Latest results and perspectives of TILBA®-ATMO system for LEO satellite to ground optical links following SDA & CCSDS standards

Authors: Clara Abbouab, Josselin Huby, Julien Samaan, Claire Autebert, Ahmed Khalifa, Antonin Billaud, Cédric Dautancourt, Laurent Prioul

Cailabs, Rennes – FRANCE

The increasing demand for high-throughput communication in low earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellations has accelerated the demand for free-space optical (FSO) links. However, the achievable performance of such links is impacted by atmospheric turbulence, which affects ground-to-satellite laser communications. This paper presents the latest experimental validation of TILBA®-ATMO system, an advanced optical receiver developed by Cailabs, designed to mitigate turbulence effects and enhance the reliability of satellite-to-ground laser communication. The system leverages multi-plane light conversion (MPLC) technology and a dual photonic integrated chip (PIC) architecture to ensure robustness under arbitrary polarization states, while remaining compliant with SDA and CCSDS standards. We report results from a testing campaign, including optical loss measurements, control loop performance, and bit-error rate (BER) validation across different turbulence regimes and compliant with standard requirements. These findings confirm the relevance of TILBA®-ATMO system for future high-throughput optical stations for satellite-to-ground laser communication.