Photonic Integrated Circuits for Optical Satellite Links: A Review of the Technology Status and Space Effects

Optical satellite communications provide high-data rates with compact and power efficient payloads that can solve the bottlenecks of RF technologies. Photonic integrated circuits have the potential to reduce the cost, size, weight, and power consumption of satellite laser communications terminals, by integrating all the required photonic components on a chip. This can be achieved by leveraging on the mature technology for fiber communications. In this article, the technology status of photonic integrated circuits for optical satellite link is reviewed. Different material platforms are compared, with a focus on high-speed coherent optical communications. The integration of the photonic chip into a communications payload is discussed, together with possible challenges and opportunities. The impact of the space environment, especially the one of radiation, on the performance of the integrated photonic devices is reviewed and discussed.