Quantum Optical Terminal with Wide-Field Telescope and Beam Corrector

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing airborne optical relay systems for drones require precise steering and heavy telescopes, which complicates their implementation and increases weight.

Innovation Solution

The system employs two wide field-of-view telescopes with active compensation of optical aberrations using tunable phase plates, allowing for simpler coarse steering and reducing the need for precise pointing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If precise steering assemblies are used to maintain beam alignment, then communication reliability is improved, but device complexity and weight increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebeam alignment reliabilityVSAvoidsteering system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of using complex steering mechanisms to actively track and maintain beam alignment, the patent inverts the approach by using a wide-field telescope to passively receive beams over a large angular range. The beam corrector then compensates for optical aberrations, eliminating the need for precise mechanical steering assemblies while maintaining communication reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces mechanical steering assemblies with an optical solution consisting of a wide-field telescope and beam corrector. This substitution eliminates complex mechanical pointing mechanisms while achieving the same goal of maintaining reliable beam reception through optical field expansion and aberration correction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If precise steering assemblies are used to maintain beam alignment, then communication reliability is improved, but weight increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebeam alignment reliabilityVSAvoidterminal weight

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of using heavy mechanical steering assemblies to actively track beams, the patent inverts the approach by using a wide-field telescope to passively receive beams over a large angular range. The beam corrector then compensates for optical aberrations, eliminating the need for precise mechanical steering assemblies while maintaining communication reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces mechanical steering assemblies with an optical solution consisting of a wide-field telescope and beam corrector. This substitution eliminates heavy mechanical pointing mechanisms while achieving the same goal of maintaining reliable beam reception through optical field expansion and aberration correction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Manufacturing precision

If telescopes with narrow field of view are used for precise beam reception, then beam quality is improved, but adaptability to angular deviations decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebeam qualityVSAvoidangular field coverage

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a dynamic beam corrector that can adaptively compensate for optical aberrations across a wide field of view. This dynamic correction capability allows the system to maintain diffraction-limited beam quality while accommodating large angular deviations, effectively decoupling beam quality from field-of-view constraints.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the operational parameters of the optical system by using a wide-field telescope design combined with active beam correction. This parameter change allows the system to operate effectively over a broad angular range while maintaining the beam quality typically associated with narrow-field, precisely-aligned systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

4Device complexity

If wide field-of-view telescopes are used to simplify steering, then device complexity is reduced, but beam quality may deteriorate due to optical aberrations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesteering system complexityVSAvoidbeam quality

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements an active feedback mechanism where the beam corrector continuously measures and compensates for optical aberrations introduced by the wide-field telescope. This feedback loop maintains diffraction-limited beam quality despite the simplified wide-field optical design, effectively eliminating the trade-off between field of view and beam quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This configuration maintains diffraction-limited performance across a wide field of view, reducing the complexity and weight of the system while enhancing flexibility and efficiency in quantum communication.

Implementation Method 1

a telescope provided on the respective first and second optical axis to collimate the respective first and second signal beams

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCollimation: Lens

Implementation Method 2

active compensation of optical aberrations by means of tunable phase plates

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPhase modulation: Phase Modulation

Data Source

PatentEP4564708A1Optical terminal and method for quantum communication

Publication Date: 2025.06.04 AIRBUS (SAS)

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3

AI summary

The present invention provides an optical terminal (1) for quantum communication, comprising a first terminal unit (2a) configured to receive and/or transmit a first signal beam (3a) from or to a first target terminal (4a) and having a first optical axis (21a), a second terminal unit (2b) configured to receive and/or transmit a second signal beam (3b) from and/or to a second target terminal (4b) and having a second optical axis (21b), and a connecting part (5) configured to communicate with the first terminal unit (2a) and the second terminal unit (2b), wherein each of the first and second terminal units (2a, 2b) comprises: a telescope (22) provided on the respective first and second optical axis (21a, 21b) to collimate the respective first and second signal beams (3a, 3b), a beam corrector (23) placed on the respective first and second optical axis (21a, 21b) and configured to correct the respective first and second optical signals beam (3a, 3b) over a predetermined field of view of the telescope (22), a steering system (24) configured to adjust a propagation direction of the first and second signal beams (3a, 3b) to the respective first and second optical axis (21a, 21b), and a coupling portion (25) for coupling the respective first and second signal beams (3a, 3b) to the connecting part (5). Further, the present invention provides a corresponding method for quantum communication.