Yinwen Cao

Optical communications using orbital angular momentum beams

Orbital angular momentum (OAM), which describes the “phase twist” (helical phase pattern) of light beams, has recently gained interest due to its potential applications in many diverse areas. Particularly promising is the use of OAM for optical communications since: (i) coaxially propagating OAM beams with different azimuthal OAM states are mutually orthogonal, (ii) inter-beam crosstalk can be minimized, and (iii) the beams can be efficiently multiplexed and demultiplexed. As a result, multiple OAM states could be used as different carriers for multiplexing and transmitting multiple data streams, thereby potentially increasing the system capacity. In this paper, we review recent progress in OAM beam generation/detection, multiplexing/demultiplexing, and its potential applications in different scenarios including free-space optical communications, fiber-optic communications, and RF communications. Technical challenges and perspectives of OAM beams are also discussed.

Mode division multiplexing using an orbital angular momentum mode sorter and MIMO-DSP over a graded-index few-mode optical fibre

Mode division multiplexing (MDM)– using a multimode optical fiber’s N spatial modes as data channels to transmit N independent data streams – has received interest as it can potentially increase optical fiber data transmission capacity N-times with respect to single mode optical fibers. Two challenges of MDM are (1) designing mode (de)multiplexers with high mode selectivity (2) designing mode (de)multiplexers without cascaded beam splitting’s 1/N insertion loss. One spatial mode basis that has received interest is that of orbital angular momentum (OAM) modes. In this paper, using a device referred to as an OAM mode sorter, we show that OAM modes can be (de)multiplexed over a multimode optical fiber with higher than −15 dB mode selectivity and without cascaded beam splitting’s 1/N insertion loss. As a proof of concept, the OAM modes of the LP11 mode group (OAM−1,0 and OAM+1,0), each carrying 20-Gbit/s polarization division multiplexed and quadrature phase shift keyed data streams, are transmitted 5km over a graded-index, few-mode optical fibre. Channel crosstalk is mitigated using 4 × 4 multiple-input-multiple-output digital-signal-processing with <1.5 dB power penalties at a bit-error-rate of 2 × 10−3.

Crosstalk mitigation in a free-space orbital angular momentum multiplexed communication link using 4×4 MIMO equalization.

We demonstrate crosstalk mitigation using 4×4 multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) equalization on an orbital angular momentum (OAM) multiplexed free-space data link with heterodyne detection. Four multiplexed OAM beams, each carrying a 20  Gbit/s quadrature phase-shift keying signal, propagate through weak turbulence. The turbulence induces inter-channel crosstalk among each beam and degrades the signal performance. Experimental results demonstrate that with the assistance of MIMO processing, the signal quality and the bit-error-rate (BER) performance can be improved. The power penalty can be reduced by >4  dB at a BER of 3.8×10-3.

Phase correction for a distorted orbital angular momentum beam using a Zernike polynomials-based stochastic-parallel-gradient-descent algorithm.

A stochastic-parallel-gradient-descent algorithm (SPGD) based on Zernike polynomials is proposed to generate the phase correction pattern for a distorted orbital angular momentum (OAM) beam. The Zernike-polynomial coefficients for the correction pattern are obtained by monitoring the intensity profile of the distorted OAM beam through an iteration-based feedback loop. We implement this scheme and experimentally show that the proposed approach improves the quality of the turbulence-distorted OAM beam. Moreover, we apply phase correction patterns derived from a probe OAM beam through emulated turbulence to correct other OAM beams transmitted through the same turbulence. Our experimental results show that the patterns derived this way simultaneously correct multiple OAM beams propagating through the same turbulence, and the crosstalk among these modes is reduced by more than 5 dB.

Experimental demonstration of 16 Gbit/s millimeter-wave communications using MIMO processing of 2 OAM modes on each of two transmitter/receiver antenna apertures

This paper reports an experimental demonstration of a 16 Gbit/s millimeter-wave communication link using MIMO processing of 2 OAM modes on each of two transmitter/receiver antenna apertures. Two groups of multiplexed OAM beams, each containing OAM beams of ℓ =1 and +3 are generated and transmitted through two transmitter apertures respectively. The two transmitter apertures are separated with a certain distance such that the two groups of OAM beams are spatially overlapping at the receiver aperture plane. Each channel carries 1-GBaud 16-QAM signals at the same carrier frequency of 28 GHz. Our experimental results show that MIMO equalization processing can help mitigate the interferences from the other OAM channels and the BER performance of each channel improves significantly after MIMO processing. Our results indicate that OAM multiplexing and traditional spatial multiplexing combined with MIMO processing can be compatible and complementary with each other.

Orbital Angular Momentum-based Space Division Multiplexing for High-capacity Underwater Optical Communications

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.

Phase noise mitigation of QPSK signal utilizing phase-locked multiplexing of signal harmonics and amplitude saturation.

We demonstrate an all-optical phase noise mitigation scheme based on the generation, delay, and coherent summation of higher order signal harmonics. The signal, its third-order harmonic, and their corresponding delayed variant conjugates create a staircase phase-transfer function that quantizes the phase of quadrature-phase-shift-keying (QPSK) signal to mitigate phase noise. The signal and the harmonics are automatically phase-locked multiplexed, avoiding the need for phase-based feedback loop and injection locking to maintain coherency. The residual phase noise converts to amplitude noise in the quantizer stage, which is suppressed by parametric amplification in the saturation regime. Phase noise reduction of ∼40% and OSNR-gain of ∼3  dB at BER 10(-3) are experimentally demonstrated for 20- and 30-Gbaud QPSK input signals.

4 Gbit/s underwater optical transmission using OAM multiplexing and directly modulated green laser

We demonstrate 4-Gbit/s underwater transmission of multiplexed four green OAM beams using directly-modulated 520-nm laser diode. The influence of various channel conditions, including scattering, water currents and temperature gradient (water turbulence) on system performance is investigated.

Optical Nyquist channel generation using a comb-based tunable optical tapped-delay-line

We demonstrate optical Nyquist channel generation based on a comb-based optical tapped-delay-line. The frequency lines of an optical frequency comb are used as the taps of the optical tapped-delay-line to perform a finite-impulse response (FIR) filter function. A single optical nonlinear element is utilized to multiplex the taps and form the Nyquist signal. The tunablity of the approach over the baud rate and modulation format is shown. Optical signal-to-noise ratio penalty of 2.8 dB is measured for the 11-tap Nyquist filtering of 32-Gbaud QPSK signal.

Atmospheric turbulence mitigation in an OAM-based MIMO free-space optical link using spatial diversity combined with MIMO equalization.

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 ℓ=+1 and ℓ=+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.