In a development that some observers say could someday replace satellites' reliance on RF, scientists in China are claiming that they have developed a transmission method using minimal laser power. The method is known as "AO-MDR synergy" and utilises a 2-watt laser. Scientists at Peking University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences have said that by employing this technique, they recently accomplished a 1 Gigabit-per-second data transmission to Earth from a geostationary satellite.
Researchers praise the development, adding that it addresses a common challenge for satellite downlinks - the distortion caused by atmospheric turbulence. The developers of the process said that "AO-MDR" addresses this by stabilizing the laser signal even when it faces atmospheric turbulence. The technique combines Adaptive Optics and Mode Diversity Reception.