Few-Photons Signal measurement of an Orbiting LEO Satellites with an Amateur-Grade Telescope

Omer Porat; Hagai Eisenberg

doi:10.1117/12.3074482

Few-Photons Signal measurement of an Orbiting LEO Satellites with an Amateur-Grade Telescope

Omer Porat^*
, Hagai Eisenberg

^*Corresponding author for this work

Racah Institute of Physics

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

Abstract

We demonstrate a compact, portable ground station for satellite optical communication and measurement, built mainly from commercial off-the-shelf components. The system supports few-photon LiDAR and space-based quantum key distribution (QKD) experiments. Using a 14-inch telescope, a pulsed microchip laser, and a photon-number-resolving SPAD detector, we analyze single-photon returns from low-Earth orbit satellites with corner cube retroreflectors. Photon detection is achieved at ranges up to 1800 km with tracking accuracy better than 150µrad. Advanced detection techniques exploit photon statistics, bias control, and orbital correlations to distinguish signals below background noise.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	SPIE Future Sensing Technologies 2025
Editors	Osamu Matoba, Joseph A. Shaw, Christopher R. Valenta
Publisher	SPIE
ISBN (Electronic)	9781510693722
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3074482
State	Published - 15 Dec 2025
Event	SPIE Future Sensing Technologies 2025 - Yokohama, Japan Duration: 11 Nov 2025 → 14 Nov 2025

Publication series

Name	Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
Volume	13710
ISSN (Print)	0277-786X
ISSN (Electronic)	1996-756X

Conference

Conference	SPIE Future Sensing Technologies 2025
Country/Territory	Japan
City	Yokohama
Period	11/11/25 → 14/11/25

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 SPIE. All rights reserved.

Keywords

LiDAR
Retroreflector
Space-based Quantum Key Distribution

Access to Document

10.1117/12.3074482

Cite this

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title = "Few-Photons Signal measurement of an Orbiting LEO Satellites with an Amateur-Grade Telescope",

abstract = "We demonstrate a compact, portable ground station for satellite optical communication and measurement, built mainly from commercial off-the-shelf components. The system supports few-photon LiDAR and space-based quantum key distribution (QKD) experiments. Using a 14-inch telescope, a pulsed microchip laser, and a photon-number-resolving SPAD detector, we analyze single-photon returns from low-Earth orbit satellites with corner cube retroreflectors. Photon detection is achieved at ranges up to 1800 km with tracking accuracy better than 150µrad. Advanced detection techniques exploit photon statistics, bias control, and orbital correlations to distinguish signals below background noise.",

keywords = "LiDAR, Retroreflector, Space-based Quantum Key Distribution",

author = "Omer Porat and Hagai Eisenberg",

year = "2025",

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doi = "10.1117/12.3074482",

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series = "Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering",

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Porat, O & Eisenberg, H 2025, Few-Photons Signal measurement of an Orbiting LEO Satellites with an Amateur-Grade Telescope. in O Matoba, JA Shaw & CR Valenta (eds), SPIE Future Sensing Technologies 2025., 137100N, Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering, vol. 13710, SPIE, SPIE Future Sensing Technologies 2025, Yokohama, Japan, 11/11/25. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3074482

Few-Photons Signal measurement of an Orbiting LEO Satellites with an Amateur-Grade Telescope. / Porat, Omer; Eisenberg, Hagai.
SPIE Future Sensing Technologies 2025. ed. / Osamu Matoba; Joseph A. Shaw; Christopher R. Valenta. SPIE, 2025. 137100N (Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering; Vol. 13710).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

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N2 - We demonstrate a compact, portable ground station for satellite optical communication and measurement, built mainly from commercial off-the-shelf components. The system supports few-photon LiDAR and space-based quantum key distribution (QKD) experiments. Using a 14-inch telescope, a pulsed microchip laser, and a photon-number-resolving SPAD detector, we analyze single-photon returns from low-Earth orbit satellites with corner cube retroreflectors. Photon detection is achieved at ranges up to 1800 km with tracking accuracy better than 150µrad. Advanced detection techniques exploit photon statistics, bias control, and orbital correlations to distinguish signals below background noise.

AB - We demonstrate a compact, portable ground station for satellite optical communication and measurement, built mainly from commercial off-the-shelf components. The system supports few-photon LiDAR and space-based quantum key distribution (QKD) experiments. Using a 14-inch telescope, a pulsed microchip laser, and a photon-number-resolving SPAD detector, we analyze single-photon returns from low-Earth orbit satellites with corner cube retroreflectors. Photon detection is achieved at ranges up to 1800 km with tracking accuracy better than 150µrad. Advanced detection techniques exploit photon statistics, bias control, and orbital correlations to distinguish signals below background noise.

KW - LiDAR

KW - Retroreflector

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PB - SPIE

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Few-Photons Signal measurement of an Orbiting LEO Satellites with an Amateur-Grade Telescope

Abstract

Publication series

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Bibliographical note

Keywords

Access to Document

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