Reconfigurable SiC gratings in PDMS: a portable approach for atmospheric optical communication networks

Wanzhuo Ma; Yanwei Fu; Dongdong Han; Keyan Dong; Jiaqing Zeng; Qiang Wang; Peng Lin; Yonglai Zhang; Ye Gu; Zhi Liu; Xianzhu Liu; Huilin Jiang

doi:10.1038/s41377-025-02060-0

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Reconfigurable SiC gratings in PDMS: a portable approach for atmospheric optical communication networks

Original Articles

- Reconfigurable SiC gratings in PDMS: a portable approach for atmospheric optical communication networks
- Light: Science & Applications Vol. 14, Issue 12, Pages: 3935-3949(2025)
- Affiliations：
  
  1.Space Optoelectronic Technology Research Institute, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Changchun, China
  2.College of Opto-Electronic Engineering, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Changchun, China
  3.State Key Laboratory of Integrated Optoelectronics, JLU Region, College of Electronic Science and Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun, China
- Author bio：
  
  Wanzhuo Ma (mawz@cust.edu.cn)
  Dongdong Han (handongdong@jlu.edu.cn)
  Keyan Dong (dongkeyan@cust.edu.cn)
  Yonglai Zhang (yonglaizhang@jlu.edu.cn)
- Funds：
- DOI：10.1038/s41377-025-02060-0
  CLC：
- Received：18 April 2025，
  
  Revised：2025-08-20，
  
  Accepted：16 September 2025，
  
  Published Online：02 December 2025，
  
  Published：31 December 2025
- Accepted：
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Ma, W. Z. et al. Reconfigurable SiC gratings in PDMS: a portable approach for atmospheric optical communication networks. Light: Science & Applications, 14, 3935-3949 (2025).
DOI：

Ma, W. Z. et al. Reconfigurable SiC gratings in PDMS: a portable approach for atmospheric optical communication networks. Light: Science & Applications, 14, 3935-3949 (2025). DOI： 10.1038/s41377-025-02060-0.

摘要

Abstract

Free-space optical communication (FSOC) enables high-speed

secure

and scalable data transmission

with great potential for space–ground networks. However

existing FSOC systems predominantly employ point-to-point transmitters

each requiring bulky beam steering devices with complex control mechanisms

which severely limits their feasibility for multi-node micro-platform applications. Here

to address such a challenge

we propose a novel point-to-multipoint FSOC scheme based on reconfigurable SiC gratings

which are directly fabricated in stretchable PDMS films via femtosecond laser-induced carbide precipitation. The reconfigurable SiC transmission gratings are with good transparency (~91.9% at 1550 nm)

dynamic beam steering capability (hundred-milliradian level)

and an ultralightweight design (single grating: 0.4 g). The SiC fringes are specially fabricated within the internally symmetric region of the PDMS film to mitigate the structure distortion during stress regulation

significantly enhancing the long-range transmission capability in degraded atmospheric channels. The system supports 1-to-7 and 1-to-9 dynamic optical communication for 1D and 2D configurations

respectively. In a state-of-the-art 225-meter outdoor experiment

the system achieves reliable 10 Gbps transmission for each node. This portable FSOC system overcomes the limitations of conventional systems

enabling scalable and flexible multibeam steering. This approach establishes a robust foundation for long-range

multinode

and high-capacity FSOC networks among spatial micro-platforms such as unmanned aerial vehicles and micro-satellites.

关键词

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