Increasing the Data Density of Free-space Optical Communications Using Orbital Angular Momentum

Gibson, G. , Courtial, J. , Vasnetsov, M., Barnett, S. , Franke-Arnold, S. and Padgett, M. (2004) Increasing the Data Density of Free-space Optical Communications Using Orbital Angular Momentum. In: Free-Space Laser Communications IV, Denver, CO, USA, 02-06 Aug 2004, pp. 367-373. (doi: 10.1117/12.557176)

Abstract

Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) light beams possess discrete values of orbital angular momentum (OAM) of lh per photon, where l is the azimuthal index of the mode. In principle l can take on any integer number, resulting in an unlimited amount of information that can be carried by any part of the beam - even a single photon. We have developed a technology demonstrator that uses OAM to encode information onto a light beam for free-space optical communications. In our demonstrator units both the encoding and decoding of the orbital angular momentum states is achieved using diffractive optical components (holograms). We use 9 different OAM values; one value is used for alignment purposes, the others carry data.

• Item Type: Conference Proceedings
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Barnett, Professor Stephen and Gibson, Dr Graham and Franke-Arnold, Professor Sonja and Courtial, Dr Johannes and Padgett, Professor Miles
• Authors: Gibson, G., Courtial, J., Vasnetsov, M., Barnett, S., Franke-Arnold, S., and Padgett, M.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Physics and Astronomy
• ISSN: 0277-786X