Optical communications in free space: the security challenge
Frédéric Grillot, professor in photonics and optical communications, May 2024.
Free-space optical communications allow large amounts of data to be transmitted, particularly in the mid-infrared wavelength range, which offers significant advantages for links subject to variable or degraded weather conditions. Despite their many advantages, these links do not benefit from the data protection provided by the physical layer of the propagation channel. The increasing dissemination of sensitive information and the constant threat of cybercrime mean that we need to find ingenious solutions to guarantee data security.
Interview by Isabelle Mauriac
![[Ideas] Communications optiques en espace libre : le défi de la sécurité (vidéo)](https://www.telecom-paris.fr/wp-content-EvDsK19/uploads/2024/05/ideas-optique-securite-video.jpg)
In a recent publication in Optica, a team from Télécom Paris took up the challenge of transmission security by demonstrating a chaos-based encryption method. They demonstrated the applicability of this system over a distance of 30 metres in the far infrared.
This configuration is ideal for applications where the protection of transmitted messages is crucial, but where high data rates are not essential, such as military applications or ground-to-satellite transmission.
Video Michel Desnoues, Télécom Paris
