Free space optical communication and adaptive optics with C-Red 3

This white paper describes the benefit of performing free space optical communication in the SWIR wavelength range, and how adaptive optics can optimise signal detection. The C-Red 3, a 640 x 512 SWIR camera running at 600fps full frame, was developed for this application. It holds the legacy of all the developments of astronomical infrared fast wavefront sensors on top of specific features for industrial applications: smart, low cost and low SWaP. It is particularly well suited to be the detector used in an adaptive optics loop for wavefront sensing in a complete free space optical communication system.