Beam Generation

One of the primary aspects of this project is the design and generation of the beams used to transmit a signal in the communication system. What makes this project special is that we use beams of light, known as Laguerre-Gaussian beams, that carry Orbital Angular Momentum (OAM). These OAM beams can be combined to form unique intensity patterns that are encoded with information. In order to do this, we utilize a device known as a Spatial Light Modulator (SLM). The below figure demonstrates the optical encoding, where basis beams are turned on and off using optical switches. The unique combinations of all the basis beams creates the system alphabet. The more basis beams you use, the more data can be transferred with a single message, but the more complex and large the alphabet becomes. Click the buttons below to find out more!