Overview

Optical and Photonic Solutions

CACI’s free-space optical (FSO) communication systems, sensing, and processing solutions transform missions from the battlefield to orbit. Our team develops the most advanced photonics-based applications for space exploration, secure data communications, remote sensing, and mobile, air, underwater operations, and more.

Expertise
Photonic Solutions Team Engineers

Innovative Communication Systems

CACI has designed and delivered FSO communication systems to U.S. Government customers for more than two decades. Our talented multi-disciplinary team members are experts on FSO capabilities for land, air, and space environments, and continually develop new applications for secure data communications, space exploration, and more.

Our FSO technologies increase efficiency through tradeoffs between range and bandwidth and enable low probability of intercept (LPI) and low probability of detection (LPD) with reduced size, weight, and power (SWaP) compared to radio frequency (RF) systems. With inherent immunity to RF interference and jamming, our experts develop and deliver significant advantage for our customers’ communications.

Technology

Next-Generation Technologies

Our FSO communication system and sensing and processing solutions include high-power optical amplifiers, full optical modems, laser transmitting and receiving hardware, chip-scale photonics devices, and more. These next-generation all-platform optical payloads solve the toughest customer mission challenges in communications, sensing, signals intelligence (SIGINT), and radar applications.

Free Space Optical Laser above Earth
CACI's FSO technology laser

Communications for RF Challenged Environments

CACI’s FSO technologies enable highly secure communications in RF-challenged, restricted, or denied environments. Optical carrier frequencies can transmit more data with lower SWaP than comparable RF systems. Our FSO capabilities are available for space, airborne, and terrestrial missions. Our deep space modem capabilities deliver the latest advanced algorithms for space operations and exploration missions. These advanced processing capabilities are used by NASA and others for beacon generation and modulation and deliver high-performance processing power with reduced draw for challenging deep space and on-orbit communications.

Advanced Laser Sensing

CACI’s laser sensing technology enables near-term airborne and space light detection and ranging (LiDAR) applications. CACI’s LiDAR advances are transitioning this capability to widespread mission applications. Demand for these capabilities is growing in mission applications such as stand-off intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), where LiDAR applications are ideal for tasks such as wide-area surveillance and long-range object identification.

A figther jet using LIDAR technology
Photonics

Optical Processing Power

CACI’s optical signal processing experts develop solutions that leverage the unique capabilities of photonics technology to provide broadband, real-time sensing, and analysis of RF spectra from 0-100 gigahertz (GHz). Primarily among these is leveraging terahertz (THz) of bandwidth available in the optical domain to perform real-time, wide-band processing not possible in either the RF analog or digital domain. These technologies are finding use in areas such as SIGINT, high-resolution radar, and resilient communication systems that can operate safely in both congested and contested environments.

Optical

Lighting the Future: How CACI is Revolutionizing Optical and Photonic Solutions

With decades of investment and research, CACI has built up deep expertise, capacity, and scale in a vital technology field for national security -- free space optical (FSO) communications and optical solutions. Linda Braun, Vice President of CACI's Optical and Photonics Systems, talks more about our advancements in this technology in defense, intelligence, and other national security missions needing secure, reliable, and high throughput communications in this article.

Read More

Resources
CICADA
CACI’s advances in photonics technology are improving the speed, efficiency, and security of many of our government’s most critical present and future missions.
CrossBeam®
Our space systems, such as the field-proven CrossBeam® and SkyLight™ CubeSat system, exemplify powerful FSO capability in small, low-cost packages. Our space technologies provide satellite crosslinks and bi-directional satellite-to-earth links via low complexity systems, minimizing SWaP and cost.
SkyLight™
CACI’s SkyLight is an ultra-low SWaP FSO communication system providing satellite crosslink and up/down link capabilities to CubeSats and other smallsats. A fully integrated system, SkyLight includes all data processing, optical transmitters, amplifiers, and receivers in a 1.5U package.
CICADA
CACI’s advances in photonics technology are improving the speed, efficiency, and security of many of our government’s most critical present and future missions.
CrossBeam®
Our space systems, such as the field-proven CrossBeam® and SkyLight™ CubeSat system, exemplify powerful FSO capability in small, low-cost packages. Our space technologies provide satellite crosslinks and bi-directional satellite-to-earth links via low complexity systems, minimizing SWaP and cost.
SkyLight™
CACI’s SkyLight is an ultra-low SWaP FSO communication system providing satellite crosslink and up/down link capabilities to CubeSats and other smallsats. A fully integrated system, SkyLight includes all data processing, optical transmitters, amplifiers, and receivers in a 1.5U package.
Contact
Steven Wolter
Business Development Executive
(703) 394-1520
EMAIL

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