CFD Research breakthrough in light-based communications published in Nature Photonics

HUNTSVILLE — Imagine sending information at the speed of light, only to have air turbulence scramble your signal and make it unreliable.

That’s the challenge CFD Research’s Bioenergy & Materials team has solved by developing a compact optical system that can quickly detect and correct distortions in light-based communication, boosting signal clarity by 16 times.

The groundbreaking work, funded by the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command, has been published in Nature Photonics, one of the world’s most prestigious journals in optics.

Publications in Nature Photonics are a rare distinction, particularly for small businesses, according to a news release. The recognition not only signals the global relevance of CFD Research’s work, but also highlights the team’s exceptional expertise and innovative approach.

“Publication in Nature Photonics showcases the groundbreaking nature of our employee-owners’ research and the tangible impact it will have on the future of sensing technologies,” said Sameer Singhal, president & CEO of CFD Research. “This recognition demonstrates CFD Research’s commitment to solving complex engineering challenges and advancing next-generation technologies.”

The paper, titled “Single-Shot Phase Diversity Wavefront Sensing in Deep Turbulence via Metasurface Optics,” represents a significant scientific advancement in using nanostructured optical materials, known as metasurfaces, to enable secure, high-speed optical communication with applications in defense, space exploration, telecommunications, and beyond, the news release said.

CFD Research said the technology has major implications for defense and national security, where secure, high-speed battlefield communication is critical, as well as aerospace and space exploration, where satellites and probes rely on reliable data transfer. 

“What excites us about this work is not just tackling a tough turbulence challenge for (free space optical) but showing how metasurfaces can be engineered to solve real-world problems,” said Zack Coppens, PhD, manager in CFD Research’s Energy & Materials Division and principal investigator of the work. “It’s a step toward transitioning these powerful optical technologies out of the laboratory and into practical systems.”

The work’s goal is to uncover new wavefront sensing technologies for deep turbulence – a long-standing challenge, the news release said. 

“Our goal is to combine scientific rigor with practical ingenuity,” said Dr. Neset Akӧzbek, senior research scientist for the Space and Missile Defense Command, and co-author of the manuscript. “This achievement is driving discoveries that will shape the future of optics and photonics — and how to turn those discoveries into technologies that matter.”