaging, space exploration, and more.”
II-VI changes name to Coherent
II-VI (Nasdaq: IIVI) announced a corporate name change to Coherent Corp. (Nasdaq: COHR) and a new brand identity, following the successful completion of II-VI’s acquisition of Coherent, Inc., on July 1, 2022.“We chose the name Coherent because it has the universal meaning of ‘bringing things together,’ and an appeal that we believe will expand our brand recognition and ultimately lead to value creation,” said Dr. Vincent D. Mattera, Jr., Chair…
