ABSTRACT
A comparative stability analysis of Ince-Gaussian and Hermite-Gaussian modes in elliptical core few-mode fibers is provided to inform the design of spatial division multiplexing systems. The correlation method is used to construct crosstalk matrices that characterize the spatial modes of the fiber. Up to six low-order modes are shown to exhibit about -20 dB crosstalk. The crosstalk performance of each mode set is found to be similar. However, a direct comparison between modes of equal Gouy phase shift, a parameter that ensures identical beam quality, and phase at the detector, demonstrates better relative power transmission for Ince-Gaussian beams. This result is consistent with the natural modes supported by a 100 m elliptical core fiber for which a mode ellipticity of ϵ=2 was found to be optimal. The relative power difference is expected to be magnified over longer fiber lengths in favor of Ince-Gaussian modes.
ABSTRACT
A sub-terahertz vortex dielectric waveguide was designed and fabricated in the cyclic olefin copolymer (TOPAS) compound. The annular index profile was engineered using a holey cladding to support operation from approximately 200-300 GHz. The vortex waveguide was tested at 280 GHz using an OAM-endowed Laguerre-Gaussian mode generated by a stepped spiral phase plate.
ABSTRACT
We demonstrate the generation of orbital angular momentum (OAM) beams using high-efficient polarization-insensitive phase masks. The OAM beams generated by the phase masks are characterized in terms of their tolerance to misalignment (lateral displacement or tilt) between the incident beam and phase mask. For certain scenarios, our results show that (a) when the tilt angle is within the range of -20 to +20 deg, the crosstalk among modes is less than -15 dB; and (b) lateral displacement of 0.3 mm could cause a large amount of power leaked to adjacent modes. Finally, OAM beams generated by the phase masks are demonstrated over a two-channel OAM-multiplexing link, each channel carrying a 40 Gbit/s data stream. An optical signal-to-noise-ratio (OSNR) penalty of â¼1 dB is measured without crosstalk at the bit error rate (BER) of 3.8×10-3. With crosstalk, an OSNR penalty of <1.5 dB is observed at the same BER.
ABSTRACT
A method is described for generating optical vector vortex beams carrying superpositions of orbital angular momentum states by using a tandem application of a spatial light modulator with a vortex retarder. The vortex component has a spatially inhomogeneous phase front that can carry orbital angular momentum, and the vector nature is a spatially inhomogeneous state of polarization in the laser beam profile. The vector vortex beams are characterized experimentally by imaging the beams at points across the focal plane in an astigmatic system using a tilted lens. Mathematical analysis of the Gouy phase shows good agreement with the phase structure obtained in the experimental images. The polarization structure of the vector beam and the orbital angular momentum of the vortex beam are shown to be preserved.
ABSTRACT
Analogous to time signals that can be composed of multiple frequency functions, we use uniquely structured orthogonal spatial modes to create different beam shapes. We tailor the spatial structure by judiciously choosing a weighted combination of multiple modal states within an orthogonal orbital angular momentum (OAM) basis set, creating desired beam intensity "shapes." The weights of the OAM beams to be combined forms a Fourier pair with the spatial intensity distribution in the azimuthal direction of the resultant beam. As an example, we simulate and experimentally create various beam shapes by designing the weights of the combined OAM beams. We also find that 6× higher localized power, as compared to traditional beam combining, could be achieved by coherently combining nine orthogonal OAM beams.
ABSTRACT
We propose and simulate the use of the unique intensity gradient of beams carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) for tracking and localization of an object. We design a three-pixel detector structure to efficiently determine the intensity gradient of an OAM beam. The resultant intensity gradient is then used to calculate the offset direction and distance of the target object from the center of the OAM beam. Our simulation results indicate the following: (i) an OAM-based localization system can have a stronger control signal than the one generated from a Gaussian beam; (ii) an OAM+2 beam may generate a â¼5× stronger localization feedback signal but operates over half the target capture area as an OAM+1 beam; and (iii) our scheme will generally have two orders of magnitude lower accuracy but â¼2× larger coverage area as the distance from the beam emitter to the target increases from 200 to 1000 m.
ABSTRACT
There is a continuing growth in the demand for data bandwidth, and the multiplexing of multiple independent data streams has the potential to provide the needed data capacity. One technique uses the spatial domain of an electromagnetic (EM) wave, and space division multiplexing (SDM) has become increasingly important for increased transmission capacity and spectral efficiency of a communication system. A subset of SDM is mode division multiplexing (MDM), in which multiple orthogonal beams each on a different mode can be multiplexed. A potential modal basis set to achieve MDM is to use orbital angular momentum (OAM) of EM waves. In such a system, multiple OAM beams each carrying an independent data stream are multiplexed at the transmitter, propagate through a common medium and are demultiplexed at the receiver. As a result, the total capacity and spectral efficiency of the communication system can be multiplied by a factor equal to the number of transmitted OAM modes. Over the past few years, progress has been made in understanding the advantages and limitations of using multiplexed OAM beams for communication systems. In this review paper, we highlight recent advances in the use of OAM multiplexing for high-capacity free-space optical and millimetre-wave communications. We discuss different technical challenges (e.g. atmospheric turbulence and crosstalk) as well as potential techniques to mitigate such degrading effects.This article is part of the themed issue 'Optical orbital angular momentum'.
ABSTRACT
In line-of-sight communication systems, accurate alignment between the transmitter and receiver is important to guarantee sufficient signal power at the receiver. Such alignment is even more important for orbital angular momentum (OAM) multiplexing systems since misalignment between the transmitter and receiver may cause crosstalk among channels. In this paper, we demonstrate the simultaneous generation and tunable steering of two OAM beams utilising a custom-designed circular antenna array at 28 GHz. We achieve a steering angle of up to 35 degrees from the antenna array normal. We find that (i) the steering angle of the generated OAM beams is limited by the emitting angle of the antenna elements, and (ii) a larger steering angle may degrade the mode purity of the generated OAM beams as well as induce inter-symbol-interference to each of the individual channels. Moreover, we demonstrate the transmission of two 1-Gbaud quadratic phase shift keying (QPSK) signal over the two steerable OAM beams with both multiplexed channels achieved bit error rates (BERs) of <3.8 × 10-3.
ABSTRACT
Electromagnetic waves carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) have been used for mode division multiplexing in free-space communication systems to increase both the capacity and the spectral efficiency. In the case of conventional wireless communication links using non-OAM beams, multipath effects caused by beam spreading and reflection from the surrounding objects affect the system performance. This paper presents the results of analysis, simulations, and measurements of multipath effects in a millimetre-wave communication link using OAM multiplexing at 28 GHz. Multipath-induced intra- and inter-channel crosstalk, which are caused by specular reflection from a plane parallel to the propagation path, are analysed and measured. Both the simulation and the experimental results show that an OAM channel with a high OAM number â tends to suffer from both strong intra-channel crosstalk and strong inter-channel crosstalk with other OAM channels. Results of the analysis show that this observation can be explained on the basis of both the properties of OAM beam divergence and the filtering effect at the receiver, which is associated with the spiral wavefront of OAM beams.
ABSTRACT
To increase system capacity of underwater optical communications, we employ the spatial domain to simultaneously transmit multiple orthogonal spatial beams, each carrying an independent data channel. In this paper, we show up to a 40-Gbit/s link by multiplexing and transmitting four green orbital angular momentum (OAM) beams through a single aperture. Moreover, we investigate the degrading effects of scattering/turbidity, water current, and thermal gradient-induced turbulence, and we find that thermal gradients cause the most distortions and turbidity causes the most loss. We show systems results using two different data generation techniques, one at 1064 nm for 10-Gbit/s/beam and one at 520 nm for 1-Gbit/s/beam; we use both techniques since present data-modulation technologies are faster for infrared (IR) than for green. For the 40-Gbit/s link, data is modulated in the IR, and OAM imprinting is performed in the green using a specially-designed metasurface phase mask. For the 4-Gbit/s link, a green laser diode is directly modulated. Finally, we show that inter-channel crosstalk induced by thermal gradients can be mitigated using multi-channel equalisation processing.
ABSTRACT
We demonstrate a 200-Gbit/s space-division multiplexing system using two Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) beams with different radial indices (LGâ=0,p=0 and LGâ=0,p=1). With a proper design of the radial change of the demultiplexing pattern, the channel crosstalk could be minimized and both channels could achieve a bit error rate of 3.8×10-3. Moreover, the multiplexing of four LG beams with different azimuthal indices and different radial indices (e.g., LGâ=0,p=0, LGâ=0,p=1, LGâ=1,p=0, and LGâ=1,p=1 beams) is also demonstrated with a <-12 dB channel crosstalk, potentially enabling a 400-Gbit/s data transmission.
ABSTRACT
We explore the mitigation of atmospheric turbulence effects for orbital angular momentum (OAM)-based free-space optical (FSO) communications with multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) architecture. Such a system employs multiple spatially separated aperture elements at the transmitter/receiver, and each transmitter aperture contains multiplexed data-carrying OAM beams. We propose to use spatial diversity combined with MIMO equalization to mitigate both weak and strong turbulence distortions. In a 2×2 FSO link with each transmitter aperture containing two multiplexed OAM modes of â=+1 and â=+3, we experimentally show that at least two OAM data channels could be recovered under both weak and strong turbulence distortions using selection diversity assisted with MIMO equalization.
ABSTRACT
We experimentally investigate the potential of using 'self-healing' Bessel-Gaussian beams carrying orbital-angular-momentum to overcome limitations in obstructed free-space optical and 28-GHz millimetre-wave communication links. We multiplex and transmit two beams (l = +1 and +3) over 1.4 metres in both the optical and millimetre-wave domains. Each optical beam carried 50-Gbaud quadrature-phase-shift-keyed data, and each millimetre-wave beam carried 1-Gbaud 16-quadrature-amplitude-modulated data. In both types of links, opaque disks of different sizes are used to obstruct the beams at different transverse positions. We observe self-healing after the obstructions, and assess crosstalk and power penalty when data is transmitted. Moreover, we show that Bessel-Gaussian orbital-angular-momentum beams are more tolerant to obstructions than non-Bessel orbital-angular-momentum beams. For example, when obstructions that are 1 and 0.44 the size of the l = +1 beam, are placed at beam centre, optical and millimetre-wave Bessel-Gaussian beams show ~6 dB and ~8 dB reduction in crosstalk, respectively.
ABSTRACT
In this paper, we explore the potential benefits and limitations of using transmitter lenses in an orbital-angular-momentum (OAM)-multiplexed free-space optical (FSO) communication link. Both simulation and experimental results indicate that within certain transmission distances, using lenses at the transmitter to focus OAM beams could reduce power loss in OAM-based FSO links and that this improvement might be more significant for higher-order OAM beams. Moreover, the use of transmitter lenses could enhance system tolerance to angular error between transmitter and receiver, but they might degrade tolerance to lateral displacement.
ABSTRACT
We experimentally demonstrate and characterize the performance of a 400-Gbit/s orbital angular momentum (OAM) multiplexed free-space optical link over 120 m on the roof of a building. Four OAM beams, each carrying a 100-Gbit/s quadrature-phase-shift-keyed channel are multiplexed and transmitted. We investigate the influence of channel impairments on the received power, intermodal crosstalk among channels, and system power penalties. Without laser tracking and compensation systems, the measured received power and crosstalk among OAM channels fluctuate by 4.5 dB and 5 dB, respectively, over 180 s. For a beam displacement of 2 mm that corresponds to a pointing error less than 16.7 µrad, the link bit error rates are below the forward error correction threshold of 3.8×10(-3) for all channels. Both experimental and simulation results show that power penalties increase rapidly when the displacement increases.
ABSTRACT
We explore the potential of combining the advantages of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO)-based spatial multiplexing with those of orbital angular momentum (OAM) multiplexing to increase the capacity of free-space optical (FSO) communications. We experimentally demonstrate an 80 Gbit/s FSO system with a 2×2 aperture architecture, in which each transmitter aperture contains two multiplexed data-carrying OAM modes. Inter-channel crosstalk effects are minimized by the OAM beams' inherent orthogonality and by the use of 4×4 MIMO signal processing. Our experimental results show that the bit-error rates can reach below the forward error correction limit of 3.8×10(-3) and the power penalties are less than 3.6 dB for all channels after MIMO processing. This indicates that OAM and MIMO-based spatial multiplexing could be simultaneously utilized, thereby providing the potential to enhance system performance.
