3. Free-space transmissions

Infrared transmissions at very short distances (under 10 m), which have been around since the 1970s, represent one of the main applications of free-space optical communications. Unlike guided transmissions, free space enables non-directional links (point-to-multipoint links).

Examples

• Non-directive free-space optical transmissions: the first infrared remote control for TV sets in the 1970s, or HiFi remote control.

• For directional transmissions, it was necessary to turn to much more professional applications at the end of the 1990s: inter-satellite or inter-building optical links for the creation of wide-area local networks.

In the case of long-distance communications, the greatest difficulty encountered by optical (and electromagnetic) devices lies in the fact...

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Free-space transmissions