Efficient multiplexing and demultiplexing of orbital angular momentum beams

Kevin M. Birnbaum; Baris I. Erkmen

doi:10.1117/12.909567

24 January 2012 Efficient multiplexing and demultiplexing of orbital angular momentum beams

Kevin M. Birnbaum, Baris I. Erkmen

Proceedings Volume 8284, Next-Generation Optical Communication: Components, Sub-Systems, and Systems; 828407 (2012) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.909567
Event: SPIE OPTO, 2012, San Francisco, California, United States

Abstract

In the near-field regime, the number of spatial modes that a free-space communication system can efficiently use is given by the product of the Fresnel numbers of the transmit and receive apertures. It can be advantageous to decompose the field into modes that have rotational symmetry or definite orbital angular momentum (OAM modes). A key challenge to using OAM modes as parallel channels in a practical communication system is efficient multiplexing of single-spatial-mode transmitters to the orthogonal OAM modes, and demultiplexing the combined beam into single-spatial-mode receiver arrays. Previous approaches have utilized modes of different OAM, but ignored the radial coordinate, leading to inefficient use of the Fresnel number. We identify a method, using lenses and holographic phase plates, to efficiently and reversibly convert concentric Laguerre-Gauss OAM beams into an array of separated Gaussian beams.

Citation Download Citation

Kevin M. Birnbaum and Baris I. Erkmen "Efficient multiplexing and demultiplexing of orbital angular momentum beams", Proc. SPIE 8284, Next-Generation Optical Communication: Components, Sub-Systems, and Systems, 828407 (24 January 2012); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.909567

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