Newsroom
- Photonics
6 Oct 2026
Exail at ICSO 2026: advancing photonics for space science and quantum technologies
Exail will participate in the International Conference on Space Optics (ICSO 2026), taking place in Sorrento, Italy, from October 12 to 16, 2026. Co-organized by ESA and CNES, the conference brings together the space optics community to discuss developments spanning research, qualification and flight experience. It provides an opportunity to share Exail latest advances for demanding space applications. Meet our team at booth 14.
Building on decades of fiber-optic gyroscope experience
Exail’s photonics expertise is rooted in the development and manufacture of fiber-optic gyroscopes (FOGs). Developed in partnership with Airbus Defence and Space, the AstriX family draws on more than 20 years of experience supporting space missions, from Earth observation and telecommunications to scientific exploration. These gyroscopes are designed to operate across a wide range of orbital environments, where radiation resistance and long-term stability are essential. Exail optical components have accumulated more than 6 million flight hours.
At ICSO, Hugo Boiron, an Exail R&D engineer working within LabH6, the joint laboratory between Exail and Laboratoire Hubert Curien, will present “Application-Driven Selection of Polarization-Maintaining Fibers for Fiber Optic Gyroscopes: From Terrestrial to Space-Grade Radiation Performance and Beyond.” (Oct. 12, 2:00 PM)
His presentation will address the selection of polarization-maintaining fibers according to application requirements, connecting terrestrial FOG applications with the radiation-performance demands of space missions.
Exail’s Astrix NS is a space-qualified three-axis fiber optic gyroscope (FOG) combining a compact form factor (1000 cm3 and 1.4 kg) with high inertial performance.
UltraAir: enabling laser communication from aircraft to space
Exail’s solutions supported TNO’s UltraAir demonstration, which established an aircraft-to-geostationary-satellite laser link in December 2025.
Onboard the aircraft, Exail’s fiber-optic-gyroscope-based inertial navigation system provided aircraft orientation and position data to support precise beam pointing. Exail’s ModBox optical transmitter converted electrical data into phase-modulated optical signals at 1064 nm. Together, these solutions contributed to a campaign that demonstrated transmission at 1.8 Gb/s with zero bit errors during several tests.
At ICSO, Joost Peters (TNO) will present "UltraAir Airborne-to-GEO Optical Communication Demonstrator: Pointing, Acquisition and Tracking Results" (Session "Pat and Receiver Technologies" on Oct. 15)
Enabling precision laser metrology for LISA
Beyond quantum applications, Exail’s electro-optic technology will contribute to one of the most demanding scientific missions in development.
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center has selected Exail to supply qualification and flight models of LiNbO₃ phase modulators for LISA, the ESA-led gravitational-wave observatory. Within the mission’s laser system, these components will enable the transfer of reference-clock information between spacecraft, supporting the precision measurements required for space-based interferometry.
The selection reflects demanding optical power and reliability requirements: aging tests demonstrated operation at optical input powers exceeding 500 mW without degradation in modulation performance.
A prototype laser optical module for LISA. Credit: NASA/S. ROBERTS
SOLiS: developing photonic solutions for high-throughput space communications
Exail is contributing to SOLiS, a laser communications demonstrator developed by a Thales Alenia Space-led consortium for CNES under the France 2030 program. Designed to assess the technical and economic viability of optical links between geostationary satellites and ground stations, SOLiS draws on Exail’s experience in space optical amplification.
For the payload’s reception channel, Exail is supplying optical amplifier modules based on radiation-hardened doped fibers (TRL9) to support high gain and stable output under fluctuating signal conditions. Exail can design optical fibers to support amplifier engineers across the complete power chain from nanowatt-level received signals to tens or even hundreds of watts at the transmitter. Exail has already delivered over 1000 kms of space-qualified fibers, which are integrated into thousands of space amplifiers.
Exail is also developing integrated multiplexer and demultiplexer modules for SOLiS, building on its expertise in free-space micro-optical assemblies. These compact devices combine or separate optical wavelength channels while maintaining precise alignment over a wide temperature range.
Exail’s Er-doped and Er:Yb-doped optical fibers enable the development of low-noise optical amplifiers and high-power optical amplifiers for flying payloads and for optical feeder links in OGSs.
Demultiplexer (Exail’s DEMUX) based on free-space micro-optical assemblies currently undergoing space qualification within the CO-OP project.
Supporting Europe’s space quantum communication missions
Securing optical communications in space is becoming an important challenge. Europe has planned three major space quantum communication programs: EAGLE-1, Europe’s first operational satellite QKD demonstration; QKDSat, targeting commercial QKD services; and SAGA, Europe’s sovereign QKD mission. The ability of electro-optic modulators to control optical phase and amplitude with high fidelity can support such emerging quantum communication architectures based on quantum key distribution (QKD). Exail’s flight models of high-extinction-ratio LiNbO3 amplitude modulators, operating mainly at 1550 nm, are particularly relevant for this application.
Exail already supplies leading QKD equipment manufacturers worldwide, including ThinkQuantum. The collaboration encompasses electro-optic modulators for terrestrial systems and compact micro-optic developments for space QKD. It brings together repeatable component performance and optical integration expertise to address the constraints of satellite-based quantum communication.
Exail is also expanding its offering for quantum technologies with its new NIR-MPZ-800-LN-10, a revolutionary electro-optic phase modulator enabling high-performance modulation of up to 80 mW optical input power at 780 nm and 850 nm modulators. A space-grade version is currently being developed for a US integrated photonics company.
CARIOQA: bringing cold-atom sensing closer to space
A recent milestone illustrates Exail’s contribution to quantum sensing in space: the delivery to CNES of the engineering model of an ultracompact laser source for the CARIOQA Pathfinder Mission Preparation project.
Designed to support cold-atom interferometry, the source generates the frequency-stabilized laser beams needed to trap, cool and interrogate atoms. Commissioning and performance validation were successfully completed at CNES in Toulouse last summer. This delivery supports the development of a quantum instrument intended to pave the way for future measurements relevant to Earth and climate monitoring.
At ICSO, Thomas Lévèque of CNES will present CARIOQA during the “Quantum technologies for metrology” session (Oct. 13). His contribution will outline progress on the quantum sensor’s engineering model, developed through collaboration between European industry and research institutions, alongside the mission objectives and concept.
Preliminary design of the CARIOQA satellite platform, including the laser-source and laser-electronics. Adapted from: T. Lévèque et al., “CARIOQA: Definition of a quantum pathfinder mission,” ICSO 2022.
Exail solutions for space: from Optical Ground Stations (OGS) to geostationary orbit
Developed for TELEO, Exail's fully integrated, space-qualified transceiver combines transmit and receive channels incorporating LiNbO₃ modulators, a low-noise optical amplifier based on radiation-hardened fibers, and associated electronics. The system contributed to successful 10 Gb/s optical uplink and downlink tests between geostationary orbit and Earth in 2025.
For optical ground stations, Exail offers ModBox OGS, an integrated modulation solution for reference transmitters and receivers, also used in the TELEO demonstration.
Exail’s fully integrated optical transceiver currently aboard TELEO.
Optical fiber Expertise. From Ground to Deep Space requirements
To support higher optical power in ground-to-space links, Exail offers its new IXF-2CF-EY-10-130-SMX erbium/ytterbium co-doped fiber (10 µm core), designed for single-mode operation at 1.5 µm. It has demonstrated stable 30 W output power for more than 700 hours without observed photodarkening.
When additional output power is required, Exail's Er/Yb portfolio addresses amplifier power classes from low-power systems through approximately 15 W, 30 W and 50 W architectures, with PM and non-PM configurations depending on the fiber design. For very high power feeder-link amplifiers, Exail has also developed the IXF-2CF-EY-O-25-250-008-AF-HTC. Internal amplifier testing at 1550 nm has demonstrated more than 150 W output power, with no observed power roll-off or parasitic lasing around 1 µm and only milliwatt-level residual emission in this spectral region.
On the receiver side, Exail’s FGC and FGL erbium fibers for terrestrial receivers and radiation-hardened RAD-AMP fibers for spaceborne receivers enable low-noise amplification of faint optical signals, supporting high gain while preserving signal integrity.
Connect with Exail at ICSO 2026
Together, these developments illustrate the breadth of Exail’s contribution to space photonics, from selecting specialty fibers to delivering flight components and integrated laser subsystems. Visitors are encouraged to bring their own design constraints: link budget, input signal level, required gain and noise figure, operating wavelength, C- or L-band requirements, pump configuration, output-power target, beam quality constraints, ASE management or radiation environment.
Meet Exail at ICSO 2026 (booth 14) in Sorrento to discuss photonic technologies for inertial sensing, quantum communication and precision scientific instrumentation, and explore the requirements of your next space mission.
