Reconfigurable Silicon Photonic Transceiver for Space-Based Communication Nodes

The surge in deployment of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites over the last two decades has resulted in a number of incompatible communication protocols, limiting efficient inter-satellite communication. In response, we present the first reconfigurable silicon photonic link supporting both coherent and intensity modulation with direct detection (IM-DD). Our link design supports transmission and reception of on-off keying (OOK), binary phase-shift keying (BPSK), and quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK) modulated signals across two polarization states, enabling a single transceiver to accommodate multiple common modulation formats. We demonstrate successful operation of the custom transmitter, polarization multiplexer, and receiver portions of our link, including: 1) transmission of OOK, BPSK, and QPSK at symbol rates up to 10 GBaud with an error vector magnitude (EVM) <22% in all cases, 2) polarization cross-talk suppression of over 21 dB, and 3) reception of OOK, BPSK, and QPSK at rates up to 5 GBaud with resolved EVM <17%. This innovation can address the pressing need for standardized communication within LEO satellite constellations, improving interoperability and efficiency in satellite communications.