ORGANIZERS:
Oskars Ozolins (RISE)
Herwig Zech (Tesat-Spacecom)
Nicolas Perlot (Fraunhofer HHI)

ABSTRACT:
Mainstream free-space optical (FSO) communication systems converged on using the 1.55µm band offering data rates up to Tbit/s, e.g., between satellites. Besides, recent years have shown increasing research activities on atmospheric FSO using other wavelength bands reaching tens of Gbit/s in laboratory and outdoor trials over distances up to hundreds of meters. This workshop will examine the best wavelength for FSO communication systems. It will compare near-infrared (NIR, 0.78-1.4 μm), short-wavelength IR (SWIR, 1.4-2 μm), mid-wavelength IR (MIR, 3-5 μm), and long-wavelength IR (LWIR, 8-12 μm). Talks will demonstrate the significant potential for FSO using NIR, MIR, and LWIR, especially in terms of performance, range, and cost under adverse weather conditions (atmospheric scattering, turbulence). Based on the increasing technological maturity of components and sub-systems, speakers will assess the readiness of NIR, MIR, and LWIR for practical FSO applications in commercial deployments. The goal is to advance the use of FSO in future communication infrastructures, including ground-to-ground and ground-to-satellite links.

Key questions to be explored include:
- How do different wavelengths influence the performance and reliability of FSO systems? 
- What are the latest developments of NIR, MIR, and LWIR components?
- How to keep availability high under challenging weather conditions?
- How to integrate NIR, MIR, and LWIR into existing and future networks?

AGENDA:
Session 1: Shortwave Infrared vs Near Infrared
- Organizer’s introduction
- Devin Brinkley (Project Taara)
- Christoph Kottke (Fraunhofer HHI)
- Mark Gregory (TESAT)
- Henning Helmers (Fraunhofer ISE)
- Panel

Session 2: Shortwave Infrared vs Mid Infrared and Longwave Infrared
- Mustafa Cardakli (Project Kuiper, Amazon)
- Christian Fuchs (DLR)
- Alessandro D Acierno (Huawei)
- Xiaodan Pang (KTH Royal Institute of Technology)
- Panel