G&H Group

The cleanroom at G&H's Optical Systems Innovation Hub has recently achieved Class 5 certification. Achieving this quality standard is a notable accomplishment. Moreover, the cleanroom provides ample space for extensive system alignments in demanding applications, surpassing the capacity of commonly used laminar flow benches. The St. Asaph, UIK cleanroom is a critical asset for the development of optical systems and assemblies, particularly applications like for Laser Directed Energy weapons and space, where precision and contamination control are paramount. With the cleanroom back in operation after thorough service and validation, the Hub is set to push the state of the art in high energy optical technology. The Cleanroom Advantage Maintaining Class 5 and 6 standards in the cleanroom is a distinctive achievement and demonstrates the Hub's dedication to cleanliness and precision. As Brad Nicholls, Development Engineer at G&H, affirms, "At G&H, we are committed to delivering high-quality prototypes that meet the highest standards of cleanliness and safety. Our ISO 5 cleanroom ensures that our products under development are free from contamination and defects, and that our processes are reliable and efficient. Our cleanroom is equipped with ULPA filters that remove 99.99% of particles from the air, and we follow strict protocols for entering and exiting the cleanroom, as well as for maintaining the equipment and materials inside. We are proud to have one of the cleanest cleanrooms in the industry." Brad's insights highlight the meticulous care taken to uphold the cleanroom's high standards. The ISO 5 classification, equivalent to a Class 100 cleanroom in the US Federal Standard 209E, reflects G&H's unwavering commitment to providing an environment that exceeds industry benchmarks in terms of cleanliness. Facilities and Expertise The Optical Systems Innovation Hub houses a specialized engineering environment that accommodates a diverse team of experts. From optical design and opto-mechanical analysis to electronics development and system testing, the facility fosters innovation in various fields with a focus on aerospace and defense, including space. Driving Value Delivery The Hub marks a significant step forward for G&H, expanding its research and development capabilities. It not only facilitates customer-driven projects but also empowers market-driven internal products and independent research. This expansion allows G&H to design and build complete electro-optical subsystems and systems, offering a holistic approach to optics with high damage threshold. Early Customer Engagement A standout feature of the Hub is its ability to engage with customers early in the development process. This collaboration in the conceptual phase proves pivotal in defining system requirements and conducting technology and component trade-off analyses. By involving customers from the outset, the Hub ensures a smoother journey from specification to final integration, with the added advantage of anticipating and addressing potential issues early on. Future Innovations Looking ahead, the Optical Systems Innovation Hub aims to build on its existing track record and extend its success into various market verticals. In the aerospace and defense arena, it plans to integrate and deliver optical systems for applications such as sighting systems, imaging systems for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, directed energy weapons, and space technologies. G&H's Optical Systems Innovation Hub in St. Asaph is not just a cleanroom; it is a catalyst for transformative advancements in optical technology. As Chief Product & Technology Officer Stratos Kehayas emphasizes, “The Hub is the first port of call for those seeking innovative solutions in optical systems that comprise precision optical components, lens assemblies, electro-optic sensors combined with firmware and software, integrated in lightweight specialized optomechanical assemblies.” With a commitment to changing the world with photonics, G&H's Optical Systems Innovation Hub is propelling the company into a future defined by optical excellence and expertise.

G&H, a leader in space photonics, takes immense pride announcing the groundbreaking research published in Optics Letters. This pioneering work, a collaborative effort between G&H, Thales Research and Technology Palaiseau, and Thales Alenia Space Toulouse, introduces “Optical Coherent Combination of High-Power Optical Amplifiers for Free-Space Optical Communications.” Free Space Optical Communications Feeder Free Space Optical Communication (FSOC) links serve as high-capacity channels for transmitting data within a network of space assets, often involving geostationary satellites positioned at significant distances from Earth. FSOC holds great potential for the future of satellite communication. Given the exceptional data rates and vast distances between satellites, robust amplification of telecom signals is crucial. High power amplification is necessary due to the remarkably low probability to signal carrying photons successfully reaching their intended destination – the huge distances meaning as little as 1 in 100,000,000 sent photons are received. FSOC links: - Utilize laser light to transmit significantly more data than conventional radio frequencies allow - Benefit from wide optical bands - Are exempt from frequency regulation - Seamlessly integrate with terrestrial networks FSO links offer a promising solution for transmitting data between satellites and optical ground stations (OGS). The Challenge: Optical Feeder Uplinks A significant challenge arises when it comes to the optical feeder uplink – generating powerful enough optical carriers to transmit communication signals from OGS to geostationary satellites. Achieving high data rates, exceeding terabits per second, requires increasing the optical output power at OGS beyond currently available levels. This study enables multi-gigabits per second data transfer at power levels within the 100W range in the C-band, with minimal performance penalties related to the generation of the very high powers utilized. The research employs two of G&H’s 50W C-band amplifiers, highlighting the potential of G&H’s technology for the next generation of high-power, high-throughput ground-to-space feeder FSOC links. The research team used two methods to achieve very high optically powers. First, by directly leveraging G&H’s leading very high-power amplifier technology, and second, by harmonizing the outputs of two amplifiers through a process termed coherent combination. Coherent combination is where multiple sources/amplifiers are utilized in a manner that is akin to using a single source/amplifier, such that little beam quality degradation occurs. This is achieved via locking the relative phase of the sources/amplifier over time. Summary The paper demonstrates two world firsts - the highest power transmitted directly from an amplifier at a telecoms wavelength, whilst preserving a high data rate telecoms signal (25 Gb/s at 50W). Secondly the highest power output from a coherently combined source at telecom wavelengths whilst maintaining a high-speed telecom signal (25 Gb/s at 80W). The work introduces a state-of-the-art coherent beam combining (CBC) system with potential applications in long-range free space optical (FSO) communications, specifically ground-to-space feeder links. Matthew Welch, Chief Engineer of Fiber Optic Systems for G&H stated, “Being part of this project has been truly rewarding. We have demonstrated that G&H’s amplifier technology is future ready, and that G&H is paving the way for transformative applications in long-range free space optical communications, including vital ground-to-space feeder links.” The publication in Optics Letters reflects the significance of this research, within the photonics community. G&H commends the entire team involved for their remarkable contributions, as their work opens new avenues for high-throughput ground-to-satellite optical feeder link applications.