Baris Erkmen

Dr. Baris I. Erkmen has been active in development of advanced optical communication and sensing systems for over two decades. He is presently CTO for laser communication at Aalyria Technologies. Prior to Aalyria, Baris was the CEO of Hedron Space (2022-2023), developing an optical data-relay network for Earth-observation satellites. He was Engineering Director of Project Taara at X, the moonshot factory (2017-2022), where he developed a high-performance wireless optical communication product to expand terrestrial broadband networks. Prior to that he was the Lead of Free Space Optical Communication on Project Loon (2013-2016), where he developed optical communication technology for stratospheric balloons. Dr. Erkmen served as Principal Investigator for NASA’s OPALS laser communication demonstration (2009-2013), which successfully demonstrated an optical downlink from the International Space Station. In 2022, Dr. Erkmen was elected Fellow of Optica for contributions to the advancement of wireless optical communication systems.

Presentation Title:

Photonic Data Highways: Engineering Resilient Laser Communication Between Earth and Space

Similar to its terrestrial counterpart, the demand for data from space continues to enjoy exponential growth both for satellite communication and Earth observation. Meanwhile, the proliferation of satellite constellations provide opportunities for a ‘space layer’ in data networks. In order to achieve ubiquitous connectivity across land, sea, air and space, high-throughput and long-range laser communication must be brought to market in a scalable and cost effective manner, while also providing compelling technical solutions to the numerous challenges with atmospheric turbulence, platform motion, and link availability. 

In this talk, we will first discuss the trends in space communication networks, to motivate the interest into laser communication as a key enabling technology. We will then discuss the challenges to laser communication, and the engineering solutions that have been developed to date to address those challenges. Finally, we will highlight some of the high-impact opportunities for photonics in unlocking further advancements in laser communication systems, in support of a future with abundant photonic data highways between Earth and space.